The best git gui for windows

Git comes with built-in GUI tools for committing (git-gui) and browsing (gitk), but there are several third-party tools for users looking for platform-specific experience.

If you want to add another GUI tool to this list, just follow the instructions.

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There are other great GUI tools available as well. Have a look at the list of interfaces, frontends and tools in the Git Wiki.

Разработчикам, несомненно, надо уметь работать с Git и делать это через командную строку. Иногда бывают ситуации, когда просто нет возможности установить на машину альтернативный инструмент с графическим интерфейсом. При этом некоторые задачи удобнее выполнять в специализированных приложениях, и никто не запрещает использовать GUI в собственных проектах.

В этой статье собраны самые популярные графические интерфейсы Git. Есть как бесплатные инструменты с открытым исходным кодом, так и проприетарные решения с дорогими лицензиями. Некоторыми клиентами из статьи я пользовался сам, чтобы в итоге выбрать удобный вариант для своих задач.

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

GitHub Desktop

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Официальный клиент GitHub от разработчиков сервиса. С его помощью можно создавать репозитории, управлять запросами на включение кода, редактировать файлы и сравнивать изменения во встроенном редакторе кода. Для более удобного и быстрого изменения предусмотрена функция быстрого перехода в редактор по умолчанию, который можно выбрать в настройках. Также можно выбрать предпочитаемый терминал из установленных на машине.

Файлы автоматически подтягиваются из директории репозитория, но работает и перетаскивание. В остальном GitHub Desktop довольно минималистичный и предоставляет только базовый набор инструментов для работы с удалёнными репозиториями. В нём нет подробных графиков и визуального отображения истории веток. Также клиент работает только с GitHub, что заметно ограничивает сценарии его использования.

GitHub Desktop разработан на языке TypeScript, с использованием фреймворков React и Electron. Код проекта открыт, поэтому желающие могут дорабатывать его и подстраивать под собственные задачи.

💵 Цена: бесплатно

💻 Платформы: Windows, macOS и неофициальные сборки под Linux

Sourcetree

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Sourcetree — ещё один бесплатный Git-клиент, только в этом случае разработан компанией Atlassian, которая также поддерживает проекты Jira, Confluence и Bitbucket. У инструмента всё такой же простой интерфейс, как у GitHub Desktop, но уже с подробной визуализацией истории веток. Поддерживаются все привычные функции работ с Git.

Sourcetree можно использовать с репозиториями Git и Mercurial, что расширяет круг потенциальных пользователей. Также разработчики из Atlassian добавили интеграции с экосистемой Bitbucket и Jira. Поэтому, если в компании используют именно этот стек для планирования и разработки, то пользователям будет удобнее работать сразу с настроенными интеграциями.

Из минусов можно отметить, что Sourcetree достаточно простой и может показаться бесполезным для продвинутых пользователей, привыкших к специализированным инструментам с расширенными возможностями. Также важно отметить, что Sourcetree — проприетарный инструмент, поэтому в Сети нет сборок от сторонних разработчиков. По этой же причине код проекта нельзя модифицировать и дорабатывать. В остальном решение от Atlassian схоже с GitHub Desktop.

💵 Цена: бесплатно

💻 Платформы: Windows и macOS

GitKraken

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Один из самых функциональных и продвинутых Git-клиентов от разработчиков популярного расширения GitLence для Visual Studio Code. В Gitkraken большое внимание уделяется дизайну и визуализации. Таким образом, пользователи могут видеть подробную историю коммитов в виде графика, на котором действия каждого участника проекта подсвечиваются своим цветом. Предусмотрены информативные оповещения о конфликтах слияния и интерфейс для их устранения.

Разработчики проекта уверяют, что интерфейс спроектирован таким образом, чтобы в нём могли разобраться даже новички. После опыта использования можно отметить, что в некоторых местах GitKraken может быть нелогичным и нагруженным. Для этих случаев компания предусмотрела утилиту GitKraken CLI, но тогда можно пользоваться и стандартным CLI.

GitKraken поддерживает работу с репозиториями GitHub, GitLab и Bitbucket. Вместе с этим предусмотрена возможность интегрировать популярные CI/CD и трекеры задач, к примеру, Jira или Trello. Также в GitKraken есть возможность создать несколько профилей и переключаться между ними, если с одной машины приходится работать над рабочими и собственными проектами.

Большое внимание в клиенте уделяется совместной работе. К примеру, участников проекта можно разделить на команды: разработчики, тестировщики, дизайнеры, поддержка и так далее. Каждая команда будет видеть важные для себя изменения в репозиториях. Также предусмотрена функция для быстрого онбординга новых членов команды.

GitKraken входит в GitHub Student Developer Pack, что позволяет технических специальностей бесплатно пользоваться полной версией клиента до тех пор, пока они продолжают учёбу.

