What is Bitbucket?
Bitbucket hosts Git repositories where software teams store and version their code. Developers push branches, open pull requests and review changes with inline comments and approvals before merging, while branch permissions and merge checks enforce rules such as requiring passing builds or a minimum number of reviewers.
Its standout feature is Bitbucket Pipelines, continuous integration and delivery built directly into the product. Teams define build, test and deployment steps in a YAML file stored alongside their code, and Pipelines runs them in containers on Atlassian’s cloud or on self-hosted runners. Deployment tracking then shows which changes have reached each environment.
Bitbucket is designed to work closely with Jira. Branches and commits that mention an issue key appear on the matching Jira issue, and developers can create branches directly from Jira. That integration is the main reason teams that have standardized on Atlassian tools choose Bitbucket over alternatives such as GitHub and GitLab.
Key features of Bitbucket
- 01
Git repositories
Unlimited private repositories on every plan, with branching, tagging, forking and code search for teams of any size.
- 02
Pull requests and code review
Inline comments, required approvals, default reviewers and merge checks help teams review code thoroughly before it reaches the main branch.
- 03
Bitbucket Pipelines
Built-in CI/CD runs build, test and deployment steps defined in a YAML file, using Docker containers in Atlassian’s cloud or on self-hosted runners.
- 04
Deployment tracking
Deployment environments such as test, staging and production show exactly which commits and Jira issues have been released to each one.
- 05
Jira integration
Issue keys in branch names, commits and pull requests link code to Jira automatically, and developers can create branches straight from a Jira issue.
- 06
Branch permissions
Rules restrict who can push or merge to important branches and can require successful builds and approvals before changes are merged.
- 07
Security scanning integrations
Integrations with tools such as Snyk bring dependency and vulnerability scanning into pipelines and pull requests, flagging issues before code ships.
Who uses Bitbucket?
- Software teams already using Jira and Confluence keep their code, reviews and deployments connected to planning and documentation in a single Atlassian toolchain.
- Small development teams use the free plan to host private repositories and run basic CI/CD without paying for a separate build service.
- Enterprises with strict compliance requirements have run Bitbucket Data Center on their own infrastructure, although Atlassian is retiring its self-managed editions by 2029.
History of Bitbucket
Danish developer Jesper Nøhr launched Bitbucket in 2008 as a hosting service for Mercurial, a version control system that competed with Git at the time. Atlassian acquired Bitbucket in 2010 and added Git support in 2011, as Git rapidly became the industry standard.
In 2015 Atlassian brought its own enterprise Git server, Stash, under the Bitbucket brand, and in 2016 it launched Bitbucket Pipelines to build CI/CD into the product. Reflecting Git’s dominance, Bitbucket removed Mercurial support entirely in 2020 and became a Git-only service.
- 2008
Jesper Nøhr launches Bitbucket as a hosting service for Mercurial repositories.
- 2010
Atlassian acquires Bitbucket, its first developer hosting service.
- 2011
Bitbucket adds support for Git repositories.
- 2016
Bitbucket Pipelines brings built-in CI/CD to the service.
- 2020
Bitbucket ends support for Mercurial to focus entirely on Git.
Bitbucket pricing
Pricing modelFreemium
Free plan for teams of up to five users; Standard and Premium plans are billed per user and include more CI/CD build minutes.
Prices change often. Check the official Bitbucket website for current plans.
Bitbucket alternatives
Profiled on SoftwareLore:
Also considerGitHub, Azure Repos and Gitea
Bitbucket: frequently asked questions
Who owns Bitbucket?
Bitbucket is owned by Atlassian, the Australian software company that makes Jira and Confluence. Atlassian acquired Bitbucket in 2010, two years after Danish developer Jesper Nøhr launched it as a hosting service for Mercurial code repositories.
What is Bitbucket used for?
Bitbucket is used to host Git code repositories and manage how code changes are reviewed, tested and deployed. Teams use it for pull requests, code review, branch permissions and CI/CD through Bitbucket Pipelines, with close links to Jira issues.
Is Bitbucket free?
Bitbucket has a free plan for teams of up to five users that includes unlimited private repositories and a monthly allowance of Pipelines build minutes. Standard and Premium plans, priced per user, support larger teams and add more build minutes and administrative features.
When was Bitbucket released?
Bitbucket launched in 2008 as a hosting service for Mercurial repositories. Atlassian acquired it in 2010 and added Git support in 2011, and the service became Git-only when Mercurial support was removed in 2020.
What is the difference between Bitbucket and GitHub?
Both host Git repositories and offer pull requests and CI/CD. GitHub, owned by Microsoft, has a far larger open-source community, while Bitbucket focuses on private team development and integrates most deeply with Atlassian products such as Jira and Confluence.
Sources
- Bitbucket bitbucket.org
- Bitbucket pricing atlassian.com
- Bitbucket, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
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