Why can't we even protect branches on a private repo when using a free account?

[nbro]

Discussion Type

Question

Discussion Content

I understand that it's free, but we should have access to basic functionality, like protecting main from being rewritten or protecting branch or tag deletion, say staging. This is basic functionality that we expect from any software development project.

[g4lb]

On GitHub Free, protected branches work only in public repositories. A private repository needs Pro, Team, or Enterprise.

[nbro]

Yes, I know. The point of this question is to ask GitHub people to allow us to have at least basic protection for private repos on free plan. Protecting against a full history rewrite is the minimal thing that any developer wants as a start. It's way more important than other features, like projects, and so on. We don't strictly need projects or even discussions on GitHub, we can use issues. Still, protecting against a rewrite is not available. Let's get the priorities right.

[marprojector]

I agree with this point. Even though the free plan is a great option, basic repository protection should be considered an essential feature for any software development project.

Protecting important branches like main and staging, as well as preventing accidental branch or tag deletion, helps maintain code integrity and avoid unnecessary issues in team collaboration.

These safeguards shouldn't necessarily be considered advanced features, but rather fundamental tools for maintaining a reliable development workflow.

Hopefully, GitHub will consider making these basic protections more accessible to all users, including those on the Free plan.