💵 Цена:

• Free — бесплатный тариф с ограниченными возможностями;

• Pro — полный тариф за 5 долларов в месяц при оплате сразу за год;

• Teams — тариф для команд за 9 долларов в месяц с каждого члена команды;

• Enterprise — тариф для очень больших команд за 19 долларов.

💻 Платформы: Windows, macOS и Linux.

Tower

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Tower — ещё один клиент с платной подпиской, разработанный компанией Fournova. Если сравнивать субъективно, то у Tower более приятный и лёгкий интерфейс, поэтому с ним легче работать. К тому же на macOS инструмент выполнен в стандартном для операционной системы дизайне. Это делает взаимодействие с Tower более интуитивным и понятным. В GitKraken, к примеру, некоторое время уходит на изучение кнопок и переключателей в окне инструмента.

В Tower также есть детализированная визуализация истории коммитов для каждой отдельной ветки. Можно просматривать все данные коммита, включая профиль пользователя, который его выполнил. Кроме этого предусмотрен детализированный режим решения конфликтов слияния. Благодаря ему разработчик может быстрее оценить ситуацию и принять решение.

Fournova большое внимание уделяет образовательной части. Поэтому на сайте можно найти много обучающих материалов по изучению Git, веб-разработки и самого Tower. Все уроки полностью бесплатные и доступны как в виде онлайн-книг, так и в виде коротких роликов. При необходимости можно скачать с сайта шпаргалки по работе с VS Code, Xcode, Tower, Git, командной строкой и другими инструментами.

Tower также входит в программу GitHub Student Developer Pack, что позволяет студентам технических направлений пользоваться премиальной версией клиента до тех пор, пока они продолжают обучение. Сборки для Linux нет, а код инструмента закрыт.

💵 Цена:

• Basic — 69 долларов в год;

• Pro — 99 долларов в год;

• Enterprise — тариф для компаний, цена обговаривается в частном порядке.

💻 Платформы: Windows и macOS.

Working Copy

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Полноценный и рабочий Git-клиент для мобильных устройств под управлением iOS и iPadOS. Поддерживается работа с удалёнными репозиториями на базе GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket и Gitea. Сами репозитории можно клонировать на мобильное устройство, изменять в Working Copy или сторонних редакторах кода. Клонированные репозитории доступны для редактирования без Интернета, поэтому над проектами можно работать в дороге.

Working Copy поддерживает нативные функции экосистемы Apple. К примеру, можно создавать и использовать сценарии автоматизации с помощью приложения Shortcuts. Если к коммиту сложно придумать описание, то это может сделать нейросеть.

В остальном Working Copy поддерживает основные функции Git, включая интерфейс решения конфликтов слияний. Расширенных функций в виде визуализации и аналитики  нет, но само наличие Git-клиента на iOS можно считать небольшим чудом.

Учитывая все возможности Working Copy, инструмент всё равно сложно использовать для полноценной разработки и поддержки больших проектов. Для этих целей удобно использовать привычные машины, а не планшет или, тем более, смартфон. При этом инструмент может быть полезен для быстрого редактирования или исправления ошибок. Для случаев, когда не надо переписывать большие фрагменты кода.

Студенты могут бесплатно пользоваться полной версией Working Copy бесплатно, благодаря программе GitHub Student Developer Pack. В российском AppStore приложение сейчас недоступно, для установки необходима смена региона.

💵 Цена: 7 долларов в месяц;

💻 Платформы: iOS и iPadOS.

Fork

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Fork — ещё один минималистичный Git-клиент с пользовательским интерфейсом, сочетающий в себе скорость работы и минималистичный дизайн. В macOS элементы интерфейса пытаются быть похожими на нативные, но немного отличаются. Это всё равно не должно помешать быстро разобраться и начать работать.

Важно отметить, что проект Fork развивается силой семьи разработчиков, которые вкладывают в него своё свободное время. По этой причине новые функции могут появляться не так часто. Тем не менее, заявлена полная поддержка всех основных возможностей Git. Разработчики начали проект, желая создать простой и удобный клиент для ежедневного использования. После Fork начали использовать друзья разработчиков и советовать своим друзьям.

Из дополнительных можно отметить функцию Image Diffs, которая показывает историю изменений изображений, чтобы наглядно было видно, что именно поменялось с последнего коммита. Режим будет полезен в тех случаях, когда репозиторий адаптировали и используют для работы дизайнеров. 

Также есть поддержка системных уведомлений, которые сообщают об изменениях в репозиториях. Можно открывать несколько репозиториев в разных вкладках и переключаться между ними, что позволяет работать над несколькими проектами в одном окне клиента.

Fork активно обновляется, несмотря на небольшую команду проекта. Обновления исправно выходят каждый месяц. Также на сайте Fork есть блог с обучающими статьями, посвящёнными работе с клиентом, но статьи не публиковались с августа 2020 года. Вероятно, сил маленькой команды не хватает на всё сразу.

