Git is undoubtedly the most used version control system in place. Most of the projects by the largest companies are running on Git repositories. Git not only makes it easier to code for your application, but it also helps you with some collaboration features so that you can work efficiently with your team on a project. Git is also a skill that every developer must have. Understanding all the operations and commands can be difficult for beginners sometimes. But a group of tools is making it more straightforward by providing GUI alternatives to the Git command line. This post covers some of the best Git GUI clients available for the Windows 11/10/8/7 operating system.
Git GUI clients for Windows 11/10
Here is a list of some of the best free Git GUI clients available for Windows 11/10/8/7:
- GitHub Desktop
- SmartGit
- SourceTree
- GitKraken for Students.
- Git Cola
Make sure to try each of them to know what works best for you.
1. GitHub Desktop
Probably the most useful of this lot. If your remote repository is hosted by GitHub, then this is the tool you must be looking for. GitHub Desktop is basically an extension of your GitHub workflow. The tool provides you with a wonderful UI that lets you manage your code without typing in any commands in the command window. You can log in using your GitHub credentials and start working on your repositories. You can create new repositories, add local repositories, and perform most of the Git operations from the UI. GitHub Desktop makes a really good client to track your changes and perform Git operations on the go. GitHub Desktop is completely open-source, and it is available for macOS and Windows. Click here to download GitHub Desktop.
Read: How to install CURL on Windows.
2. SmartGit
SmartGit is a great professional level Git client that is free to use for non-commercial organizations. You can use it freely to develop open-source and free software. But you might need to purchase a license if you are going to use the tool for commercial purpose. The tool is not that simple to use and might require some good knowledge of git commands. You might be flabbergasted to see the number of buttons and operations available on the UI. SmartGit covers all of the Git features and comes with all the collaboration features as well. The tool even supports creating pull-requests on GitHub. Click here to download SmartGit.
3. SourceTree
SourceTree is a free Git client developed by Atlassian, the company behind Jira and Bitbucket. This free Git client shows awesome support for repositories hosted by Bitbucket and GitHub both. SourceTree is a little more advanced then GitHub Desktop but also provides more features and operations from the UI. SourceTree is an enterprise-grade tool that you might be using as a part of a larger team. If you are still learning Git, then Atlassian has a good series of articles that you can go through. You need to create an Atlassian account before using SourceTree. Click here to download SourceTree.
4. GitKraken for Students
GitKraken is free for students only. It supports GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, Bitbucket, and Gitlab as well. GitKraken comes with all the collaboration features and a beautiful UI. This is the most visually appealing Git client I have seen so far. Features like drag and drop functionality, commit-graph to contribute towards an intuitive experience while using this tool. Students can sign-up here for the free version GitKraken before using this tool.
Also read: GitAtomic Git GUI Client for Windows.
5. Git Cola
Git Cola is available for free, written in Python, but is very powerful. It can be bought if you want. Also, it offers a graphical Git client for Mac and Windows. It is among the leading version control tools that are easy to use.
This cross-platform client provides easy support for MacOS, Linux, and Windows, as well as merging, pulling, pushing, and cloning. It can even be tweaked to gain a better work environment. Try changing window settings, using different languages, and altering other features to improve your experience.
Downoad Git Cola.
6. Magit
GNU Emacs features one of the most impressive graphical interfaces available for the popular version control tool, the Git command line. Git doesn’t have a separate interface, and it can easily be integrated into Emacs’ interface.
However, Emacs would benefit software developers by allowing them to manipulate Git versions within the Emacs window. It might not provide the best performance compared to the other Git GUI clients here.
Download Magit.
So, these were some of the Git clients that I have used and found useful. If you are just a beginner, Iingrecommend using a tool like GitHub Desktop or Source Tree. And if you are an experienced developer, go for GitKraken and Smart Git.
What is the difference between Git and GitHub?
With Git, you can track and maintain the history of the source code you produce while With GitHub, you can manage Git repositories in the cloud. The GitHub project management tool is designed to help you manage open-source projects that use Git.
Is Git a programming language?
No, it is a software tracking changes in any set of files and even reverts the changes. It is like an advanced form of File history where every change is tracked. It is primarily used in open-source software development.
Also, did you know, Git comes with an inbuilt UI client as well? If you already have Git installed on your computer, search for ‘Git GUI’ from the start menu.
