This version of GitHub Enterprise Server was discontinued on 2024-03-26. No patch releases will be made, even for critical security issues. For better performance, improved security, and new features, upgrade to the latest version of GitHub Enterprise Server. For help with the upgrade, contact GitHub Enterprise support.

About enterprise accounts

With GitHub Enterprise Server, you can use an enterprise account to give administrators a single point of visibility and management.

In this article

About enterprise accounts on GitHub Enterprise Server

The enterprise account on your GitHub Enterprise Server instance allows you to manage the organizations on your instance.

Organizations are shared accounts where enterprise members can collaborate across many projects at once. Organization owners can manage access to the organization's data and projects with sophisticated security and administrative features. For more information, see "About organizations."

Your enterprise account allows you to manage and enforce policies for all the organizations owned by the enterprise. Each enterprise policy controls the options available for a policy at the organization level. You can choose to not enforce a policy, which allows organization owners to configure the policy for the organization, or you can choose from a set of options to enforce for all organizations owned by your enterprise. For more information, see "About enterprise policies."

About administration of your enterprise account

From your enterprise account on a GitHub Enterprise Server instance, administrators can view enterprise membership, manage their own membership in organizations owned by the enterprise, and manage the following functionality for the instance.

  • License usage
  • Security (SSH certificate authorities, two-factor authentication)
  • Enterprise policies for organizations owned by the enterprise account

Notes:

  • Changing the enterprise display name in the settings for your GitHub Enterprise Server instance will not change the enterprise name in your GitHub Enterprise Server instance URL. The enterprise name in your instance's URL is generated based on the customer name in the GitHub Enterprise Server license file.
  • There is only one default enterprise account for GitHub Enterprise Server. You cannot create additional enterprise accounts.

About administration of your enterprise account on GitHub Enterprise Cloud

When you try or purchase GitHub Enterprise, you can also create an enterprise account for GitHub Enterprise Cloud on GitHub.com. Administrators for the enterprise account on GitHub.com can view enterprise membership, manage their own membership in organizations owned by the enterprise, and manage the following for the enterprise account on GitHub.com.

  • Billing and usage (services on GitHub.com, GitHub Advanced Security, user licenses)
  • Security (single sign-on, IP allow lists, SSH certificate authorities, two-factor authentication)
  • Enterprise policies for organizations owned by the enterprise account

If you use both GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server, you can also manage the following for GitHub Enterprise Server from your enterprise account on GitHub.com.

  • Billing and usage for GitHub Enterprise Server instances
  • Requests and support bundle sharing with GitHub Enterprise Support

You can also connect the enterprise account on your GitHub Enterprise Server instance to your enterprise account on GitHub.com to see license usage details for your GitHub Enterprise subscription from GitHub.com. For more information, see "Syncing license usage between GitHub Enterprise Server and GitHub Enterprise Cloud."

For more information about the differences between GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server, see "GitHub’s plans." To upgrade to GitHub Enterprise or to get started with an enterprise account, contact GitHub's Sales team.

About billing for your enterprise account

The bill for your enterprise account includes the monthly cost for each member of your enterprise. The bill includes usage for GitHub Advanced Security.

Enterprise accounts are currently available to GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server customers paying by invoice. Billing for all of the organizations and GitHub Enterprise Server instances connected to your enterprise account is aggregated into a single bill.

For more information about billing for GitHub Enterprise Server, see "About billing for your enterprise."

Enterprise owners on GitHub.com can use an enterprise account to manage payment and licensing for GitHub Enterprise Server instances. For more information, see "GitHub’s plans" and "Managing your license for GitHub Enterprise."

Further reading