Из минусов можно отметить, что у Fork нет интеграций с популярными сервисами для отслеживания задач, а также нет привычных инструментов из более продвинутых клиентов.

💵 Цена: 50 долларов единовременно;

💻 Платформы: Windows и macOS.

SmartGit

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

SmarGit на профильных веб-сайтах называют самым популярным кроссплатформенным Git-клиентом. Инструмент доступен по подписке для Windows, macOS и Linux. Отчасти популярность SmartGit обусловлена тем, что инструмент поддерживает работу не только с Git, но и со SVN.

Пользователям доступны функции управления репозиториями, редактирования кода, разрешения конфликтов слияния и работа через SSH. В SmartGit, как и во многих других клиентах, доступно перетаскивание файлов и веток, что ускоряет работу и делает её более интуитивной.

Из минусов пользователи отмечают отсутствие интеграций с популярными трекерами задач и поддержки привычных функций из других клиентов. Также имеющиеся функции не всегда интуитивны и для их понимания надо обращаться к документации. Вместе с этим обращают внимание на сравнительно высокий порог входа, не такой высокий, как в CLI-клиентах, но выше, чем в более красивых. Новичкам это может создавать дополнительные трудности при освоении.

💵 Цена: 182 доллара при единовременной оплате лицензии с трёхлетней поддержкой или 59 долларов ежегодно при выборе подписки;

💻 Платформы: Windows, macOS и Linux.

Gitnuro

Картинка с сайта: habr.com

Gitnuro — бесплатный и кроссплатформенный Git-клиент с графическим интерфейсом. Авторы проекта отмечают в репозитории, что хотели разработать открытый инструмент, который был бы полностью бесплатным, а отсутствие подписки не ограничивало бы пользователей в возможностях.

Клиент пока ещё находится на стадии разработки, но уже сейчас поддерживает все основные инструменты для работы с Git-репозиториями. Также в Githuro нет многих модных фич из больших платных клиентов. Есть поддержка визуализации истории веток, но не более этого. Интеграции со сторонними сервисами не поддерживаются и маловероятно, что когда-нибудь будут.

Главный плюс Gitnuro заключается в его открытости. Клиентом можно пользоваться бесплатно, а открытый исходный код позволяет изменять и подстраивать Githuro под собственные задачи, решая проблемы, которые оставили разработчики проекта. Открытый код есть, к примеру, и у GitHub Desktop, но у него изначально меньше возможностей, чем у Gitnuro.

💵 Цена: бесплатно;

💻 Платформы: Windows, macOS и Linux.

Каким GUI для Git пользуетесь чаще всего?

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Git is the powerhouse of modern software development, but sometimes the command line can feel like a cryptic puzzle box 🔒. If you’re looking for something simpler, faster, and more visually appealing, Git GUI clients are here to help! These tools will save you time, reduce mistakes, and give you the power to manage your code with ease. Ready to level up? Let’s dive into the Top 10 Git GUI Clients every developer should know about.

🏆 1. GitHub Desktop: The King of Simplicity 👑
GitHub Desktop is perfect for those who want a straightforward, easy-to-use Git GUI without the headache of the terminal. If you live on GitHub, this is your best friend. It’s simple, clean, and it gets the job done.

🔑 Key Features:

Easy clone and commit management

Automatic sync with GitHub repositories

Conflict resolution made super simple

🔥 Best for: Beginners and GitHub users who want simplicity.

⚡ 2. Sourcetree: The Power Player ⚡
If you want something with a bit more complexity but still a user-friendly interface, Sourcetree is your go-to tool. Offering a full suite of Git features, it’s perfect for developers who want more control over their workflows without diving into the command line.

🔑 Key Features:

Advanced Git flow integration

Beautiful visualizations of commit history

Supports Git and Mercurial

🔥 Best for: Developers who need advanced features but want a GUI.

🎮 3. GitKraken: The Visual Mastermind 🧠
GitKraken is not just another Git client – it’s a visual powerhouse. With its interactive commit graph and sleek interface, you’ll never see Git the same way again. GitKraken is packed with features that make it one of the most loved Git clients on the market.

🔑 Key Features:

Interactive commit graph that makes history fun

Built-in issue tracking and project management tools

Git LFS support

🔥 Best for: Developers who want a beautiful, feature-rich experience.

Картинка с сайта: dev.to

💎 4. Git Extensions: The Customizer’s Dream 🔧
For developers who want to truly customize their Git experience, Git Extensions is the tool to go to. It gives you full access to Git commands but wrapped in a graphical interface that feels intuitive and flexible.

🔑 Key Features:

Full command support

Deep customization options

Git history and branching visualizations

🔥 Best for: Advanced users who want full control over their Git environment.

