Best GitHub Merge Queue Alternatives in 2026
The top GitHub Merge Queue alternatives are Mergify, Bitbucket and Prow: 15 merge queue software our editors would look at instead of GitHub Merge Queue, in our ranking order.
GitHub Merge Queue: A GitHub-native FIFO queue for validating grouped pull requests before merging. Where it falls short: limited to GitHub rather than GitLab or bitbucket.
Switching from GitHub Merge Queue? For most merge queue software buyers the best GitHub Merge Queue alternative is Mergify, built for teams needing merge queues plus CI test-health tools. GitLab Merge Trains offers the most max parallel batches (20 batches).
Why People Look for a GitHub Merge Queue Alternative
- Limited to GitHub rather than GitLab or Bitbucket
- Requires required branch-protection checks before queueing
- Team plan's $4 per-user monthly price applies to the first 12 months
- No gitLab support — 4 of the alternatives below have it
- No merge trains — 1 of the alternatives below has it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallMergify8.9
Teams needing merge queues plus CI test-health tools
Visit Mergify - Lowest priceAviator MergeQueue7.8
Paid plans from $20/user/mo
Visit Aviator MergeQueue - Best free optionMergify8.9
Has a free plan
Visit Mergify - Most max parallel batchesGitLab Merge Trains7.7
20 batches
Visit GitLab Merge Trains - Best for gitlab supportTrunk Merge Queue7.9
GitLab support (GitHub Merge Queue: no)
Visit Trunk Merge Queue
All 15 GitHub Merge Queue Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forTeams needing merge queues plus CI test-health tools
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 7.6
Merge queues and stacked PRs paired with test-health tools and broad CI integrations.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Mergify -
Best forTeams already using Bitbucket and Pipelines
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.6
A practical fit for Bitbucket teams that want merge queues alongside code hosting and CI/CD.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Bitbucket -
Best forOrganizations running self-hosted GitHub CI on Kubernetes
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 7.6
Self-hosted CI and pull-request merge automation for teams running Kubernetes.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Prow -
Best forTeams needing batch validation and stack-aware queues
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- GitLab support
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.6
A stack-aware queue that batches CI checks and keeps unrelated pull requests moving.
- GitLab support
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Trunk -
Best forTeams needing configurable queues across CI providers
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 7.6
Configurable GitHub merge queues with batch validation and CI-provider integrations.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Aviator -
Best forGitLab teams running parallel merge-train pipelines
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- GitLab support
- Merge trains
- Editor score 7.7 vs 7.6
Parallel merge-train pipelines help GitLab teams validate queued changes in sequence.
- Merge trains
- GitLab support
- Batch validation
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit GitLab -
Best forGitLab teams wanting free, self-hosted batch testing
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- GitLab support
A GitLab-only merge bot for teams that want self-hosted CI and approval gates.
- GitLab support
- Batch validation
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Marge-bot -
Best forSmall teams coordinating merges with deployment checks
A self-hosted GitHub merge queue that coordinates reviewed commits with deployment checks.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit DeployBot -
Best forTeams merging stacked PRs as atomic batches
Queues stacked GitHub pull requests by branch and merges validated batches atomically.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.3/10★★★★☆View on GitHub -
Best forLarge teams building speculative validation workflows
An open-source, self-hosted queue that validates parallel changes against predicted branch states.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.2/10★★★★☆Try Uber SubmitQueue -
Best forGitea or GitHub teams wanting open-source batch queues
An open-source queue that validates pull requests in batches before they merge.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit gitea-mq -
Best forForgejo or Gitea teams needing batch CI validation
Batches Forgejo and Gitea pull requests for combined CI validation and failure isolation.
- Batch validation
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Shunt -
Best forGitHub teams wanting a simple self-hosted FIFO queue
A focused FIFO queue for GitHub teams that want to manage merges on their own infrastructure.
- GitHub support
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forGitLab teams wanting a self-hosted FIFO merge bot
- Better than GitHub Merge Queue:
- GitLab support
A self-hosted GitLab bot that queues, rebases, and merges requests serially.
- GitLab support
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forSmall GitHub teams wanting guarded sequential merges
An open-source GitHub bot for teams that want guarded, sequential merges.
- GitHub support
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Anubis
GitHub Merge Queue Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to GitHub Merge Queue?
Mergify: #1 in our Merge Queue Software ranking, with an editor score of 8.9 out of 10. Merge queues and stacked PRs paired with test-health tools and broad CI integrations.
Is there a free alternative to GitHub Merge Queue?
Yes. Mergify, Bitbucket, Prow, Trunk Merge Queue and Marge-bot have a free plan or a free tier (13 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to GitHub Merge Queue?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Aviator MergeQueue starts lowest, at $20/user/mo.
Why do people look for GitHub Merge Queue alternatives?
Limited to GitHub rather than GitLab or Bitbucket; Requires required branch-protection checks before queueing; Team plan's $4 per-user monthly price applies to the first 12 months.
Which GitHub Merge Queue alternative has the most max parallel batches?
GitLab Merge Trains, with 20 batches.
How do I switch from GitHub Merge Queue?
Export your data from GitHub Merge Queue (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel GitHub Merge Queue.
How to Switch from GitHub Merge Queue
- Export your data from GitHub Merge Queue (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel GitHub Merge Queue.
GitHub Merge Queue vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | GitHub support | Batch validation | Merge trains | Deployment model | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | GitHub Merge Queue | Yes | $4/user/mo | Yes | Yes | No | Cloud | 7.6 |
| 1 | Mergify | Yes | $21/seat/mo | 8.9 | ||||
| 2 | Bitbucket | Yes | 8.5 | |||||
| 3 | Prow | Free | 8.1 | |||||
| 4 | Trunk Merge Queue | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 7.9 | ||
| 5 | Aviator MergeQueue | No | $20/user/mo | Yes | Yes | No | Hybrid | 7.8 |
| 6 | GitLab Merge Trains | No | $29/user/mo | No | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 7.7 |
| 7 | Marge-bot | Yes | Free | No | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.5 |
| 8 | DeployBot | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.4 |
| 9 | Merge Queue for Stacked PRs | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Self_hosted | 7.3 | |
| 10 | Uber SubmitQueue | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.2 |
| 11 | gitea-mq | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.1 |
| 12 | Shunt | Yes | Free | No | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.0 |
| 13 | Build-Flow Labs Merge Queue | Free | Yes | No | No | Self_hosted | 6.9 | |
| 14 | GitLab Merger Bot | Free | No | No | No | Self_hosted | 6.8 | |
| 15 | Anubis | Free | Yes | No | No | Self_hosted | 6.7 |
Head-to-Head
- GitHub Merge Queue vs Mergify
- GitHub Merge Queue vs Bitbucket
- GitHub Merge Queue vs Prow
- GitHub Merge Queue vs Trunk Merge Queue
- GitHub Merge Queue vs Aviator MergeQueue
- GitHub Merge Queue vs GitLab Merge Trains
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update