How do I set up a private Git repository on GitHub? Is it even possible?

Question

I intend to share my source code on an invite-only basis to a few dozen users maybe. The source code itself should not be public. Participants are allowed and encouraged to subm

Answer 1

Update (2019, latest)

Since Jan 2019, GitHub allows private repositories for up to three collaborators.

Previous answer:

Here is the comparison for free plans listed by tree main Git Cloud based solutions:

Here is the comparison for paid plans listed by tree main Git Cloud based solutions:

Conclusion:

I'm not seeing people mentioning GitLab here, but it seems like the best free private plan for me. I myself am using it with no problems.

GitHub: If you have a student account or want to pay for $7 monthly, GitHub has the biggest community and you can take advantage of it's public repositories, forks, etc.

Bitbucket: If you use other products from Atlassian like Jira or Confluence, Bitbucket works great with them.

GitLab: Everything that I care about (free private repository, number of private repositories, number of collaborators, etc.) are offered for free. This seems like the best choice for me.