⚙️ 5. TortoiseGit: The Classic Windows Tool 💻
TortoiseGit is a no-nonsense, lightweight Git client for Windows. It integrates directly into your Windows Explorer, so managing your repositories is as easy as right-clicking on a folder. If you want something that works seamlessly on Windows, this is it.

🔑 Key Features:

Right-click menu for Git operations

Lightweight and fast

Simple yet effective Git management

🔥 Best for: Windows users who want something fast and simple.

🚀 6. SmartGit: The All-Rounder 🌍
SmartGit is a well-rounded Git GUI that combines powerful features with an intuitive interface. It supports Git, Mercurial, and Subversion, making it perfect for developers working with multiple version control systems. It’s versatile and reliable.

🔑 Key Features:

Git, Mercurial, and Subversion support

Customizable interface

Integrated SSH and GitHub support

🔥 Best for: Developers who need a multi-platform version control system.

🌟 7. Git Cola: The Lightweight Champion 🥇
Git Cola is one of the lightest and fastest Git clients you can find. It’s not packed with tons of extra features, but it’s perfect for developers who want a simple and no-frills experience. Speed and efficiency are its strong points.

🔑 Key Features:

Fast and lightweight

Minimalistic design

Basic but powerful Git features

🔥 Best for: Developers who want a no-frills, lightweight Git GUI.

🔥 8. Tower: The Premium Git Experience 💼
Tower is a premium Git client that’s packed with all the features you need to work with Git like a pro. Whether you’re working on large teams or solo, Tower offers an elegant solution for Git management. It’s known for its reliability and top-tier features.

🔑 Key Features:

Advanced Git functionality with a sleek interface

Cherry-pick and stash management

File history and conflict resolution tools

🔥 Best for: Professionals who need an elegant, full-featured Git client.

⚡ 9. GitHub Desktop for Windows: The GitHub-Specific Tool 💻
If you’re using GitHub exclusively and want a client that’s tightly integrated with it, GitHub Desktop for Windows is your answer. It provides easy access to all your repositories, making it the perfect tool for GitHub fans.

🔑 Key Features:

Quick access to your GitHub repositories

Simplified workflow and commit process

Conflict resolution with a single click

🔥 Best for: Developers working specifically with GitHub.

💡 10. UnGit: The Simple, Web-Based Tool 🌐
UnGit is a web-based Git GUI that’s both simple and powerful. It’s a great choice if you don’t want to download an application and need something accessible via your browser. Perfect for quick fixes and managing Git on-the-go.

🔑 Key Features:

Simple, web-based interface

Visual commit history and diff viewer

No installation required

🔥 Best for: Developers who want quick and easy access to Git via their browser.

Why Use a Git GUI? 🤔
While the command line gives you full control, it can be intimidating for some. Git GUI clients simplify the process, offering a visual approach to managing your repositories. Whether you’re merging branches, resolving conflicts, or simply tracking changes, a Git GUI client can be a total game-changer

💬 Let’s Talk: Which Git GUI Client Do You Swear By?
Alright, now it’s your turn! 💥 What’s your favorite Git GUI client? Do you swear by GitKraken, prefer the simplicity of GitHub Desktop, or have another tool that gives you the edge? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let’s get the conversation rolling! 👇

Git is a free, open-source distributed version control system designed to manage any size project, from minimal to extremely large.

Linus Torvalds, the founder of Linux, designed it in 2005. Developers frequently use git to collaborate on projects, manage codebases, track changes, and keep multiple versions of files.

Developers can work with this version control system in a visual mode thanks to the git graphical user interface clients. Git GUI clients offer users a handy graphical interface with built-in settings, eliminating the need for manual command writing.

With a git graphical user interface client, tasks can be completed more quickly and efficiently.

In this article, we’ll explore the best git graphic user interface clients for Linux, Mac, and Windows, highlighting their distinguishing features to assist you in selecting the best option for your daily tasks and projects.

1. GitKraken Client

GitKraken is a git client designed to streamline version control for teams and software enthusiasts. It offers a graphical interface, streamlining the management of commits, merges, branches, and git repositories.

GitKraken Client packs the following features out of the box:

• It offers insights to assist you in gauging and enhancing the productivity and velocity of your team.
• It seamlessly integrates with numerous renowned programs and services, including Bitbucket, GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and Slack.
• It streamlines the organization and retrieval of your work by supporting workspaces, profiles, and command palettes.
• It features a robust terminal that provides autocomplete recommendations for Git commands.
• Its incredibly user-friendly GUI makes managing and visualizing your Git projects simpler.
• It assists you in resolving conflicts and carrying out difficult tasks with its interactive rebase editor, merge tool, and customizable diff view.

GitKraken enhances the Git experience by supporting team collaboration, offering visual commit history and branching, and integrating easily with popular project management tools.

