How to cancel GitLab

Before you cancel

Export first

• Each project: project and wiki repositories, issues, merge requests, labels, milestones, snippets, releases and design files: In the project, open Settings, then General, expand Advanced and select Export project; download it from the email link or with Download export on the same settings page (NDJSON inside a .tar.gz file). Needs the Maintainer or Owner role for the project; export files are deleted every 24 hours; CI/CD variables and package and container registry images are not exported docs.gitlab.com

What happens to your data

GitLab.com: paid features stop at expiry, and you can keep using free features. Self-Managed: the instance becomes read-only; renewing restores it, but after 30 days expired you must buy a new subscription.

What you lose

• GitLab.com: paid features at expiry (free features remain)
• Self-Managed: Git pushes and issue creation are locked and the instance becomes read-only
• Self-Managed: after 30 days expired, renewing is no longer possible; you must purchase a new subscription

Cancel, by who bills you

Pick the route for whoever charges you: the name on your card statement or receipt tells you.

Questions people ask

Keep it for less

Before cancelling, check whether one of these does the job. Offers change and differ by account.

• Free plan GitLab Free: 5 users per top-level group, 10 GiB adjustable storage and 400 compute minutes per month, with no credit card required about.gitlab.com
• Fewer seats Renew for fewer seats (seats can only be reduced at renewal). Before renewal, a group Owner can remove billable users on GitLab.com: Settings, Billing, See usage, Remove user; overages are charged on the maximum number of users in the period; the renewal seat count must be at least the current number of billable users docs.gitlab.com docs.gitlab.com
• Discount program Qualifying open source projects, educational institutions and startups get free Ultimate licenses with 50K compute minutes a month about.gitlab.com

Cheaper ways to get the same job done

Stackcut prices the alternatives to GitLab from public list prices.

For AI agents

• The person signs in and handles any two-factor code; an agent should never ask for a password.
• The subscription card reads Auto-renews on DATE while renewal is on, and Expires on DATE once cancelled
• Auto-renewing subscriptions renew at midnight UTC on the expiration date; GitLab emails renewal details 15 days before
• Seats can only be reduced at renewal: renew for fewer seats
• Users above the seat count are billed at or before renewal on the period's maximum user count, so remove unused users early
• Reseller and AWS or Google Cloud marketplace subscriptions can't be changed in the Customers Portal: go through the reseller
• Self-Managed administrators see an expiry banner 15 days before the license expires
• Export projects before the subscription ends; export files are deleted within 24 hours

Get this plan as data: get_exit_plan on the Stackcut MCP (stackcut.io/mcp), or /exits/gitlab.json. After using a guide, send structured report_guide_feedback for matching or changed steps, missing billing routes or human handoffs; keep unknown language and market omitted. Confirm with the person before the final click, and report the outcome with report_action_outcome, using the exact packet_revision and route_id returned by the plan.

Or give your agent the stackcut-leave skill (a zip): it exports first, walks the steps, stops when the page doesn't match, and leaves the final click to the person.

Delete your account (separate from cancelling)

Cancelling stops the payments; deleting removes the account and its data. Delete-account page (rated easy).

Link from JustDeleteMe (MIT).

