What is GitHub?

Using GitHub, multiple developers can work on a single project without overwriting each other's work or losing any changes. Each project lives in a repository, or repo: the project's files plus a running record of every committed change. Even beginners can create a repository, edit code, and propose changes back to the original project entirely in the browser.

In any repository you have access to, you can see every commit a developer makes (a commit is a saved change with a short message describing it). Public repositories are visible to everyone; private ones only to invited collaborators.

The GitHub workflow, step by step

GitHub collaboration follows one repeating cycle: branch, commit, pull request, review, merge. Say you spot a typo in a project's README file. Here's how your fix travels:

1. Create or fork the repository. Forking copies someone else's project into your account so you can work on it freely.
2. Create a branch. Your edits stay separate from the live code while you work.
3. Commit your change with a message describing it, such as "Fix typo in README."
4. Open a pull request. This asks the project's maintainers to review your work and shows them exactly what changed, line by line.
5. A maintainer reviews and merges it. If your change is accepted, it lands in the repository's default branch. GitHub names that branch main in new repositories unless the owner or organization sets a different name; older projects may still use master.

Every one of those steps works in GitHub's web interface. One caveat once you start working on files locally: GitHub only records what you commit. Edits you haven't committed aren't part of the repository's history, and commits made on your own computer don't appear on GitHub until you push them. Our guide to 21 must-know Git commands covers commit, push, and the rest of the command-line side.

Git vs. GitHub

Git and GitHub aren't the same thing, and the difference decides what you need to install and pay for:

• Git is free, open-source version control software. It runs on your own computer and tracks changes to files, with or without an internet connection.
• GitHub is a commercial cloud service that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration on top: pull requests, issues, code review, and GitHub Actions automation.

You can use Git without GitHub, but not the other way around: GitHub is built on Git. It isn't the only host, either. GitLab and Bitbucket are alternative services that also store Git repositories in the cloud.

What GitHub costs

GitHub Free covers most personal projects: unlimited public and private repositories with unlimited collaborators, plus 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes per month and 500 MB of GitHub Packages storage (GitHub Docs, retrieved August 2026). Paid plans (Pro, Team, and Enterprise) add email support, 3,000 or more Actions minutes per month, and private-repository controls such as protected branches and required pull request reviewers.

Two things to watch. Usage beyond the included quotas, such as extra Actions minutes or storage, is billed even on paid plans. And per-user prices change, so check GitHub's pricing page for current rates before you sign up a whole team.

Hosting a website with GitHub Pages

You can host a website on GitHub, with limits. GitHub Pages is a static site hosting service that publishes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files straight from a repository. It's included with the Free plan for public repositories: one user or organization site per account (at yourname.github.io), plus one project site per repository. Custom domains are supported.

The decision rule is simple. A portfolio, project documentation, or a resume site is static, and Pages hosts it for free; for that job, it's genuinely the better deal. Anything that runs server-side code, like WordPress, a database, or an ecommerce store, can't run on Pages and needs web hosting. Not sure which kind of site you're building? Start with static vs. dynamic websites.

Next step: create a free GitHub account and put your first project in a repository. The workflow only sticks once you've made a commit and opened your own pull request, and a private repo is a safe place to practice.