Git is a version control system necessary for managing and monitoring collaborative development projects. It is used popularly by developers on the terminal or command prompt. However, when managing Git repositories, many prefer the GUI client or Graphical View. Continue reading to learn about the popular Git GUI clients for Mac and Windows.
GitHub Desktop
Built by GitHub, GitHub Desktop is an open-source, free Git repository hosting service. It is Electron-based and boasts a simple, intuitive user interface.
GitHub Desktop comes with tons of features. It helps in the creation of new repositories and makes tracking changes easier. Users can add local repositories and perform most of the Git operations from the UI. Additionally, developers can synchronize branches, pull requests, fork queue, merge button, etc. Furthermore, you can quickly push your code and integrate it into GitHub.com.
The tool is compatible with Windows and Mac.
Gitfox
Gitfox is natively built for Mac, and it is a paid subscription-based GUI client. The tool focuses on a good-looking UI and a faster application. The client boasts excellent diff comparison tools, and the tool offers Touch Bar support, full-text search, drag and drop support on the UI, etc. Thanks to using one simple interface, it helps to make sense of your repository, enhance code quality and make you commit faster.
Before switching to a monthly or yearly subscription, you can download the free trial version.
Sourcetree
Sourcetree is another free Git desktop client for Mac and Windows. The tool simplifies interactions with Git repositories so users can concentrate on coding. Additionally, users can easily visualize and manage their repositories via the tool’s minimalist Git GUI. Moreover, the enterprise-grade tool features a simple interface, and Bitbucket and Jira power it.
The tool’s features include reviewing incoming and outgoing changesets, patch handling, cherry-pick between branches, shelve, stash, rebase, etc. The Hg-Flow and Git-flow can be used with ease, and users can keep their repositories cleaner; hence, the development is much more efficient. Besides, you can commit, clone, create, pull, push, merge, etc., with just a click.
GitKraken
One of the best-known, popular Git GUI tools for Mac, Windows, and Linux is GitKraken. The software is highly favored for its efficiency, reliability, and stylish interface. This tool simplifies all the basic tasks, and therefore, users can fix errors and perform the necessary actions with one click.
The software has an embedded editor to edit the existing code easily. It is possible to start new projects without leaving this software. It is also possible to sync tasks in real-time, and the tool comes with other organizational features that are perfect for teamwork. Users can take advantage of syntax highlighting, tracking all issues, drag and drop functionality, integration with repository hosting services, support for Git Hooks and Gitflow, etc.
While GitKraken can be used for non-commercial purposes for free, there are also paid, advanced versions. The functional software is loved by millions worldwide.
TortoiseGit
When working with Git on your Windows PC, one of the best and most dedicated solutions is TortoiseGit. In essence, the software is a Windows shell interface. Its open-source, free nature allows teams to adjust the functionality and even build a personalized TortoiseGit version to carry out specific tasks. In addition, the software can work with any file and doesn’t depend on IDE.
TortoiseGit is used by Git professionals to speedily perform standard tasks like creating branches, cloning repositories, viewing logs, handling changes, etc. Integration with Windows Explorer is another helpful feature of the software, and it allows users to perform all the necessary tasks in a convenient and familiar environment.
Other software features include high efficiency with large projects in non-linear development, autocompleting of paths and keywords, ability to handle multiple tasks in teamwork, fuss-free handling of tags and branches, cryptographic authentication of history, etc.
The software enjoys global popularity, and there are thirty different language versions. This helps to make software development tasks faster.
Fork
Fork is a fast and straightforward Git client for Windows and Mac. The software features a tab-based interface that enables users to navigate repositories easily. It even helps in the quick organization of the workflow.
The tool provides users with many commits, origins, branches, tags, and stashes. Moreover, the application or website related to the repository can be directly opened using the tool. Users can even see a file tree structure of the repo and leverage the advanced difference viewer.
Besides, the software offers merge conflicts, interactive rebase, blame, image diffs, and other helpful features to help developers quickly and efficiently complete their tasks.
The basic version of the tool is available without cost, but you need to purchase the premium version to unlock its advanced features.
Conclusion
These are some popular Git GUI clients for Mac and Windows that are worth checking out. These will accelerate the development process and simplify monitoring tasks and collaborating.