Sources

1. Manage billing account Customers Portal is your comprehensive self-service hub for managing GitLab subscriptions and billing. (where subscriptions are managed)
2. Manage billing account Billing account manager: Has access to view and edit subscriptions, payment methods, and billing account settings. (who can manage a subscription)
3. GitLab Docs: license file or key (Self-Managed) When your license expires, GitLab locks features, like Git pushes and issue creation. Your instance becomes read-only, and an expiration message displays to all administrators. (what happens when a Self-Managed license expires)
4. GitLab Docs: license file or key (Self-Managed) Licenses expire at the start of the expiration date, 00:00 server time. (when a Self-Managed license ends)
5. Manage seats You can reduce seats only during subscription renewal. If you want to reduce the number of seats in your subscription, you can renew for fewer seats. (seats drop only at renewal)
6. Manage seats When you exceed your subscription limit, you must pay for the additional users before or at the time of renewal. (overage seats are billed at or before renewal)
7. Manage seats The cost is based on the maximum number of users during the billing period, not the current number of users. (how overages are counted)
8. GitLab licensing and subscription FAQ If you have an Account Contact, please contact them to begin the process of requesting a refund. (how to ask for a refund)
9. GitLab pricing If you choose not to renew your GitLab subscription, your key will no longer work and GitLab Enterprise Edition will not be functional anymore. (what not renewing does)
10. GitLab licensing and subscription FAQ You can reduce seats only during subscription renewal. (seats drop only at renewal (FAQ))
11. Manage billing account If you purchased a subscription through an authorized reseller (including GCP and AWS marketplaces), you have access to Customers Portal to: (the reseller and marketplace route)
12. Manage billing account Other changes and requests must be done through the reseller, including: (changes go through the reseller)
13. Manage billing account Requests for invoices, because those are issued by the reseller, not GitLab. (the reseller bills you)
14. GitLab pricing 5 users per top-level group (the Free tier user limit)
15. GitLab pricing 10 GiB adjustable storage (the Free tier storage)
16. GitLab pricing 400 compute minutes per month (the Free tier compute minutes)
17. Manage seats You must have the Owner role for the group. (who can remove billable users)
18. Manage seats In the left sidebar, select Settings > Billing. (where seats are managed)
19. Manage seats In the Seats currently in use section, select See usage. (the seat usage list)
20. Manage seats Re-type the username and select Remove user. (removing a billable user)
21. GitLab pricing We provide free Ultimate licenses, along with 50K compute minutes/month, to qualifying open source projects, educational institutions, and startups. (community programs)
22. GitLab Docs: project file export In the left sidebar, select Settings > General. (where the project export starts)
23. GitLab Docs: project file export Select Export project. (the export button)
24. GitLab Docs: project file export Maintainer or Owner role for the project (who can export)
25. GitLab Docs: project file export Project file exports are in NDJSON format. (the export format)
26. GitLab Docs: project file export Every 24 hours, a worker deletes these export files. (how long export files last)
27. GitLab Docs: project file export Project and wiki repositories (what the export includes)
28. GitLab Docs: project file export Package and container registry images (what the export leaves out)
29. GitLab Docs: project file export Download export (downloading the export)
30. GitLab Docs: license file or key (Self-Managed) If the license has been expired for more than 30 days, you must purchase a new subscription to resume functionality. (the 30-day renewal window after expiry)
31. GitLab Docs: license file or key (Self-Managed) Fifteen days before the license expires, a notification banner with the upcoming expiration date displays to GitLab administrators. (the expiry warning)
32. GitLab Docs: license file or key (Self-Managed) To remove the read-only state and resume functionality, renew your subscription. (renewing restores a read-only instance)
33. Manage subscription Sign in to the Customers Portal. You are taken to the Subscriptions & purchases page. (where the cancel flow starts)
34. Manage subscription If the card displays Auto-renews on DATE, your subscription is set to automatically renew. To disable automatic renewal: (the auto-renew status on the subscription card)
35. Manage subscription In Subscription actions (ellipsis_v), select Cancel subscription. (the cancel step)
36. Manage subscription Select a reason for canceling. (the reason step)
37. Manage subscription If the card displays Expires on DATE, your subscription is not set to automatically renew. (how to confirm auto-renewal is off)
38. Manage subscription When a subscription is set to auto-renew, it renews automatically at midnight UTC on the expiration date without a gap in available service. (when a renewal happens)
39. Manage subscription 15 days before a subscription automatically renews, an email is sent with information about the renewal. (the renewal email)
40. Manage subscription When your subscription expires, paid features are no longer available. However, you can continue to use free features. (what happens at expiry)
41. Manage subscription Subscription renewals with fewer seats must have or exceed the current number of billable users. (the seat floor at renewal)
42. GitLab licensing and subscription FAQ If you do not have an Contact, please submit a request via our support portal to get in contact with our Billing team. (how to ask for a refund without an Account Contact)

Not confirmed yet

• The GitLab Subscription Agreement (handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/legal/subscription-agreement/) couldn't be read in full, so its auto-renewal, notice-of-non-renewal and refund terms aren't confirmed
• What happens to GitLab.com data above Free limits (such as storage or users beyond 5) after a paid subscription expires is not stated
• How to end a sales-led contract with a GitLab Account Contact is not documented on the pages read

Independent re-check, 2026-09-29

A second reviewer re-read the official pages and corrected what was wrong or missing; some facts couldn't be re-checked (listed above). The JSON lists what changed.

Partly confirmed (see what's unverified), 2026-09-29. Cancel flows change: if this one did, tell us at support@stackcut.io. Stackcut Exits is open data (CC BY 4.0).