GitKraken is a popular choice among developers and teams because of its intuitive visual depiction of git repositories, which facilitates collaboration on software projects and makes difficult git processes easier to understand.

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksmint.com

2. Gitg

Gitg is a free, open-source Git client that is part of the GNOME project. It is designed to be a compact, fast, and easy-to-use application for managing your work and viewing the history of git repositories.

Multiple branches, staging area, commit editing, cherry-picking, and rebasing are among the features that are supported. In addition, It is compatible with SVN and CVS version control systems.

Key Features of Gitg:

• User-friendly and GNOME-style interface for seamless integration.
• In-depth visibility into commit history and code alterations.
• Essential Git functions, including branching and merging.
• Tight integration with the GNOME environment for a harmonious and unified experience.

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksmint.com

3. GitForce

GitForce is a cross-platform graphical user interface for the git command line tool. It is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive.

GiForce uses the .NET 3.5 framework and is written in C#.

GitForce provides several functionalities, including:

• Drag and drop is supported for the majority of operations.
• It enables you to manage numerous workspaces, remote servers, and repositories.
• Both HTTPS authentication and an integrated SSH client are supported.
• It allows you to customize your tools and integrate them with a variety of diff and merge programs.

The primary goal of GitForce is to provide an effective visual front end to the majority of common operations.

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4. QGit

QGit is a visual front-end git client that you can use to graphically track several development branches, examine patch contents, modify files, and browse revision history.

Key features include:

• It allows you to view the archive tree, diffs, file history, file annotations, and revisions.
• You can visually commit changes by selecting modified files.
• Connect scripts, command sequences, and other executables to a custom action. A terminal window can be used to capture the output of actions that are executed from the menu.
• For the most commonly used StGIT commands, such as push/pop and apply/save patches, QGit provides a graphical user interface.
• By cherry-picking individual updated files, you can use the same semantics as a git commit to make new patches.

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5. SmartGit

More than 100,000 developers worldwide support SmartGit, an all-in-one graphical user interface. With SmartGit, you can handle pull requests and review comments.

It also provides seamless integrations with online platforms such as GitHub, BitBucket, and GitLab.

There is no need to set up or install any other software because SmartGit has everything you require.

• Simple File Compare
• Strong file Merge (editable Conflict Solver at no cost)
• Git-Flow (managing high-level branches)
• Graphical merger and commit History packaged

In addition, SmartGit allows you to adapt your workflow and needs. It can be customized using the following parameters.

• Toolbars.
• Light and dark themes.
• Syntax coloring.
• Keyboard shortcuts.
• Layout of certain views.
• Preferences for Merging and Rebasing.
• External tools.

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6. Sourcetree

Sourcetree is a free git client that streamlines work on git repositories. It provides an intuitive and robust interface for both beginners and experts.

Sourcetree supports the following functionalities:

• Sourcetree allows you to switch between git and mercurial repositories simply.
• With its easy-to-use interface, you can search for and clone remote repositories.
• It allows you to Search for commits, file changes, and branches.
• The management of projects, their dependencies, and other project groupings is made simpler thanks to submodules.

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7. TortoiseGit

TortoiseGit is a free and open-source Windows Shell interface for git and is based on TortoiseSVN.

TortoiseGit helps you get started with basic tasks such as committing, diffing two versions, displaying logs, generating branches and tags, patch creation, and more.

TortoiseGit comes with several handy features, including:

• Shell Integration: TortoiseGit seamlessly integrates with Windows Explorer. With its icon overlays, you can view the current state of your files and execute any git command from the context menu of the Explorer.
• Robust Commit Dialog: It has a comprehensive commit dialog that lets you format text, enter log messages, verify spelling, and auto-complete keywords and paths.
• Handy Tools: TortoiseGit provides several tools, such as TortoiseGitBlame, TortoiseGitIDiff, and TortoiseGitLog, which can assist you in exploring and visualizing the git history.
• Integration with Issue-Tracking Systems: TortoiseGit provides an adaptable method for integrating any web-based bug-tracking system.

In addition, TortoiseGit allows you to manage branches and tags, generate and apply patches, and carry out other activities in your repository.

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8. Git Cola

Git Cola is a robust git client that offers an intuitive interface for interacting with git repositories. With Git Cola, you can view branches, commit history, commit, manage remotes, and carry out other Git tasks.

Git Cola packs the following features:

• It provides a side-by-side diff viewer, allowing users to compare changes made to files between various commits or branches.
• It allows you to push, pull, and fetch changes from distant branches while managing repositories remotely.
• Git Cola allows you to customize the user interface to fit your unique workflows with a variety of settings and preferences.

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9. Magit

Magit is a robust git interface for Emacs that provides an extensive feature set and the ability to optimize git operations within the Emacs text editor.

With Magit, you carry out a variety of git activities, including branching, merging, committing, and others.

