The Best Git UIs for Developers
You’re mid-feature, juggling three branches, and a merge conflict appears. The command line works, but visualizing what’s happening across branches while resolving conflicts line-by-line? That’s where modern Git UI tools earn their place in your workflow.
This guide compares the best Git GUIs for frontend developers and small teams, covering desktop clients, a terminal UI option, and editor-integrated solutions. We’ll focus on what matters: branching, rebasing, conflict resolution, worktrees, pull request integration, and performance with large repos.
Key Takeaways
- Fork offers the best balance of speed, features, and value for individual developers working with large repositories.
- GitKraken stands out for team collaboration with its shared workspaces, visual branch graph, and project management integrations.
- Lazygit is the go-to option for developers who prefer the terminal but still want visual context for staging, rebasing, and branch management.
- GitButler introduces a novel “virtual branches” model that lets you work on multiple branches simultaneously without switching contexts.
- Most developers benefit from combining tools: an editor’s built-in Git for everyday commits and a dedicated client for complex merges and history exploration.
Quick Recommendations
- Best overall desktop client: Fork — fast, one-time purchase, excellent feature depth
- Best free option: GitHub Desktop — simple, reliable, zero cost
- Best for teams: GitKraken — polished collaboration features
- Best terminal UI: Lazygit — keyboard-driven, lightweight
- Best newcomer: GitButler — rethinks branching workflows entirely
Established Git Desktop Clients
Fork
Fork handles large repositories without lag. Its native implementation (macOS and Windows only) delivers responsive performance even with 100k+ commits. Interactive rebase uses drag-and-drop, conflict resolution includes a three-way merge tool, and the repository manager lets you switch between projects instantly.
Strengths: Speed, one-time $59.99 pricing, syntax-highlighted diffs, Git Flow support Limitations: No Linux version, no built-in PR management
GitKraken
GitKraken’s graph visualization remains one of the clearest ways to understand complex branch histories. The built-in merge conflict editor supports both side-by-side and inline views. Workspaces group related repositories, and team features include shared workspaces and Jira/Trello integration.
GitKraken also offers AI-assisted features such as commit message generation, though these capabilities are typically available in paid plans or preview features rather than the core free experience.
Strengths: Visual clarity, cross-platform (including Linux), team collaboration Limitations: Subscription pricing, resource-heavy on older machines, advanced and AI features require paid plans
Tower
Tower emphasizes undo capabilities — press Cmd+Z to reverse commits, merges, or stash deletions. The conflict wizard walks through resolution step-by-step. Pull request management happens without leaving the app.
Strengths: Undo functionality, polish, excellent documentation Limitations: Subscription pricing with Basic from around $69/year and Pro from around $99/year, no Linux support
Sourcetree
Sourcetree offers comprehensive features at no cost. It exposes nearly every Git operation graphically and includes Git Flow support. Atlassian maintains it, so Bitbucket integration works well.
Strengths: Free, feature-rich, supports Git and Mercurial Limitations: May slow down with very large repositories, requires Atlassian account, interface feels more traditional than modern-native tools
SmartGit
SmartGit runs on Java, making it truly cross-platform, including Linux. It provides reflog access and syntax highlighting. Recent versions have introduced AI-assisted features, typically positioned as premium functionality.
Strengths: Cross-platform, reflog access Limitations: Steeper learning curve, less streamlined staging compared to some native clients
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Modern Git UI Tools Worth Watching
GitButler
GitButler reimagines how you work with branches. Instead of switching between branches, you work on multiple “virtual branches” simultaneously in your working directory. Changes automatically group by intent, and you can drag hunks between branches visually.
Best for: Developers managing multiple concurrent features or fixes
Lazygit (Terminal UI)
Lazygit bridges the gap between CLI and GUI. It runs in your terminal but provides visual staging, branch management, and interactive rebase through keyboard navigation. Startup is instant, and it handles large repos efficiently.
Best for: Developers who prefer staying in the terminal but want visual context
Editor-Integrated Options
Visual Studio Code includes built-in source control for daily commits, staging, and basic conflict resolution. Extensions like GitLens add blame annotations, history exploration, and branch comparisons. For many frontend workflows, this covers most day-to-day needs without switching applications.
JetBrains IDEs (WebStorm, IntelliJ) include robust Git integration with visual diff, merge tools, and branch management built into the editor.
Current State of Git UI Features
AI-assisted commit message generation now appears in several tools, though it is typically behind paid tiers or offered as preview functionality.
Git itself continues expanding support for SHA-256 repositories, but ecosystem readiness varies. Hosting providers, CI systems, and third-party tooling may not uniformly support SHA-256-based repositories yet, so verify compatibility across your stack before adopting it broadly.
Choosing the Right Git GUI for Developers
| Need | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| Speed with large repos | Fork, Sublime Merge, Lazygit |
| Visual branch clarity | GitKraken |
| Free and simple | GitHub Desktop |
| Team collaboration | GitKraken Teams |
| Keyboard-driven workflow | Lazygit, Sublime Merge |
| Experimental branching | GitButler |
Note: Sublime Merge appears in the comparison table above because it excels at speed and keyboard-driven workflows. It was not covered in a dedicated section since its feature set is narrower than the other desktop clients reviewed here, but it remains a strong choice for developers who prioritize performance and minimal UI.
Conclusion
Most developers benefit from combining tools: an editor’s built-in Git for quick commits and a dedicated client for complex merges and history exploration. If speed is your priority, Fork and Lazygit are hard to beat. If team collaboration matters most, GitKraken’s shared workspaces and integrations pull ahead. And if you’re curious about rethinking branch workflows altogether, GitButler is worth a serious look. Try the free tiers or trials — the right Git desktop client is the one that matches how you actually work.
FAQs
A Git GUI does not replace the command line but complements it. Visual tools make it easier to parse complex branch histories, resolve merge conflicts with side-by-side diffs, and stage individual hunks. Most experienced developers use both, relying on the CLI for scripting and quick operations while turning to a GUI for tasks that benefit from visual context.
GitHub Desktop handles everyday tasks like committing, branching, and pushing reliably and at no cost. However, it lacks advanced features such as interactive rebase, worktree management, and detailed reflog access. If your workflow stays straightforward, it works well. For complex branching strategies or large monorepos, a more full-featured client like Fork or GitKraken is a better fit.
Yes. Git GUIs read from the same underlying Git data in your repository, so you can switch between tools freely. Many developers use their editor's built-in Git for quick commits and a standalone client like Fork or GitKraken for history exploration and conflict resolution. Just avoid running concurrent write operations from two tools simultaneously to prevent lock conflicts.
Lazygit launches instantly, uses minimal system resources, and keeps you in the terminal where many developers already spend their time. It provides visual staging, branch switching, and interactive rebase through keyboard shortcuts without the overhead of a full desktop application. It is ideal for remote SSH sessions or lightweight machines where running a heavy GUI is impractical.
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