GitLab is a free, open source alternative to GitHub that provides similar features for hosting and collaborating on code. It allows users to create projects, issues, labels, merge requests, and more through an intuitive workflow. While it can be installed locally, GitLab.com also provides free private repositories and unlimited collaborators. The document outlines GitLab's features for code hosting, continuous integration/deployment, static site generation, and more to argue it should no longer be ignored compared to GitHub.