TL;DR
A developer has moved their code from GitHub to a self-hosted Forgejo instance due to concerns over ownership, outages, and privacy policies. This reflects broader issues with GitHub’s reliability and corporate direction.
A developer has moved their code from GitHub to a self-hosted Forgejo instance, citing concerns over ownership, reliability, and privacy policies, rather than outages alone.
The developer, who manages their own Forgejo server, explained that their move was driven by the desire for greater control over their source code. They highlighted that GitHub experienced significant outages, including 48 major incidents over the past year, which contributed to their decision. Additionally, recent policy changes, such as default opt-in for AI training of user data, and the broader shift of GitHub into Microsoft’s AI division, raised trust issues. The Dutch government also adopted Forgejo for its official code repositories for similar reasons, emphasizing legal ownership and digital autonomy. The developer plans to archive their GitHub repositories and migrate them gradually, with the long-term goal of full transition.
Why It Matters
This move underscores growing concerns among developers about platform ownership, reliability, and privacy, especially as GitHub becomes more integrated with Microsoft’s AI initiatives. It signals a broader shift towards self-hosted solutions and open-source alternatives, driven by trust and control issues.
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Background
GitHub, acquired by Microsoft in 2018, has faced increasing criticism for outages, policy changes, and corporate direction. In 2025, it experienced over 250 incidents, with a significant increase in AI-driven features and policy shifts, including default opt-in for AI data collection. The departure of its CEO in August 2025 and the integration into Microsoft’s AI division mark a strategic shift. The Dutch government’s adoption of Forgejo in April 2026 reflects similar concerns about sovereignty and data control, influencing individual developers’ decisions.
“My canonical Git host is now code.jorijn.com, running Forgejo v15 LTS on a single NUC in a hardened setup. Some repositories are already migrated, others are queued.”
— the developer
“Capacity needs to grow 30x to keep up with AI-driven load.”
— GitHub CTO Vlad Fedorov
“He stepped down in August 2025, and GitHub was absorbed into Microsoft’s CoreAI division.”
— Thomas Dohmke, former GitHub CEO
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What Remains Unclear
It remains unclear how widespread the migration to self-hosted solutions like Forgejo will become among individual developers and organizations. The long-term stability and support for Forgejo are also uncertain compared to GitHub’s established ecosystem. Additionally, the full impact of Microsoft’s AI policies on user trust and data privacy is still developing.
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What’s Next
The developer plans to complete the migration of all repositories from GitHub to Forgejo and archive their GitHub projects. Broader adoption of self-hosted solutions may increase as more users seek control over their data. Monitoring GitHub’s response to outages and policy changes will be key to understanding future trends.
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Key Questions
Why did the developer choose Forgejo over other alternatives?
The developer cited Forgejo’s open-source nature, full control over data, and alignment with principles of digital autonomy as primary reasons for choosing it over proprietary platforms like GitHub or GitLab.
Are outages the main reason for leaving GitHub?
No. While outages are acknowledged, the developer emphasized that trust issues related to ownership, privacy, and corporate direction are the primary motivators.
What are the risks of self-hosting code repositories?
Self-hosting requires technical expertise, infrastructure, and maintenance. It also shifts the responsibility for security and uptime onto the user, which can be challenging without proper resources.
Will this trend affect GitHub’s future?
Potentially. Growing dissatisfaction with outages and policy changes could lead more developers to consider alternatives, influencing GitHub’s user base and strategic direction.