Within the Emacs environment, users can manage complex histories, resolve conflicts, and do interactive rebases and merges. In addition, Magit gives an in-depth overview of all repository statuses, including untracked files, staged changes, and unstaged changes.

You’ll become a more proficient version control user after using Magit for a while. It appears that most users and developers of previous Git clients believed some functionality could not be properly transferred to a non-command-line interface, yet Magit supports and simplifies the use of Git features.

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10. GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is a graphical user interface for Git that is easy to use and is optimized to work with GitHub repositories. In addition, it offers a simplified approach for working together on projects, managing version control, and interacting with repositories hosted on the platform.

GitHub Desktop allows you to view all open pull requests for your repositories and examine them just like local branches, regardless of whether they are from forks or upstream branches.

GitHub Desktop also allows syntax highlighting to be shown when examining diffs for a diversity of languages and makes it simple to compare modified images.

With extensive editor and shell integrations, you can launch your preferred editor or shell directly from within GitHub Desktop.

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11. GitBlade

GitBlade is a cross-platform graphical user interface for Git. It comes with a PRO edition that offers more sophisticated capabilities and a free Lite version that includes basic features.

Among GitBlade’s features are:

• Merge Tool: It contains a visual tool that makes it simple to assess and address merge issues.
• Blame Tool: You can view the history of a file and track the changes made to each line over time, including who changed it, when, and why.
• Combined Diffs: It allows you to view a combined diff between various commits.
• Visual Graph: It contains a visual graph that illustrates the relationships between various commits and branches.
• Stage Hunks: It allows you to stage delete or revert a portion of a file instead of everything.

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12. Sublime Merge

The same developers who designed the renowned Sublime Text editor also created Sublime Merge. It provides a robust and elegant interface for version control operations and Git repository management.

Sublime Merge packs the following features out of the box:

• With line-by-line and hunk staging, you can commit precisely what you want. In addition, you can use one or more lines to divide chunks into different modifications.
• A robust commit dialog allows you to modify your commits, rebase your branches, and update your commit statements.
• Syntax highlighting is available for several languages, allowing you to view the modifications you made to your files.
• Using various modes, including swipe, fade, or highlight, you can compare altered images.
• Sublime Merge also allows you to manage your submodules and customize the look and feel with extensive themes.

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13. Tower

Tower is a cross-platform git client tailored to provide a robust yet intuitive interface for managing git repositories. Developers and teams use Tower frequently because it offers an extensive feature set of capabilities that makes version control tasks easier.

Key features of Tower include:

• To carry out operations swiftly, you can drag and drop files, branches, and commits.
• Any Git activity, including adding, committing, pushing, pulling, and more, can be undone.
• Tower contains a visual tool that can assist in selecting the appropriate version, which can be used to resolve merge conflicts.
• You can view a file’s whole history, including who made changes, when they were made, and why.
• From GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, you can create, merge, comment, close, and investigate pull requests directly in Tower.

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14. Fork

Fork is a cross-platform git client designed by a family of software developers. It provides an intuitive interface with features and capabilities that simplify version management tasks.

Fork supports the following functionalities:

• Visual Branching: Fork makes it easier to view and handle branches, which helps you better comprehend the structure of your repository.
• Side-by-Side Diffs: A side-by-side diff view allows users to easily review changes by comparing changes between different versions of the same file.
• Merge and Pull Requests: This feature streamlines collaboration by allowing you to make, evaluate, and combine pull requests from within the application.
• Stash and Cherry-Pick: This feature enables users to cherry-pick particular commits into distinct branches and stash changes.
• Commit History: Fork offers a transparent view of the history of commits, together with comprehensive details on the modifications made in each commit.

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15. GitFox

GitFox is a git client designed to provide users with a special collection of capabilities while being lightweight, quick, and robust.

GitFox has several features including:

• Quick Navigation: A sidebar and keyboard shortcuts let you quickly browse through your Git history, branches, tags, and stashes.
• Automated Project Linking: From within GitFox, you can link your Git projects to online platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket to utilize their functionality.
• Image Diff: Various modes, including swipe, fade, and highlight, can be used to compare modified images.
• Multiple Identities: It’s simple to manage and switch between numerous Git identities.
• Advanced Search: Using a robust search engine that supports operators and filters, you can search for commits, files, branches, and tags.

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Conclusion

Git has become a necessity when it boils down to managing collaborative development projects. It does have a steep learning curve; that’s why developers have developed git graphical user interface clients for a range of platforms to streamline the process of version control management.

We hope this article has helped you select the best Git client for your projects and needs. Feel free to share any thoughts or queries you may have in the comments section below.

Git is a version control system (VCS) that allows you to track the development of a project over time. At the time of Git’s inception in 2005, developers had to use the command line interface (CLI) to manage Git. Learning and using the command line however is often an extremely difficult task for many developers and in some cases represents a significant barrier of entry for those seeking to leverage the power of Git.

