Ethical Non-Profit Git Hosting: Codeberg from Germany
Tired of proprietary platforms dictating your workflow? Codeberg.org hosts over 371,000 projects and serves 246,000 users as a true FOSS haven. This Berlin-based non-profit, powered by Forgejo, offers free Git hosting without ads, tracking, or U.S. legal overreach like DMCA takedowns. Launched in 2019 amid rising concerns over commercial forges, it champions data sovereignty and community control.
Endorsed by the 'Give up GitHub' campaign, Codeberg attracted high-profile migrations like the Zig programming language, fleeing GitHub's CI issues and AI scraping. With services like static Pages, Weblate translations, and CI/CD via Woodpecker/Forgejo Actions, it's a full dev ecosystem. Governed democratically by 1,300+ members, Codeberg ensures sustainability through donations—prioritizing ethics over profits. For European developers, it's the GDPR-secure home for open-source innovation.
What is Codeberg?
Codeberg e.V., a German non-profit headquartered in Berlin, runs Codeberg.org—a collaborative platform for free and open-source software (FOSS) development. Powered by Forgejo (a community hard fork of Gitea), it provides Git repository hosting, issue tracking, pull requests, wikis, and kanban boards. Additional tools include Codeberg Pages for Jekyll/Hugo static sites, Codeberg Translate (Weblate instance), and CI/CD with Woodpecker CI or Forgejo Actions.
Founded in September 2018 by seven members wary of commercial platforms' control and U.S. risks, it went public in January 2019. Early growth was swift: 379 users and 333 repos by February 2019. Key milestones: 'Give up GitHub' endorsement (2022), Forgejo soft fork launch (2022), and hard fork support (2024). By late 2025, it boasts 371,000+ projects, 246,000 users, and 1,300+ association members who elect leadership.
Privacy-focused (no ads/tracking), EU-hosted for sovereignty, and donation-funded, Codeberg targets FOSS projects seeking reliable, ethical collaboration without proprietary lock-in.
Who Uses Codeberg?
Codeberg empowers FOSS developers, hobbyists, academics, and organizations ditching Big Tech. The Zig programming language migrated its canonical repo here, citing GitHub reliability woes. Thousands of projects thrive, from indie apps to research tools.
Activists and privacy advocates favor its no-tracking policy; universities use it for student collab. Endorsed by Software Freedom Conservancy, it's ideal for 'GitHub alternatives.' With 246,000 users, it suits solo devs to large communities valuing ethics.
European Advantage
Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Codeberg e.V. guarantees EU data sovereignty—your repos stay in Europe, immune to U.S. subpoenas. Full GDPR compliance with privacy-by-design: no profiling or third-party sharing. German non-profit status aligns with EU FOSS policies, fostering sustainable dev.
European team ensures culturally attuned support, while Forgejo backend enables lightweight, green ops. Perfect for GDPR-bound orgs seeking compliant Git hosting.
How Codeberg Compares
Codeberg trumps GitHub's proprietary SaaS with free FOSS hosting, no AI scraping, and community governance. Lighter than GitLab's resource-hungry self-hosted option, it focuses on essentials without enterprise bloat. Bitbucket's Atlassian ties can't match its non-profit purity.
Unique: Forgejo-powered federation potential, Pages/CI included free. Migrations are painless, with superior uptime for FOSS.
Get Started with Codeberg
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Codeberg is proudly based in Germany, ensuring European data sovereignty and GDPR compliance.