What GitLab 18.0 means for AI in software development

With the release of GitLab 18.0, AI takes a front seat in the Developer Experience. GitLab Duo, GitLab’s suite of AI-powered tools, is now included in both Premium and Ultimate tiers, unlocking generative AI capabilities for more teams, without additional cost or licensing complexity.

Announcement on May 15: GitLab includes Duo Code Suggestions and Duo Chat in Premium and Ultimate at no extra cost. 

GitLab 18.0 reflects a broader trend: AI is becoming a default part of modern software development. Whether accelerating code generation or improving collaboration, GitLab Duo offers tools that support developers across the entire lifecycle.

What makes GitLab Duo special?

GitLab Duo brings a range of generative and assistive AI features to the GitLab platform and popular IDEs like VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, and Visual Studio. The goal is to reduce repetitive tasks, improve code quality, and make developers more productive without forcing them to leave their existing workflows.

Key features of GitLab Duo

Code Suggestions

Write natural language comments, and GitLab generates full functions or code blocks. Suggestions adapt to the context of your project and support 20+ programming languages.

Duo Chat

Ask questions, get explanations for unfamiliar code, or request help with writing tests or refactoring—all in plain language, right in the IDE or GitLab web interface.

Code explanations

Break down complex code or expressions like regular expressions into readable summaries.

Test generation

Automatically generate regression tests based on your code.

Suggested reviewers

GitLab recommends reviewers for merge requests based on historical contributions and code ownership.

GitLab Duo is available in the browser interface and through IDE extensions. Please note that some features, such as auto-generating merge request descriptions and fixing issues identified through SAST scans, are still in beta.

GitLab Duo is now included in Premium and Ultimate

Starting with version 18.0, GitLab includes Duo Code Suggestions and Duo Chat in Premium and Ultimate at no extra cost. This means developers in these tiers can access AI-powered development assistance directly from their tools without additional add-ons or licenses.

This change brings AI within reach for more teams and removes the barriers of cost and integration effort that often slow down adoption. As GitLab’s product team highlighted, developers spend too much time on non-coding tasks. Duo helps reclaim that time lost by streamlining common activities like writing boilerplate code, reviewing changes, and navigating complex codebases.

What’s included in GitLab Duo for Premium and Ultimate users?

Once upgraded to GitLab 18.0, users on Premium and Ultimate plans get immediate access to:

• Duo Code Suggestions: Real-time, contextual code completions and full code block generation.
• Duo Chat: Help with code explanations, test generation, and refactoring.
• Support for widely used IDEs and programming languages.

There’s no need for additional tools or governance reviews. Everything is embedded in the GitLab platform.

GitLab Duo Enterprise: Now available to Premium customers

Previously exclusive to Ultimate, GitLab Duo Enterprise can now be purchased as an add-on by Premium customers. It includes more advanced AI features designed for larger teams or more secure environments:

• Root cause analysis: Faster troubleshooting of CI/CD failures.
• AI-assisted code reviews: Speeds up and improves merge request workflows.
• Advanced Chat: Enhanced code understanding and configuration support.
• Self-hosted AI: For air-gapped environments and strict data control.

This change opens up access to deeper AI functionality without requiring a tier upgrade, allowing more organizations to adopt AI at a pace and scope that works for them.

The future is AI Native—Let’s build it together

AI is reshaping software development. Companies that move fast will lead, and GitLab 18.0 makes starting easier than ever. Whether you're just beginning your AI journey or ready to scale advanced capabilities like GitLab Duo Enterprise, we’re here to help.

Let’s move forward—faster, together.