GitLab

Plan snapshot

GitLab

FREEPAYSELF-HOST

Free storage / trial

GitLab.com Free projects include 10 GiB repository + LFS storage per project.

Separate limits

Projects can become read-only if repository + LFS usage exceeds the limit; other storage categories have separate rules.

Billing trigger

GitLab.com Free is available; additional storage or paid tiers expand project/account limits.

Best fit

Repository file access and release workflows, especially when GitLab CI/project metadata matter.

Cost hygiene:Do not use GitLab repos as opaque backup buckets; prune LFS and artifacts separately from repository files.

Checked 2026-05-13: GitLab storage quotas

AeroFTP treats GitLab repositories as remote filesystems using the GitLab REST API v4. You can browse, upload, download, and delete files directly from any GitLab instance, including self-hosted ones. Every write operation creates a real Git commit on the target branch.

Connection Settings

Field	Value	Notes
Personal Access Token	Your GitLab PAT	From GitLab > Preferences > Access Tokens
API URL	https://gitlab.com	Or your self-hosted GitLab instance URL

Authentication

Generate a Personal Access Token from your GitLab instance:

1. Go to Preferences > Access Tokens (or /~/-/user_settings/personal_access_tokens).
2. Create a token with the api scope.
3. Paste the token into AeroFTP's connection dialog.

AeroFTP authenticates via the PRIVATE-TOKEN header (not Bearer), following GitLab's standard API authentication.

Features

• Browse repositories as filesystem: Navigate projects and files like a directory tree.
• File operations: Upload, download, rename, move, and delete files (each operation creates a commit).
• Self-hosted support: Connect to any GitLab instance by changing the API URL.
• Branch awareness: Browse and operate on any branch in the repository.
• Pagination: Handles large repositories using GitLab's x-next-page header pagination.

Tips

• GitLab uses PRIVATE-TOKEN header authentication, not the Authorization: Bearer scheme used by GitHub.
• For self-hosted instances, set the API URL to your instance root (e.g. https://gitlab.yourcompany.com).
• The token needs the api scope for full read/write access. Use read_api for read-only browsing.
• Rate limits are tracked via ratelimit-remaining response headers. AeroFTP monitors these automatically.