Compare · GitLab AI code reviews

GitLab Duo vs ThinkReview

GitLab AI code reviews split into two jobs. GitLab Duo Code Review Flow runs inside GitLab and spends GitLab Credits. ThinkReview keeps the review in a private sidebar until the person approving the merge request posts a comment.

Add to Chrome Jump to pricing Feature table

GitLab details from GitLab pricing, GitLab Credits, and the Code Review Flow announcement, checked 3 Nov 2026

Which GitLab AI code review fits

Duo is the platform feature. ThinkReview is the reviewer copilot. Many teams use both.

Choose ThinkReview if

  • You want GitLab AI code reviews on the merge request you already have open, including a custom domain.
  • You are on GitLab Community Edition, or you cannot wait on an AI gateway, a bot user, and a current GitLab version.
  • Findings should stay private until you post the ones that matter, under your name.
  • You also review GitHub, Azure DevOps, or Bitbucket with the same extension.

Choose GitLab Duo if

  • You already pay for Premium or Ultimate and want AI inside GitLab, the IDE, and CI.
  • You want Code Review Flow to run as a GitLab flow, billed at a flat 0.25 credits per review.
  • You can run GitLab.com, Dedicated, or self-managed 18.8.4 or later with Duo Agent Platform.
  • You want GitLab-native agents for security, pipelines, and planning, not only the merge request.

Same merge request, two review experiences

Code Review Flow belongs to the GitLab project. ThinkReview belongs to the reviewer who has the merge request open.

GitLab DuoInside the merge request
The project sees the review

Code Review Flow runs in GitLab

  • The review is a Duo Agent Platform flow, at 0.25 GitLab Credits each on GitLab-managed models.
  • It uses GitLab’s view of the repository, pipeline, and policies.
  • Turning it on is an admin and license decision, then a credit decision.
ThinkReviewVisible to one person: you
One click, one comment

The reviewer reads first and posts only what matters

  • Findings stay in a private panel beside the diff until you post.
  • One click posts the ones you choose, under your name.
  • ThinkReview cannot approve, merge, or block. The human stays in the loop.

Human in the loopNo extra bot account on the merge request.

Left: an illustration of an automated review thread, not a recording of GitLab Duo. Right: ThinkReview posting one comment. A longer write-up of this GitLab Duo vs ThinkReview comparison is on the blog.

Feature comparison

What each tool does for GitLab AI code reviews. Where Duo does something ThinkReview does not, the table says so.

Feature ThinkReview GitLab Duo
How it works
Where the review appears ✓Private sidebar beside the diff, in your browser ~Code Review Flow inside GitLab
Who sees the findings ✓Only the reviewer, until they click post ~The merge request, as a GitLab flow
How a comment gets posted ✓One click per finding, under your name. ThinkReview cannot approve, merge, or block ~The flow runs in GitLab. You do not install a browser extension
Setup ✓Install the extension. Add a domain for self-managed GitLab ~Premium or Ultimate, or a GitLab Credits commitment on an eligible Free namespace, plus Duo Agent Platform
Review features
Findings ✓Critical, high, and low issues, each with file and line range ✓Agentic code review of the merge request with repository, pipeline, and policy context
Quality, security, and best-practice scoring ✓Scorecard layout with quality, security, and best-practice scores ~Security scanning and vulnerability reports are Ultimate features, separate from Code Review Flow
Chat and follow-up questions ✓Suggested follow-up questions, chat, and “generate a comment I can post” ✓Duo Chat and Agentic Chat in the GitLab UI and IDE, billed in GitLab Credits
Custom rules and agents ✓Custom review and scoring rules, and custom Review Agents on each merge request Loading live limits… ✓Foundational flows plus custom agents and flows in the GitLab AI Catalog
IDE completions and CI agents —ThinkReview reviews the change. It does not complete code in the IDE or fix pipelines ✓Code Suggestions, Agentic Chat, and flows such as Developer and Fix CI/CD Pipeline
Merge request size ✓Lines of change reviewed per merge request, by plan Loading live limits… ✓Flat 0.25 credits per Code Review Flow run, not a token estimate based on diff size
Platforms and hosting
Git platforms ✓GitLab, GitHub, Azure DevOps, and Bitbucket, including self-managed editions ~GitLab only
gitlab.com ✓Works on the merge request after you install the extension ✓Code Review Flow on Duo Agent Platform, paid with GitLab Credits
Self-managed GitLab ✓Add your domain in the extension. No admin token, bot user, or webhook (Lite and above). Community Edition and Enterprise Edition ~Documented on self-managed 18.8.4 or later, with Duo Agent Platform and GitLab Credits. Older Community Edition instances are not a one-click install
Private and self-hosted AI ✓Local Ollama models and a self-hosted Enterprise Gateway ✓Self-hosted models for Duo, at 5 Code Review Flow runs per credit
Code retention ✓Zero code retention. Source code is never stored on cloud reviews ~Code stays in your GitLab installation. GitLab.com and Dedicated are hosted by GitLab
In your editor or assistant ✓ThinkReview MCP: paste a merge request URL into Cursor, Claude Code, or Copilot ✓Duo in the IDE, plus external agents such as Claude Code and Codex that spend GitLab Credits
Plans and limits
Free option ✓Free plan with a monthly credit pool and a daily cap Loading live limits… ~GitLab Free has no included credits. An eligible top-level group can buy a monthly commitment. Personal namespaces cannot
What you pay for ✓A per-user plan with a monthly credit pool and a daily cap ~A GitLab seat, then GitLab Credits. Premium is $29 per user per month, billed annually
Going past the limit ✓Optional credit packs Loading live credit packs… ~Monthly commitment pool, then on-demand credits at $1 per credit

