GitHub vs Azure Repos

1. What are they?

GitHub

GitHub is a cloud-based development platform built around Git repositories.

It provides much more than source-code storage, including:

• Git repositories
• Pull Requests
• Branch protection
• Issues
• GitHub Actions for CI/CD
• Releases
• Packages
• Collaboration and code review

In simple terms:

GitHub = Git repository hosting + collaboration + DevOps features.

Azure Repos

Azure Repos is the source-control service provided as part of Azure DevOps.

It primarily supports:

• Git repositories
• Pull Requests
• Branch policies
• Code reviews
• Repository permissions
• Integration with Azure Boards and Azure Pipelines

In simple terms:

Azure Repos = Microsoft's source-code repository service inside Azure DevOps.

2. Simple Example

GitHub

git clone https://github.com/company/myapp.git

git add .
git commit -m "Add login feature"
git push origin feature/login

Then the developer can create a Pull Request in GitHub:

feature/login
      │
      ▼
Pull Request
      │
      ▼
Review + Checks
      │
      ▼
main

Azure Repos

The Git commands are almost identical:

git clone https://dev.azure.com/company/project/_git/myapp

git add .
git commit -m "Add login feature"
git push origin feature/login

Then the developer creates a Pull Request in Azure Repos:

feature/login
      │
      ▼
Pull Request
      │
      ▼
Review + Branch Policies
      │
      ▼
main

The important point is that both use Git, so your normal Git commands remain essentially the same.

3. Detailed Explanation

GitHub and Azure Repos solve a similar core problem:

Developer
   │
   │ git push
   ▼
Remote Git Repository
   │
   ├── Branches
   ├── Commits
   ├── Pull Requests
   └── Code Reviews

The main difference is the platform surrounding the repository.

GitHub ecosystem

GitHub
│
├── Repositories
├── Pull Requests
├── Issues
├── GitHub Actions
├── GitHub Packages
├── Releases
└── Other collaboration features

GitHub provides a broad development and collaboration platform around Git.

Azure DevOps ecosystem

Azure DevOps
│
├── Azure Boards       → Work items / Agile planning
├── Azure Repos        → Source control
├── Azure Pipelines    → CI/CD
├── Azure Test Plans   → Testing
└── Azure Artifacts    → Package management

Therefore, Azure Repos is one service within Azure DevOps, rather than the name of the entire DevOps platform.

4. GitHub vs Azure Repos

5. Practical Team Example

Suppose your team develops an ASP.NET Core application.

Using GitHub

Developer
   ↓
GitHub Repository
   ↓
Pull Request
   ↓
Code Review
   ↓
GitHub Actions
   ↓
Build → Test → Deploy

Using Azure DevOps

Developer
   ↓
Azure Repos
   ↓
Pull Request
   ↓
Branch Policies / Review
   ↓
Azure Pipelines
   ↓
Build → Test → Deploy

For example, in Azure DevOps a work item might move through:

Azure Boards
     ↓
Azure Repos
     ↓
Pull Request
     ↓
Azure Pipelines
     ↓
Deployment

This tight integration between Boards → Repos → Pipelines is an important Azure DevOps concept to understand for interviews.

6. Important Point: Git Is Still Git

Neither GitHub nor Azure Repos replaces Git.

Git
│
└── Version-control system
       │
       ├── GitHub
       │     └── Hosts Git repositories
       │
       └── Azure Repos
             └── Hosts Git repositories

For example, these commands work regardless of which Git hosting service you use:

git clone
git branch
git switch
git add
git commit
git fetch
git pull
git push
git merge
git rebase

Usually, what changes is the remote URL and platform-specific workflow/configuration, not Git itself.

7. Key Points

• Git is the distributed version-control system.
• GitHub is a broader developer platform built around Git repositories.
• Azure Repos is the source-control component of Azure DevOps.
• Both support Git repositories, branches, commits, Pull Requests and code reviews.
• GitHub commonly pairs repositories with GitHub Actions.
• Azure Repos commonly integrates with Azure Pipelines and Azure Boards.
• Standard Git commands work with both.
• Moving from GitHub to Azure Repos does not mean learning a different version-control system if both repositories use Git.
• In Azure DevOps interviews, remember the distinction:

Azure DevOps
    ├── Boards
    ├── Repos
    ├── Pipelines
    ├── Test Plans
    └── Artifacts

8. Interview Answer

GitHub and Azure Repos both provide Git repository hosting, Pull Requests, branch controls, and code-review capabilities. The main difference is the surrounding platform. GitHub is a broader developer collaboration platform with features such as GitHub Actions, Issues, Projects, and Packages. Azure Repos is the source-control service within Azure DevOps and integrates closely with Azure Boards, Azure Pipelines, Test Plans, and Artifacts. From a developer's Git perspective, commands such as clone, commit, pull, and push are essentially the same for both.