What's the difference between GitHub and New Relic?

GitHub is The dominant developer platform (source control + code review + CI/CD + package registry), owned by Microsoft ($7.5B acquisition, 2018). Positioned as the alternative to GitLab and Bitbucket for the vast majority of open-source and enterprise software teams. Distinctive for its Copilot AI product ($10-$39/user/mo) that became Microsoft's fastest-growing AI SKU. Priced free (unlimited public + private repos) up to $21/user/mo Enterprise. Real cost bloat: GitHub Actions minutes and Copilot seats scale with team activity, while New Relic is New Relic is a full-stack observability platform with 50+ capabilities (APM, infrastructure, logs, RUM, browser, mobile). Best-in-class free tier: 100GB/mo ingest + 1 full-platform user + unlimited basic users. Paid tiers layer per-user fees (Standard ~$99/user/mo, Pro up to $549/user/mo) plus per-GB ingest above 100GB. Enterprise custom. On price, gitHub is cheaper on the entry tier at $4/mo vs $99/mo for New Relic. They also bill differently: GitHub is per seat and New Relic is per usage, so the headline prices only match once you plug in your own volume.

Which costs less, GitHub or New Relic?

GitHub is cheaper on the entry tier at $4/mo vs $99/mo for New Relic.

Is GitHub or New Relic priced per seat or per usage?

GitHub bills on a fixed plan from $4/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume. New Relic bills on usage — Free 100GB/mo + 1 user; then $0.30-$0.55/GB + $99-$549 per full user/mo on top of a paid plan starting at $99/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.

Does GitHub have a free plan?

Yes, GitHub offers a free plan.

Does New Relic have a free plan?

Yes, New Relic offers a free plan.

How does GitHub pricing compare to New Relic for enterprise use?

Both GitHub and New Relic offer enterprise pricing on request, typically with custom quotes based on seats, usage, and support.

When were these prices last verified?

One or more prices are currently under review.

GitHub vs New Relic — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)

TL;DR

GitHub starts at $4/mo. New Relic starts at $99/mo. GitHub is $95/mo cheaper on the entry tier than New Relic.

Pricing under review

See price history: GitHub · New Relic

How pricing works

These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.

GitHub (Per Seat) — GitHub bills on a fixed plan from $4/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
New Relic (Per Usage) — New Relic bills on usage — Free 100GB/mo + 1 user; then $0.30-$0.55/GB + $99-$549 per full user/mo on top of a paid plan starting at $99/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.

Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.

GitHub

Developer & Infrastructure

Starts at

$4/mo

The dominant developer platform (source control + code review + CI/CD + package registry), owned by Microsoft ($7.5B acquisition, 2018). Positioned as the alternative to GitLab and Bitbucket for the vast majority of open-source and enterprise software teams. Distinctive for its Copilot AI product ($10-$39/user/mo) that became Microsoft's fastest-growing AI SKU. Priced free (unlimited public + private repos) up to $21/user/mo Enterprise. Real cost bloat: GitHub Actions minutes and Copilot seats scale with team activity.

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New Relic

Developer & Infrastructure

Starts at

$99/mo

New Relic is a full-stack observability platform with 50+ capabilities (APM, infrastructure, logs, RUM, browser, mobile). Best-in-class free tier: 100GB/mo ingest + 1 full-platform user + unlimited basic users. Paid tiers layer per-user fees (Standard ~$99/user/mo, Pro up to $549/user/mo) plus per-GB ingest above 100GB. Enterprise custom.

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All plans compared

Tier role	Plan	GitHub monthly	GitHub annual	New Relic monthly	New Relic annual
Free / starter	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
Entry paid	— / Standard	—	—	$99	$99
Pro / power	— / Pro	—	—	$349	$349
Teams	Team / —	$4	$4	—	—
Enterprise	Enterprise	$21	$21	Custom	Custom

Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.

What each is best for

GitHub

GitHub is worth it if… GitHub is still the default Git host in 2026 for any team that wants industry-standard PR workflows, code review, CI/CD (Actions), and native Copilot AI. Free for public repos; Team is the entry paid tier, Enterprise for larger orgs.

New Relic

New Relic is worth it if… New Relic is ideal for teams starting observability who want a generous free tier (100GB) to test-drive before committing. Best if you can plan around hybrid per-user + per-GB pricing that scales with team size and data volume.

Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — GitHub is per seat, New Relic is per usage.

Choose GitHub over New Relic if…

Choose GitHub if…

You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $4/mo).
You match the profile GitHub is built for: still the default Git host in 2026 for any team that wants industry-standard PR workflows, code review, CI/CD (Actions), and native Copilot AI.
You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.

Choose New Relic if…

You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $99/mo).
You match the profile New Relic is built for: ideal for teams starting observability who want a generous free tier (100GB) to test-drive before committing.
You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.

At a glance

	GitHub	New Relic
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Entry price	$4/mo	$99/mo
Enterprise available	Yes	Yes
Pricing model	Per Seat	Per Usage
Verification	Pricing under review	Pricing under review
Full pricing	View full pricing	View full pricing