Now, you might think the answer I'm going to give you is already obvious because I'm using GiHub right now, but it's not. Both GitHub and Bitbucket offer great Git services, but each has its own features and pricing plans. In the following... thing, I'm going to compare the two and then offer a final solution that should work for most people.
TL;DR: Both. Use GitHub for open source and public repos (you'll spend most of your time here) and Bitbucket for private repos. But, sign up for GitHub first, then import account into Bitbucket. Also, check comments for updates. P.S. I personally prefer GitHub.
Both Bitbucket and GitHub really have the interface and functionality pinned down. They both can do basically whatever you need, while getting out of your way, being easy to use and looking awesome, so that's not much of a consideration. The only gripes I have with GitHub are that they are a little inconsitent with their editors and I cannot set the language of my repo, like in Bitbucket. For Bitbucket, though, I find the interface a little less pretty and a little harder to navigate. Again, all concerns here are pretty insignificant, as both do excellent jobs.
GitHub is the clear winner here. Unlike Bitbucket, it doesn't limit the number of contributors and has way more users. Also, it hosts a large number of major projects, like Linux and jQuery. So, if all you do is open source development and nothing else, go with GitHub.
Bitbucket is the clear winner here. Unlike GitHub, you can create an unlimited number of private repositories. So, if all you want is a fancy Dropbox and nothing else, go with Bitbucket.
From https://bitbucket.org/account/user//plans/.
All plans have:
- Unlimited private repos
- etc.
| Free | $10 / mo | $25 / mo | $50 / mo | $100 / mo | $200 / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Users | 10 Users | 25 Users | 50 Users | 100 Users | Unlimited Users |
From https://github.com/pricing.
All plans have:
- Unlimited collaborators
- etc.
| Free | $7 / mo | $12 / mo | $22 / mo | $50 / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Private Repos | 5 Private Repos | 10 Private Repos | 20 Private Repos | 50 Private Repos |
(unfortunately, no unlimited plan :()
Yes, I know they are different, but I'm not counting them. I'm looking at the personal plans because that's what most people will go for.
So, what should you get? Well, that really depends upon you, of course, but the way I see it: Both. Let's, for a moment, say you want to go for a free plan, but you're not sure which site to use. If you sign up for GitHub then import your GitHub account in Bitbucket, you're good to go! For all your public/open source/social stuff, use GitHub. For your private repos that few will see, use Bitbucket!
If you're going for a paid plan, that really depends upon you're budget and needs. You should then consider looking into organization and enterprise plans, as well. This is a more difficult choice. In the end, it's what is best for you.
Be sure to check out the following internet thingies:
- Bitbucket vs. GitHub: Which project host has the most? (especially the calculator)
- GitHub Pricing and Plans
- Bitbucket Pricing and Plans
Because I do not control any external resource listed here (except maybe Uppagus <-- Shameless plug, please excuse :P), I cannot guarentee their up-to-date-ness. They will probably change. If they do, I will try to keep up with them, but before buying anything, check with the respective company. GitHub and Bitbucket may change their prices behind my back (as they do). If you (the reader) notice some discrepencies with the offical sources, please let me know, and I will update accordingly.
I suck at spelling. Please let me know if I have mspelled anything. I'll correct it. Same goes for grammar.
Another missing point is the social features present in GitHub. It's almost non existent on Bitbucket.
For sure Bitbucket offers several advantages like Jira, private repos, apps, etc... but GitHub is the way to go if you want to opensource your code.