Enter the graphical user interface (GUI), also referred to as a Git Client. A Git GUI is a tool that helps developers visualize their Git repositories and run Git actions with a few simple mouse clicks or keyboard shortcuts.

It’s common for new and seasoned developers to leverage a Git GUI in their regular workflow. As you learn more about Git and interact in related communities, you’ll likely notice that some people have very strong opinions about using a GUI vs the CLI. Both tools have significant benefits and it’s important to remember that you should select the tools that help you write code you’re proud of. Millions of developers around the world use Git GUIs to make their lives easier and level up their coding.

In this article, we’ll compare the top Git GUI Clients out there to determine which is the best Git GUI. To compare each Git Client, we will use the following parameters: OS support, price, and feature catalog.

Best Git Clients Compared

In an effort to provide a comprehensive comparison of the best Git clients on the market, we have explored exactly how GitKraken fares against each of the Git GUI Clients in these articles:

• GitKraken Desktop vs Fork
• GitKraken Desktop vs Sourcetree
• GitKraken Desktop vs Tower
• GitKraken Desktop vs SmartGit

Best Git GUI Winners

GitKraken Desktop  |  Fork  |  Sourcetree   | Tower  |  GitHub Desktop  |  SmartGit

Best Git GUI For Teams: GitKraken Desktop

Картинка с сайта: www.gitkraken.com

GitKraken Desktop Roadmap

Price: Free on public repos, Pro $4.95 per user, Teams $8.95 per user, Enterprise $18.95  per user

OS Support: Windows, Mac, & Linux

Reviews: G2 GitKraken Desktop Reviews, Slant GitKraken Desktop Reviews

GitKraken Desktop Workspaces allow teams to take action across multiple repos, view details about their state at a glance, and share them with teammates. GitKraken’s workspaces and rich integration with popular issue tracking tools like Jira and Trello, are great examples of why many teams leverage GitKraken Desktop in their daily workflows. 

Other features that make GitKraken Desktop the best GUI available include its multiple diff views, drag-and-drop functionality, multiple profile management, autocomplete Git command functionality, predictive merge conflict alerts, and intuitive interactive rebase tool.

“GitKraken Desktop is available on all platforms, has per developer licensing, and with one look you know the status of your repository. Beats all other solutions!”

–Holger Flick, Software Developer at FlixEngineering LLC

 Fork

Картинка с сайта: www.gitkraken.com

Price: One-time purchase of $49.99, Free evaluation period

OS Support: Windows & Mac

Reviews: Sourceforge Fork Reviews, Slant Fork Reviews

Fork was built and continues to be maintained by Dan Pristupov and Tanya Pristupova, a husband and wife duo. Fork started as a side project that the pair worked on together. As Fork gained popularity, they began devoting more time to the project until they eventually started developing the tool full-time.

Fork is known for its tab style navigation which makes it easy to manage multiple repos, image diffs, merge conflict tool, cherry pick capabilities, Git LFS, and interactive rebase capabilities.  Though it lacks some of the more complex features that some other GUIs have, this Git GUI is great at performing basic Git actions and is straightforward to learn and use.

Some drawbacks of Fork include its inability to manage pull requests from the app, lack of integrations with popular issue tracking tools like Jira, absence of enterprise/team features like flexible license management, and shortage of support materials.

Best Free Git GUI: Sourcetree

Картинка с сайта: www.gitkraken.com

Price: Free

OS Support: Windows & Mac

Reviews: G2 Sourcetree Reviews, Slant Sourcetree Reviews

Sourcetree is a free, open source GUI, produced by Atlassian. Notable features that make Sourcetree a popular Git GUI include its ability to handle large repos, interactive rebase tool, and its local commit search which allows users to quickly find file changes, commits, and branches. 

While it’s a great free option, Sourcetree does come with a few notable drawbacks. Developers often struggle with Sourcetree’s different platform experiences between Mac and Windows. The cross-platform inconsistency makes it difficult for team members and project contributors to help someone using a different operating system. It’s also significant to note that Sourcetree’s UI leaves a lot to be desired. Compared to the other clients in this list, Sourcetree’s graph UI is fairly lackluster and its three split views make for more clicks and cumbersome navigation. 

“I used to use Sourcetree, but its DX wasn’t enough for me, especially when using multiple repos. I switched to GitKraken years ago and it’s amazing!”

–Robbie Cook, full stack web developer & app engineer at Ambit

 Tower

Картинка с сайта: www.gitkraken.com

Tower Roadmap

Price: Basic $69 per user, Pro $99 per user (billed annually)

OS Support: Windows & Mac

Reviews: G2 Tower Reviews, Slant Tower Reviews

Tower is one of the more feature rich Git GUIs on the market. Founded in 2010, Tower set out to make Git’s powerful feature set accessible to developers, designers, and non-technical people. 

