Who gitdeck is for#
Open source maintainers reviewing multiple repositories daily
gitdeck surfaces traffic data, contributor activity, Dependabot alerts, and daily digest summaries for every connected repo in one view. Maintainers who manage several projects can run a morning review without opening separate browser tabs for each repository.
Skip if:
You maintain a single repository or your primary forge is not GitHub or Forgejo. The dashboard's value scales with the number of repositories and accounts you manage.
Developer teams triaging issues and pull requests cross-project
The cross-repo Issues and PRs views aggregate open items from all connected repositories into a single filterable list. Teams doing sprint planning or daily standup reviews can see all pending work without switching between forge UIs.
Skip if:
Your team works in a single repository. In that case your forge's built-in issue tracker is sufficient and a local dashboard adds overhead without proportional benefit.
DevOps engineers monitoring CI runs and security alerts
The Alerts view consolidates Dependabot and code scanning findings across all repos. The Insights panel flags repos with stale pushes or active security issues. Recent CI workflow runs are visible per-repository from the Actions view without navigating each repo individually.
Skip if:
You use GitLab primarily for CI. GitLab CI integration is not yet enabled in gitdeck, so CI monitoring currently covers only GitHub Actions.
GitHub CLI users who want a visual repository dashboard
In gh-cli mode, gitdeck reads your token from an existing `gh` session, requiring no OAuth App setup. If you have `gh` installed with repo and org scopes, you can start gitdeck with one environment variable and open the dashboard immediately.
Skip if:
You do not have the GitHub CLI installed. In that case you need to configure a GitHub OAuth App (Device Flow) or provide a personal access token to authenticate.
The problem it solves#
Managing multiple Git repositories across several accounts and organizations is an information problem. Each forge has its own notification system, issues list, and CI dashboard. Switching between GitHub, GitLab, and Forgejo means opening separate browser sessions, reconciling different UIs, and assembling a picture of what needs attention each day.
The pain is sharpest for open source maintainers and developer-tool teams: traffic data lives in one tab, security alerts in another, pending pull requests in a third. A Dependabot alert on one of twenty repos is easy to miss. There is no built-in cross-repo Kanban board, no unified daily digest, and no single view of all your projects' health without a commercial product that locks you into one forge or one vendor's ecosystem.
How it solves it#
Cross-forge repository grid
Displays all repositories across GitHub, GitLab, and Forgejo accounts in a paginated grid. Each card shows description, language, stars, forks, open issues, last push, and a computed health score. Filter by organization, language, visibility, or archived status; sort by stars or recent activity.
Cross-repo issue and pull request triage
Aggregates issues and pull requests from all connected repositories into a single filterable list with the same sidebar filters as the repository grid. Useful for triaging open PRs across many projects in one session without opening each repository separately.
Security alert and Insights dashboard
Surfaces Dependabot and code scanning alerts across all repositories in a dedicated Alerts view. The Insights panel flags repos with active security alerts, stale pushes, or issues needing attention, and assigns each repo a status of Strong, Watch, or Risky.
Kanban board for cross-repo issues
Groups issues from connected repositories into a Kanban board with columns for Backlog, To-do, In progress, Ready, and In review. Provides a cross-repo planning view without requiring a separate project management tool.
Daily digest with Markdown export
Generates a short daily digest showing each repo's movement in stars, forks, and issues. The digest can be copied as Markdown for standup notes or status updates. When an OpenAI API key is configured, gitdeck adds an AI-generated narrative summary using the model of your choice (default: gpt-4.1-mini).
Per-repo traffic analytics
Shows views and unique visitors, clones and unique cloners, top referrers, and most popular paths for the past 14 days on any GitHub repository where the authenticated account has traffic access. Data is fetched from the GitHub REST API and cached locally on disk.
Strengths and trade-offs#
Strengths
- Forge-agnostic: GitHub, GitLab, and Forgejo in one dashboardMost Git dashboards target a single forge. gitdeck connects to GitHub, GitLab (including self-hosted instances), and any Forgejo-compatible forge such as Codeberg from one install. You switch between accounts and forges using the same interface without separate apps or browser profiles.
- Token stored locally, never exposed to the browserThe Node.js backend handles all OAuth and API calls server-side, storing the access token under ~/.gitdeck/ on your machine. The browser-side React SPA only talks to the local backend. Your GitHub or GitLab token never reaches the browser, reducing the risk of token leakage through the client layer.
- Three authentication modes for different setupsSupports OAuth Device Flow for a fresh GitHub OAuth App, gh-cli mode to reuse an existing GitHub CLI session with no additional app configuration, and token mode for a personal access token or headless server deployments. The gh-cli mode requires zero OAuth app setup if you already have the GitHub CLI installed with appropriate scopes.
