OpenAI is developing alternative to GitHub as AI boom pushes into code hosting, setting up clash with Microsoft

OpenAI is quietly moving into territory long dominated by its biggest partner.

The company behind ChatGPT is working on a new code-hosting platform intended to serve as an alternative to GitHub, according to a report from The Information on Tuesday. The project is still early, but the idea signals a shift that could place OpenAI on a direct path with Microsoft’s developer platform.

The motivation appears practical. Engineers at OpenAI reportedly ran into a growing number of service disruptions that left GitHub temporarily unavailable over recent months. Those interruptions pushed internal teams to explore building their own code repository system, the report said.

OpenAI working on GitHub alternative that could challenge Microsoft’s developer empire

The Information reported that “OpenAI is developing an alternative to GitHub and has discussing the possibility of selling it to customers.” The company has explored offering the platform to its existing customer base once the product matures.

For now, the effort remains experimental. According to the report, the work is still in its early phase and is likely months away from completion. Teams involved in the project have already discussed how the repository could integrate with OpenAI’s broader ecosystem of developer tools.

OpenAI, GitHub, and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If the product eventually reaches the market, the move would carry broader implications. Microsoft owns GitHub and remains one of OpenAI’s largest financial backers, a partnership that has shaped much of the AI boom over the past two years.

At the same time, OpenAI has begun widening its own developer infrastructure. A proprietary code-hosting platform would give the company tighter control over how developers build, store, and deploy AI-driven applications.

The backdrop is a funding surge that has reshaped the AI sector. OpenAI recently raised $110 billion in fresh capital from investors, including SoftBank and several major technology firms, a blockbuster round that valued the company at about $840 billion and signaled continued investor confidence in large-scale AI platforms, Reuters reported.

A GitHub alternative from OpenAI would place the company deeper inside the software development pipeline. That position carries strategic value as developers race to build AI-powered products and rely on tools tied closely to model providers.

For now, the idea remains on the drawing board. Still, the report offers a glimpse into how OpenAI is thinking about its next phase. If the project moves forward, it would mark one of the clearest signs yet that the company is ready to compete across the full developer stack—even if that means crossing paths with Microsoft along the way.