Websites using Phabricator

Okay, let s break down Phabricator, covering its overview, revenue (or lack thereof), alternatives, pricing (also related to lack of revenue), and customer care.

Phabricator Overview

• What it is: Phabricator was a suite of web-based software development collaboration tools. It encompassed features for code review, repository hosting (Git, Mercurial, and Subversion), bug tracking, project management, task management, and more. It aimed to be an all-in-one solution for teams.
• Key Features:
  • Differential: Code review tool.
  • Diffusion: Repository browser.
  • Maniphest: Task/bug tracker.
  • Phriction: Wiki.
  • Herald: Rule-based event handling.
  • Arcanist: Command-line tool for interacting with Phabricator.
  • Project Management: Lightweight project tracking and Kanban boards.
• Technology: Written in PHP and using MySQL as its data store.
• History: Developed internally at Facebook and later open-sourced.
• Status: IMPORTANT: Phabricator is officially discontinued. The primary developer, Evan Priestley, ceased active development in 2021. While it might technically work if you set it up now, it is not receiving updates, bug fixes, or security patches, making it a risky choice for any new project.

Revenue & Pricing

• Revenue: Phabricator did not have a direct revenue model. There were no subscription fees, licensing costs, or enterprise editions.
• Pricing: It was offered as free and open-source software. You could download it, install it on your own servers, and use it without paying anything. The cost associated was the infrastructure to host it and the time to maintain it.

Alternatives

Since Phabricator is no longer maintained, you must choose an alternative for any new or ongoing projects. Here are some popular alternatives, categorized for clarity:

• All-in-One Platforms (Similar scope to Phabricator):

  • GitLab: A very strong contender. Offers code hosting, CI/CD, issue tracking, project management, and much more. Has a free tier and paid tiers with increasing features and support.
  • Azure DevOps: Microsoft s offering. Similar to GitLab in scope. Integrates well with other Microsoft products. Offers free and paid plans.
  • GitHub: Primarily known for code hosting, but also has project management (GitHub Projects), issue tracking, and CI/CD capabilities (GitHub Actions). Now owned by Microsoft. Has free and paid plans.
  • Bitbucket: Similar to GitHub, focusing on code hosting and collaboration. Owned by Atlassian. Tight integration with Jira. Has free and paid plans.
  • Gitea: A lightweight, self-hosted Git service written in Go. A good alternative to Phabricator if you want to self-host.

• Code Review Focused:

  • Gerrit: A code review tool often used with Git.
  • Review Board: Another code review tool.

• Project Management / Issue Tracking:

  • Jira: A powerful and popular project management and issue tracking tool (from Atlassian). Highly customizable and integrates with many other tools. Paid.
  • Linear: A modern issue tracking tool focused on speed and developer experience. Paid.
  • Asana: A general-purpose project management tool that can be used for software development. Has free and paid plans.
  • Trello: A kanban-style project management tool (from Atlassian). Simple and visual. Has free and paid plans.

• CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery):

  • Jenkins: A widely used open-source automation server. Highly configurable.
  • CircleCI: A cloud-based CI/CD platform.
  • Travis CI: Another cloud-based CI/CD platform.

Choosing an Alternative:

When selecting an alternative, consider:

• Your team s size and needs: A small team might be fine with a simpler tool, while a large enterprise might need something more robust.
• Your existing infrastructure: Do you prefer a self-hosted solution or a cloud-based one?
• Your budget: Free tiers might be sufficient for small projects, but you may need to pay for more features and support.
• Integration with other tools: Does the tool integrate with your existing development workflow (e.g., IDEs, communication platforms)?
• Migration effort: How difficult will it be to migrate your existing data from Phabricator to the new tool? This can be a significant undertaking.

Customer Care (or Lack Thereof)

• Phabricator (Historically): Because it was open-source and free, there was no formal customer care or support team. Support was primarily community-based through:
  • Mailing lists: Users could ask questions and get help from other users.
  • Online forums: Similar to mailing lists.
  • IRC channels: Real-time chat for support and discussion.
• Alternatives: Commercial alternatives (GitLab, Azure DevOps, Jira, etc.) offer varying levels of customer support depending on your subscription plan. This can include email support, phone support, and access to documentation and training resources.

Key Takeaways:

• Phabricator is discontinued and should not be used for new projects.
• You must migrate to an alternative.
• Consider your team s needs, budget, and existing infrastructure when choosing an alternative.
• Commercial alternatives offer customer support, while Phabricator relied on community support (which is now largely inactive).

I strongly advise against starting any new project with Phabricator. The security risks and lack of updates make it unsuitable for production use. Invest the time in migrating to a supported alternative. Good luck!