Git GUI Clients

Git GUI Clients

Not everyone likes the terminal. GUI (graphical) clients let you use Git with buttons and menus.

Popular Git GUI tools

• GitHub Desktop (free, simple, made by GitHub)
• SourceTree (free, from Atlassian)
• GitKraken (paid, with a free tier)
• Visual Studio Code (built in Git panel, free)

What they let you do

• See changed files with a click.
• Stage and commit visually.
• View branch graphs.
• Push, pull, and merge with buttons.
• Resolve merge conflicts with a side by side view.

Are they a replacement?

GUI clients wrap the same Git commands underneath. You can switch freely between a GUI and the terminal on the same repository.

Why learn the terminal anyway?

• Terminal commands work everywhere, even on servers.
• GUIs hide details, but the terminal shows exactly what is happening.
• Many resources and tutorials use command line syntax.

Best of both worlds

Most developers use both: a GUI for day to day work and the terminal for tricky operations or when a GUI is not available.

TL;DR

• GUIs like GitHub Desktop, SourceTree, and GitKraken wrap Git visually.
• They run the same underlying Git commands.
• You can mix GUIs and the terminal on one repo.
• Knowing the terminal is still valuable, especially on servers.