Differences between GitLab 18 CE and EE

Common code base, different license models

Both Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) use the same code base. Technically, both versions offer the same software foundation - the main difference lies in the licensing and in the activation of additional functions.

GitLab EE - Proprietary functions

In the self-managed version, GitLab EE contains additional proprietary functions that are not included in the free CE version for licensing reasons - e.g. spam check and other features.

Activation of Premium or Ultimate Seats

GitLab EE allows the activation of extended functions via Premium or Ultimate licenses:

• Ultimate offers proprietary SAST and container scanning technology, more sophisticated security reporting, governance features and better visibility into merge requests, for example.
• Premium offers countless advanced options beyond the free feature set.

EE is essentially identical to CE, but offers the option of adding more powerful enterprise functionalities per license level.

🔁 Migration between CE and EE

GitLab migration from CE → EE

For self-managed instances, there are official instructions for migrating from CE to EE - both for self-compiled versions and for Linux package installations.

GitLab Migration from EE → CE

A migration from the Enterprise version to the Community version is not officially supported by GitLab.