GitHub Hidden Costs
What they don't show you on the pricing page
GitHub pricing starts at $0 and goes up to $21 per user/month. Most teams pay around $4/user/month for the features they need.
The actual cost of GitHub ownership typically runs 40-60% higher than the listed license price. For a 25-person team, expect to pay $1,800+ in year one vs the $1,200 license cost.
Hidden Costs Breakdown
GitHub Actions minutes beyond included limits cost $0.008/minute (Linux)
Packages storage beyond limits costs $0.25/GB
Copilot costs $10-$19/user/month extra
Advanced Security (code scanning) costs $49/committer/month
Large File Storage costs $5/50GB data pack
Example: True Cost for 25 Users
| License (25 × $4 × 12) | $1,200/yr |
| Implementation (one-time) | +$15,000–$50,000 |
| Premium Support (20%) | +$240/yr |
| Training (25 × $500) | +$12,500 |
| Admin (part-time) | +$15,000–$25,000/yr |
| Year 1 Total | $26,800–$61,920 |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 What hidden costs should I budget for with GitHub?
Beyond the license fee, budget for implementation ($5K-$100K+), training ($500-$2K per user), premium support (15-20% of license), and admin costs. Most companies see 40-60% higher total cost than the listed price.
02 Does GitHub charge for implementation?
GitHub doesn't include implementation in the license cost. Implementation is typically done by partners and costs range from $5,000 for basic setup to $100,000+ for enterprise deployments with customization.
03 How much does GitHub support cost?
Basic support is included, but premium support (faster response times, 24/7 availability) typically adds 15-20% to your annual contract. This can be thousands of dollars per year for larger deployments.
04 Are there storage costs with GitHub?
Most GitHub plans include limited storage. Once you exceed the included amount, you'll pay overage fees which can range from $50-$500+ per month depending on data volume.
05 What add-ons cost extra with GitHub?
Many features marketed as part of GitHub are actually add-ons: advanced reporting, API access, integrations, and specialized modules. Each can add $10-$100+ per user per month.
Get a complete GitHub cost breakdown
We'll send you a detailed analysis including all hidden costs and negotiation tips.