We use GitHub for some projects, Gitea for others. The problem isn't where we host — it's that neither platform gives us the code review experience we need when shipping fast.
GitHub's PR review is functional but basic. There's no built-in merge queue, CODEOWNERS enforcement is per-repo (not cross-org), and security scanning requires third-party apps.
So we built forge-git.
**What forge-git Is (And Isn't)**
Forge-git is NOT a Git hosting platform. GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket have that handled. Instead, forge-git is a **code review and collaboration layer** that sits on top of your existing Git hosting.
You point it at your GitHub organization or Gitea instance, and it adds enhanced PR workflows, automated quality gates, and team coordination tools.
**The Core Features**
**Merge queues**: Configure merge queues with automated test runs, security scans, and code quality gates. PRs enter the queue only when all checks pass. We merge in order, eliminating the "waiting for CI" race condition.
**CODEOWNERS management**: Define CODEOWNERS files at the organization level, with team-based escalation. If a critical path changes without approval from the right team, the merge is blocked and the team is notified.
**AI-powered code review**: Claude 4 analyzes every PR and provides inline suggestions for performance, security, and code quality. Not a linter replacement — an intelligent reviewer that understands your codebase's patterns.
**Architecture review tooling**: Track cross-repo dependencies and flag when a change in one repo might affect another. For monorepos and microservices, this is essential.
**The .forge-git.yml Syntax**
Configuration is declarative:
```yaml name: CI on: push: branches: [main] pull_request:
jobs: test: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 - run: npm ci - run: npm test
security: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v4 - run: npm audit --audit-level=high ```
**Who's It For**
Teams of 5-50 developers who want GitHub Actions quality gates without the configuration overhead. If you've ever had a broken main branch because a flaky test slipped through, forge-git is for you.
Available now at git.blueforge.studio.