Comparison
Zuuna vs GitLab issue boards — or both together
GitLab boards are included on the free tier. The honest comparison — and why 'connect, don't replace' is usually the better answer here.
GitLab ships issue boards on the free tier. If you run GitLab — especially self-hosted — you already have a board next to your code. So this page is unusual for a comparison: in many cases the right answer is not "switch" but "connect".
Connect instead of replace
Zuuna connects to your GitLab instance — including one reachable only inside your network. You give the address, the project path and an access token; the token is used once to register the webhook and is not stored. If Zuuna cannot register the hook itself, you get the URL and secret to add by hand, and the connection is made from your side. Details on the GitLab page.
After that the code stays in GitLab, and the board is somewhere the people who do not use GitLab can actually reach.
When GitLab boards are enough
When your team works entirely inside GitLab and planning does not extend beyond code. A second tool is then overhead with no return — and the boards are included for free.
Where the difference starts
With everyone who has no GitLab account, or should not have one. With time tracking and capacity planning that knows about absences. With documents beside the cards. And with what a licence costs for people who only need to watch.
Pricing
GitLab: Free $0 · Premium $29 per user/month billed annually · Ultimate on request (accessed 14 August 2026). Zuuna: Free €0 · Plus €4 · Business Standard €8 · Business Pro €16 · Developer €24 per seat/month incl. VAT. Currencies are not converted — each figure carries the symbol its vendor publishes.
Self-hosted
People who run GitLab themselves usually do it for a reason: the data should stay in-house. Zuuna is a hosted service — but hosted in Germany, with a DPA. If it genuinely has to be your own infrastructure, self-hosting is available by arrangement on an individual contract; it is not a line on the price list.
FAQ
Are GitLab issue boards free?
Yes, issue boards are included on GitLab's free tier. Premium is $29 per user per month billed annually (accessed 14 August 2026).
Does the connection work with a self-hosted GitLab instance?
Yes. You supply your instance address. If it is not reachable from outside, you create the webhook yourself using the URL and secret shown — traffic then runs outward rather than inward.
Is my GitLab token stored?
No. It is used once to set up the webhook and then discarded. What is kept is the mapping from project to group and the webhook secret, which is stored encrypted.
Do I have to choose between GitLab and Zuuna?
No, and usually you should not. The code stays in GitLab, the board lives in Zuuna, connected by webhook. Switching only pays off if you wanted to move off GitLab anyway.