Best GitLab Merge Trains Alternatives in 2026
The top GitLab Merge Trains alternatives are Mergify, Bitbucket and Prow: 15 merge queue software our editors would look at instead of GitLab Merge Trains, in our ranking order.
GitLab Merge Trains: Parallel merge-train pipelines help GitLab teams validate queued changes in sequence. Where it falls short: requires GitLab premium or ultimate.
Switching from GitLab Merge Trains? For most merge queue software buyers the best GitLab Merge Trains alternative is Mergify, built for teams needing merge queues plus CI test-health tools. On a budget, GitHub Merge Queue starts at $4/user/mo, against $29/user/mo for GitLab Merge Trains.
Why People Look for a GitLab Merge Trains Alternative
- Requires GitLab Premium or Ultimate
- Premium starts at $29 per user per month with annual billing
- Designed for GitLab rather than GitHub or Bitbucket workflows
- No free plan — 10 of the alternatives below have it
- No gitHub support — 9 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallMergify8.9
Teams needing merge queues plus CI test-health tools
Visit Mergify - Lowest priceGitHub Merge Queue7.6
Paid plans from $4/user/mo
Visit GitHub Merge Queue - Best free optionMergify8.9
Has a free plan (GitLab Merge Trains has none)
Visit Mergify - Best for github supportTrunk Merge Queue7.9
GitHub support (GitLab Merge Trains: no)
Visit Trunk Merge Queue
All 15 GitLab Merge Trains Alternatives, Ranked
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Best forTeams needing merge queues plus CI test-health tools
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- Paid from: $21/mo vs $29/mo
- Editor score 8.9 vs 7.7
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 GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.7
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 GitLab Merge Trains:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 7.7
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 GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.7
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 GitLab Merge Trains:
- GitHub support
- Paid from: $20/mo vs $29/mo
- Editor score 7.8 vs 7.7
Configurable GitHub merge queues with batch validation and CI-provider integrations.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Aviator -
Best forGitHub teams wanting built-in FIFO merge validation
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- GitHub support
- Paid from: $4/mo vs $29/mo
A GitHub-native FIFO queue for validating grouped pull requests before merging.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit GitHub -
Best forGitLab teams wanting free, self-hosted batch testing
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- GitHub support
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- GitHub support
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- GitHub support
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
- GitHub support
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- Free plan
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- GitHub support
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
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
- Better than GitLab Merge Trains:
- GitHub support
An open-source GitHub bot for teams that want guarded, sequential merges.
- GitHub support
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Anubis
GitLab Merge Trains Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to GitLab Merge Trains?
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 GitLab Merge Trains?
Yes. Mergify, Bitbucket, Prow, Trunk Merge Queue and GitHub Merge Queue have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to GitLab Merge Trains?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, GitHub Merge Queue starts lowest, at $4/user/mo.
Why do people look for GitLab Merge Trains alternatives?
Requires GitLab Premium or Ultimate; Premium starts at $29 per user per month with annual billing; Designed for GitLab rather than GitHub or Bitbucket workflows.
How do I switch from GitLab Merge Trains?
Export your data from GitLab Merge Trains (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 GitLab Merge Trains.
How to Switch from GitLab Merge Trains
- Export your data from GitLab Merge Trains (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 GitLab Merge Trains.
GitLab Merge Trains vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | GitHub support | Batch validation | Merge trains | Deployment model | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | GitLab Merge Trains | No | $29/user/mo | No | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 7.7 |
| 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 | GitHub Merge Queue | Yes | $4/user/mo | Yes | Yes | No | Cloud | 7.6 |
| 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
- GitLab Merge Trains vs Mergify
- GitLab Merge Trains vs Bitbucket
- GitLab Merge Trains vs Prow
- GitLab Merge Trains vs Trunk Merge Queue
- GitLab Merge Trains vs Aviator MergeQueue
- GitLab Merge Trains vs GitHub Merge Queue
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update