Some of Tower’s notable features include multiple profile support, the capability to drag and drop to initiate a push or pull, interactive rebase, command palette and keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation, in-app pull request management, and merge conflict tool. Based on its list of features it’s clear that Tower is a robust Git client. This is a good GUI that helps thousands of developers ship great projects around the world. 

Though Tower has an impressive list of features, learning how to leverage those features can require a significant time investment as the Tower’s interface can be challenging to decipher. Additionally, Tower doesn’t have Linux support which can make it a difficult tool to standardize across your team. It also lacks integrations with many of the most common issue trackers like Jira, GitHub Enterprise, GitLab Self Managed, etc. Finally, no matter how you cut it, month over month or annually, Tower is the most expensive Git Client on this list. 

“After using GitHub Desktop in college, and Tower for 2+ years professionally I switched to GitKraken Desktop after experiencing its amazing File Merging conflict resolution tool. With Tower, my employer had to pay a separate license to Kaleidoscope (a file comparison app) to get the job GitKraken can do alone. When dealing with merging big branches, GitKraken shows me each conflict separately, allowing me to pick local vs remote blocks, and even a combination of line per line from both sides. It’s amazing!”

–Bruce Gomes, Software Engineer at IntelliTect

GitHub Desktop

Картинка с сайта: www.gitkraken.com

GitHub Desktop Roadmap

Price: Free

OS Support: Windows & Mac

Reviews: Sourceforge GitHub Desktop Reviews, Slant GitHub Desktop Reviews

A free and open source tool, GitHub Desktop is a favored Git client for developers that use GitHub to host their remote Git repositories. Many developers like this Git GUI for its syntax suggestions, pull request management, support for image diffs, syntax highlighting, and editor integrations. GitHub is the most popular repository hosting service, so GitHub Desktop can be an attractive option if you’re already using that platform.

However, GitHub Desktop’s seamless integration with GitHub is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it works extremely well with GitHub’s resources, but on the other, it’s entirely unusable on other popular repository hosting platforms like GitLab, which severely limits the number of developers that can use this GUI. It also lacks a formal support infrastructure. GitHub Desktop users don’t have a central place they can go to get their questions answered in a timely manner. They do have a healthy community of developers that are willing to provide help as time permits, but if you’re working on a time-sensitive project and need immediate help, you may be out of luck. Finally, GitHub Desktop does not have a built-in merge conflict editor, a feature that has become almost standard in most GUIs these days. 

“Having used GitHub Desktop for 2 months, I can definitively say GitKraken is the undefeated champion of Git clients. Period.”

–Ahmed Musallam, Senior AEM Consultant at Adobe

SmartGit

Картинка с сайта: www.gitkraken.com

Price: One-time purchase of $264, $59 yearly billing, $5.90 monthly billing

OS Support: Windows, Mac, & Linux

Reviews: AlternativeTo SmartGit Reviews, Slant SmartGit Reviews

SmartGit is one of the more popular cross-platform Git GUIs. It includes helpful features, like multiple views that make for easy code reviews, a merge tool, SSH client, file comparison capabilities, complex Git branch management, and the ability to drag-and-drop for commit merging, reordering, and rebasing. Some developers and teams also use SmartGit to manage Subversion (SVN) repositories. 

There’s a steep learning curve required before a developer can start using all of SmartGit’s functionality, making it hard to onboard new users. While SmartGit boasts a lot of great features, because it doesn’t have a global search option, it’s hard to identify and remember what the tool can actually do. Additionally, SmartGit doesn’t integrate with popular issue trackers like Jira, limiting a development team’s visibility into time-sensitive or mission-critical projects. 

“My first Git GUI was SmartGit on OSX. When I was allowed to use Linux as my primary OS at work I went searching for a suitable alternative. I heard about a cross-compatible GUI called GitKraken Desktop. I haven’t looked back since.”

–William Penton, PHP Developer

“I used SmartGit for a while, but when I changed my job I found it difficult to manage my various Git profiles. Instead with GitKraken Desktop, I’ve found a more fancy UI and better profile management, where I can easily switch my Git configuration with only a few clicks. Another thing I love about GitKraken Desktop is the wonderful integration with JIRA!”

–David Imola, DevOps Engineer at Milkman Technologies

Best Git Client

We’ve taken a look at some of the most popular Git GUIs and evaluated them based on their value, OS support, and feature set. Now that you have a good idea of what each GUI offers, the next best step in your GUI selection process is to simply try them out. All of the clients we covered have some sort of trial period or free version. To get the most out of the trial period for the GUI you’re testing be sure you test out its premium features along with basic Git actions like committing, branching, and merging. Of course, we suggest downloading GitKraken Desktop first to save yourself some time. You won’t be disappointed.

Try GitKraken Desktop for free