Best Shunt Alternatives in 2026
The top Shunt alternatives are Mergify, Bitbucket and Prow: 15 merge queue software our editors would look at instead of Shunt, in our ranking order.
Shunt: Batches Forgejo and Gitea pull requests for combined CI validation and failure isolation. Where it falls short: supports forgejo and gitea, not GitHub, GitLab, or bitbucket..
Switching from Shunt? For most merge queue software buyers the best Shunt 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. GitLab Merge Trains offers the most max parallel batches (20 batches).
Why People Look for a Shunt Alternative
- Supports Forgejo and Gitea, not GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket
- Requires self-hosting and separate operation from the forge
- Batch validation is its focus; it does not provide a merge train
- No gitHub support — 9 of the alternatives below have it
- No gitLab support — 4 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
Visit Mergify - Most max parallel batchesGitLab Merge Trains7.7
20 batches
Visit GitLab Merge Trains - Best for github supportTrunk Merge Queue7.9
GitHub support (Shunt: no)
Visit Trunk Merge Queue
All 15 Shunt 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 Shunt:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitHub support
- GitLab support
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.8 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitLab support
- Merge trains
- Editor score 7.7 vs 7.0
Parallel merge-train pipelines help GitLab teams validate queued changes in sequence.
- Merge trains
- GitLab support
- Batch validation
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit GitLab -
Best forGitHub teams wanting built-in FIFO merge validation
- Better than Shunt:
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.6 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitLab support
- Editor score 7.5 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.4 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.3 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.2 vs 7.0
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 Shunt:
- GitHub support
- Editor score 7.1 vs 7.0
An open-source queue that validates pull requests in batches before they merge.
- Batch validation
- GitHub support
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit gitea-mq -
Best forGitHub teams wanting a simple self-hosted FIFO queue
- Better than Shunt:
- 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
- Better than Shunt:
- 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
- Better than Shunt:
- GitHub support
An open-source GitHub bot for teams that want guarded, sequential merges.
- GitHub support
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Anubis
Shunt Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Shunt?
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 Shunt?
Yes. Mergify, Bitbucket, Prow, Trunk Merge Queue and GitHub Merge Queue have a free plan or a free tier (13 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Shunt?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, GitHub Merge Queue starts lowest, at $4/user/mo.
Why do people look for Shunt alternatives?
Supports Forgejo and Gitea, not GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket; Requires self-hosting and separate operation from the forge; Batch validation is its focus; it does not provide a merge train.
Which Shunt alternative has the most max parallel batches?
GitLab Merge Trains, with 20 batches.
How do I switch from Shunt?
Export your data from Shunt (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 Shunt.
How to Switch from Shunt
- Export your data from Shunt (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 Shunt.
Shunt vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | GitHub support | Batch validation | Merge trains | Deployment model | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Shunt | Yes | Free | No | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.0 |
| 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 | GitHub Merge Queue | Yes | $4/user/mo | Yes | Yes | No | Cloud | 7.6 |
| 8 | Marge-bot | Yes | Free | No | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.5 |
| 9 | DeployBot | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.4 |
| 10 | Merge Queue for Stacked PRs | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Self_hosted | 7.3 | |
| 11 | Uber SubmitQueue | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.2 |
| 12 | gitea-mq | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Self_hosted | 7.1 |
| 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 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update