✓offered   ~offered, works differently   —not offered. Live ThinkReview limits above are read from the same pricing service as the pricing page.

Pricing, side by side

ThinkReview is a per-user plan. GitLab Duo code review is a seat plus GitLab Credits. Change the team size to scale both.

ThinkReview Loading live pricing…

GitLab Duo Published prices, checked 3 Nov 2026

  • ThinkReview prices are loaded live from the same pricing service as the ThinkReview pricing page. Larger teams can contact us about the Teams plan.
  • GitLab Premium is published at $29 per user per month, billed annually, on about.gitlab.com/pricing. This page does not show a monthly Premium price or an Ultimate seat price, because GitLab’s pricing page did not list those dollar amounts when it was checked.
  • Included credits are a limited-time promotion: 12 per Premium user per month and 24 per Ultimate user per month. They do not pool or roll over. Code Review Flow is 0.25 credits per run on GitLab-managed models ($0.25 at the $1 on-demand list price) and 5 runs per credit on self-hosted models. See GitLab Credits.
  • The products are not like for like. Duo includes IDE completions and CI agents. ThinkReview is the review on the merge request, including hosts other than GitLab.

Questions about GitLab AI code reviews

What is the difference between GitLab Duo and ThinkReview?

GitLab Duo Code Review Flow reviews a merge request inside GitLab and spends GitLab Credits. ThinkReview shows findings in a private sidebar. A comment is posted only when the reviewer clicks post, under their own name.

Does this work on self-hosted GitLab?

ThinkReview does. Add the custom domain in the extension from the Lite plan. There is no admin token, bot user, or webhook. GitLab documents Code Review Flow on GitLab.com, Dedicated, and self-managed 18.8.4 or later. See the Community Edition and Enterprise Edition guides, and the self-hosted comparison.

How much does GitLab Duo code review cost?

Code Review Flow is 0.25 GitLab Credits per review, or $0.25 at the on-demand list price of $1 per credit. Premium is $29 per user per month billed annually, with a promotional 12 credits per user per month (about 48 reviews). Ultimate’s promotional allowance is 24 credits per user per month. Confirm the Ultimate seat price on GitLab’s pricing page.

Can I use both?

Yes. Duo can own IDE completions, pipeline agents, and an automated pass inside GitLab. ThinkReview is the interactive pass for the person who approves the merge request. The narrative version of this GitLab Duo vs ThinkReview comparison is on the blog.

Review the merge request you have open

Install the extension, open a GitLab merge request, and keep the review private until you choose what to post.

Add to Chrome GitLab setup See ThinkReview pricing

Also compared: CodeRabbit and Bitbucket AI code review.