Git is a popular version control system that helps software engineers, writers, or anyone that wants to keep versions of their files to manage them and track changes. It’s the most used on the terminal by programmers or command prompt.

Whats really a Git GUI Client?

Well, Git Graphical User Interface clients are tools that provide alternative visualisation for Git.

As many of us know that Git is essential when it comes to managing collaborative development projects. Although, it also has a high learning curve. Thus, to make it easier for newcomers, developers have built Git GUI clients for numerous platforms.

This post has a list of 8 GIT GUI clients for developers. The following GUI clients are based for cross-platform compatibility so all can work on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Some of these GUIs are free, paid or subscription model, as well as the features such as UI, features to manage cloning repo, push-pull commands, merging conflicts, etc to different third-party remote repositories.

1. Fork

A fast and simple git client, Fork is for both Mac and Windows plus it’s my go-to choice for a Git client. Fork is a tab-based interface that allows you to easily navigate repositories and organise the workflow efficiently.

It also offers a comprehensive list of origins, commits, tags, branches, and stashes. Moreover, the website or app that is related to the repository can be open directly from Fork. Also, it provides a detailed file-tree structure of the repo plus an advanced difference viewer.

Features of Fork

• Revert
• Create and delete remote repos
• Create and delete branches and tags
• Checkout branch or revision
• Cherry-pick
• Merge
• Stashes
• Submodules
• Git-flow
• Git LFS
• Interactive Rebase
• Merge Conflicts
• Repository Manager
• Blame
• Fetch, pull, push
• Image Diffs

2. Tower

Tower is a Git client for Mac and Windows users. It’s an easy-to-use instinctive graphical interface. There’s no need to worry about making mistakes as undo is supported, and new branches can be created via drag-n-drop, also you can always roll-back to previous revisions.

Features of Tower

• Advanced functionality
• Single line staging
• Submodule support
• Clone & create repos with a click
• Automate the boring stuff
• Multiple windows
• Staging Area
• Clone repositories quickly
• History for everything
• Save your current working state
• Export as ZIP and save patches

3. Sourcetree

Sourcetree is completely free Git client for your desktop. It simplifies interaction with your Git repositories so you can concentrate on coding. Additionally, you can manage and visualise your repo’s through it’s simple GUI. Besides, its simple yet elegant interface makes it easy to work through. Aside from this, it’s powered by Jira and Bitbucket. Also, it has some amazing support from the repositories that are hosted by Bitbucket and GitHub.

As this is an enterprise-grade tool it can be used as part of a bigger team.

Features of Sourcetree

• Create, clone, commit, push, pull, merge, and more are only a single click away.
• Review your outgoing and incoming change-sets
• Cherry-pick between branches
• Patch handling, re-base, stash, shelve, and much more.
• Use Git-flow and Hg-flow with ease.
• Keep your repo’s cleaner and your development more productive.

4. GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is an open-source Electron-based GitHub app. It’s written in TypeScript and uses React. Also, it allows developers to synchronise branches, clone repositories, and more. Additionally, you can pull requests, merge button, fork queue, issues, pages that make sharing easier. Without those things are only great after you have pushed your code to GitHub.

Features of GitHub Desktop

• Community-supported
• Extensive editor & shell integrations
• Attribute commits with collaborators easer
• Syntax highlighting
• Expanded image diff support

5. GitKraken

GitKraken is a GUI Git clients for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s estimated to be one of the most beautiful Git clients. Additionally, it comes with excellent UI, features and themes. Furthermore, it looks exciting and comes with loads of features when I compared with any other GUI Git client. While it has an intuitive UI/UX and it also has a merge Conflict Editor.

It supports VCS, such as Gitlab, GitHub, Bitbucket and Enterprise. Besides, it has a large number of collaborative features.

Features of GitKraken

• Diff Split View
• A commit graph functionality
• Syntax Highlighting
• A commit graph functionality
• Repository Hosting Integrations
• Issue Tracking Integrations
• Git LFS
• Git Hooks Support
• Gitflow Support
• Light & Dark Themes

6. Git Cola

Git Cola is a smooth and strong GUI for Git. Its free software and written in Python (v2 + v3). Furthermore, this’s considered one of the most dependable and fast version control tools that is easily available for software engineers.

Also, it comes with a wide-range of features, such as merge, pull, push, clone and various other features.

7. Tortoise Git

TortoiseGit is a Git revision control client, that is implemented as a Windows shell extension and based on TortoiseSVN. It’s free software released under the GNU General Public License.

It supports you by regular tasks, such as committing, showing logs, diffing two versions, creating branches and tags, creating patches, and so on.

Features of TortoiseGit

• Shell integration
• Strong support for non-linear development
• Icon overlays
• Easy access to Git commands
• Efficient handling of large projects
• Shell integration
• Cryptographic authentication of history
• Efficient branching and tagging
• Distributed version control

8. GitAhead

GitAhead is a graphical Git client for Linux, Mac and Windows. It features a fast native interface designed to help you understand and manage your source code history.

Designed by SciTools who are the makers of Understand. GitAhead has all of the features you expect from a commercial quality client, now completely free and open source.

Git provides a wealth of historical information that, too often, goes unexploited because it is cumbersome to explore with other tools.