- MIT licensed with no per-seat costThe MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and commercial deployment. There is no per-seat pricing and no subscription required to run gitdeck on your own infrastructure. Unlike GitKraken (subscription-based) or GitHub Enterprise (per-seat licensing), your only cost is the server you run it on.
Trade-offs
- -Early-stage project with rapidly changing APIsThe README explicitly marks gitdeck as early scaffolding where APIs, modules, and the UI are still being shaped, with rapid changes expected. Production use for critical workflows carries risk until the project reaches a stable release. Review the changelog before upgrading in any environment where stability matters.
- -GitLab integration is incompleteThe GitLab connection supports repositories, issues, merge requests, and pending todos. GitLab CI, traffic analytics, and per-repository detail views are not yet enabled. Teams that rely on GitLab CI monitoring will find the GitLab side considerably less complete than the GitHub feature set.
- -Default authentication requires a GitHub OAuth AppThe default auth mode requires creating a GitHub OAuth App in GitHub Developer settings, enabling Device Flow, and exporting the Client ID before starting the server. The gh-cli mode avoids this step if you already use the GitHub CLI, and token mode works for headless setups, but neither is the default out of the box.
gitdeck vs alternatives#
gitdeck vs GitHub Enterprise
GitHub Enterprise is GitHub's commercial product for organizations, offering a managed or self-hosted Git platform with project boards, CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, and audit logging. The key difference from gitdeck is scope: GitHub Enterprise is an all-in-one platform for a single forge, while gitdeck is a read-only dashboard that spans GitHub, GitLab, and Forgejo. GitHub Enterprise requires a per-seat subscription; gitdeck is MIT licensed and free to self-host.
| Feature | gitdeck | GitHub Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Multi-forge support | GitHub, GitLab, Forgejo | GitHub only |
| Kanban boards | Issue-based board | Projects |
| Per-seat cost | None | Subscription required |
| CI/CD pipelines | Not included | Included (Actions) |
gitdeck is the better choice when your work spans multiple forges or you need cross-repo visibility without a per-seat subscription. GitHub Enterprise is the better choice when you need a full CI/CD platform, organization-level access control, or compliance and audit features that gitdeck does not include.
gitdeck vs GitKraken
GitKraken is a commercial Git client and team workspace product with repository browsing, pull request management, and Kanban boards, sold as a subscription. gitdeck is an MIT licensed open source alternative that runs as a local web dashboard with no per-seat cost and no vendor-managed infrastructure.
| Feature | gitdeck | GitKraken |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Self-hosting | Yes (Node.js or Docker) | No |
| Cost | Free (self-hosted) | Subscription required |
| Traffic analytics | Yes (GitHub repos) | Not available |
| Kanban boards | Issue-based board | Yes |
gitdeck is the better choice for teams that want a zero-cost, self-hosted dashboard with multi-forge support and GitHub traffic analytics. GitKraken is the better choice when you need Git history visualization, merge conflict tooling in a GUI, or a polished desktop interface that gitdeck's web-based approach does not provide.
Install and self-host#
Install and build gitdeck using Node.js 20+, then start the server on port 8765.
```bash
npm install
npm run build
npm start
```What it's built on#
- Languages
- TypeScript
- Frameworks
- React
- Tooling
- esbuild
FAQ#
Is gitdeck free to use?
Yes. gitdeck is MIT licensed and free to self-host with no subscription fees and no per-seat cost. There is no managed cloud version. Your only costs are the machine or server you run it on. The optional AI digest feature requires your own OpenAI API key, billed by OpenAI separately at standard rates.
Does gitdeck work with GitLab and self-hosted Forgejo?
Yes, with limitations. GitLab support covers repositories, issues, merge requests, and pending todos, but GitLab CI, traffic analytics, and per-repository detail views are not yet available. Forgejo-compatible forges including Codeberg and self-hosted instances are supported. GitHub support is the most complete feature set of the three.
What does gitdeck require to install?
Node.js 20+ and a GitHub OAuth App with Device Flow enabled for the default authentication mode. If you already use the GitHub CLI, you can skip the OAuth App step by setting GH_AUTH_MODE=gh-cli. Docker is available as an alternative to a local Node.js install; a Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml are included in the repository.
Is my GitHub token secure when using gitdeck?
Yes. The Node.js backend handles all OAuth flows and API calls server-side. Your GitHub access token is stored under ~/.gitdeck/ on your own machine and never sent to the browser-side SPA. The browser only communicates with the local backend over localhost, so your token stays within the server process.
Can gitdeck generate AI summaries of daily activity?
Yes, optionally. When you set the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable, gitdeck uses it to generate a narrative summary in the daily digest view. The default model is gpt-4.1-mini, which you can override with the OPENAI_DIGEST_MODEL environment variable. The AI feature is entirely optional; the digest works as a plain Markdown summary without it.
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