Best Git GUI Clients: TortoiseGit, GitKraken, VS Code and More

What is a Git GUI and do you need one?

A Git GUI is a graphical application for working with Git: instead of typing commands, you see a list of changed files, a commit tree, and buttons like "Commit", "Push", and "Merge". Under the hood, almost every Git client performs the same operations as the command line, and many literally call the git installed on your system. So a GUI isn't a separate version control system — it's just another way to manage the same repository.

A graphical client really shines at three things: browsing history and branches as a graph, staging partial changes (picking individual lines for a commit with the mouse is much easier than git add -p), and resolving conflicts in a three-pane editor. For automation, working on servers over SSH, and understanding what's actually going on, though, the command line is irreplaceable.

The best strategy, and the one many experienced developers use, is to know the command line and use a GUI wherever it saves time. If you're a beginner, learn the basic commands first: then the buttons in any app will make sense instead of feeling like magic.

The built-in git gui and gitk

Few people know that Git already ships with a graphical tool. The git gui command opens a simple Tcl/Tk window for preparing commits: viewing diffs, staging files and individual hunks, committing, and pushing. The gitk command shows history as a graph.

git gui
gitk --all

Git for Windows installs both tools along with Git Bash. On Linux you sometimes have to install them as separate packages (for example, git-gui and gitk on Debian and Ubuntu). The interface is old-fashioned, but there's nothing to download, and it works anywhere Git does.

Git in VS Code

If you write code in Visual Studio Code, you may not need a separate app at all. The Source Control panel (Ctrl+Shift+G) can stage individual files and lines, commit, push and pull, switch and create branches, and shows changes right in the editor with colored gutter markers. Merge conflicts open with "Accept Current", "Accept Incoming", and "Accept Both" buttons, and newer versions include a three-way merge editor.

VS Code uses the Git installed on your system, so install Git itself first — without it, the panel just shows a warning. Extensions expand what VS Code's Git support can do: GitLens adds line authorship (blame), detailed file history, and branch comparison, while Git Graph draws a commit graph. Some GitLens features are subscription-only, so check what's included in the free tier.

Likewise, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and others) have a full-featured Git client built in, with a branch graph, interactive rebase, shelve, and convenient conflict resolution. For many developers it's their main Git client.

TortoiseGit

TortoiseGit is a free, open-source, Windows-only client. It doesn't open as a standalone app; instead it integrates into File Explorer: right-click a folder and you get Commit, Pull, Push, Show log, and Diff in the context menu. File icons get status overlays: modified, added, conflicted.

TortoiseGit is especially handy for people coming from SVN who are used to TortoiseSVN, and for non-programmers — designers, technical writers, QA engineers — who just need to pull and push files. It requires Git for Windows to be installed. Downsides: it isn't cross-platform, and its history graph is less clear than in dedicated clients.

Git Extensions

Git Extensions is another free, open-source client for Windows. Unlike TortoiseGit, it's a full window with a commit graph, diff panes, and a branch list, plus File Explorer and Visual Studio integration. It maps many operations fairly closely to Git commands, and it has a built-in console and submodule support.

People choose Git Extensions when they need a powerful free Windows client with a proper graph and don't need macOS support. The interface is dense, so beginners will need some time to get used to it.

GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is a free, open-source app for Windows and macOS. Its focus is simplicity: a list of changes, a commit message field, a sync button, and a branch switcher. It's tightly integrated with GitHub — one-click cloning of your repositories, creating pull requests, signing in with your account — but it works with any other remote too.

GitHub Desktop is a great first client for beginners and a solid choice for simple projects. Advanced operations (interactive rebase, working with the reflog, fine-tuning merges) are limited or missing, so you'll have to open a terminal for those.

GitKraken

GitKraken is a cross-platform commercial client (Windows, macOS, Linux) with one of the clearest commit graphs around. You can merge or rebase by dragging branches, and it has a built-in conflict editor, Git Flow support, integrations with popular Git hosts and issue trackers, and an Undo button for the last operation.

There's a limited free version and paid subscriptions; the feature set of each plan changes over time, so check the official site for details such as private repository support before you decide. People love GitKraken for visualizing complex history; the downsides are its resource usage and the paid model for commercial work.

Sourcetree, Fork, Sublime Merge, and terminal clients

Sourcetree by Atlassian is a free client for Windows and macOS with a history graph and support for Git Flow, interactive rebase, and stash. It works nicely with Bitbucket. Installation may require an Atlassian account.

Fork is a fast, polished commercial client for Windows and macOS with convenient interactive rebase and conflict resolution; check the developer's site for licensing terms.

Sublime Merge, from the makers of Sublime Text, is a very fast client for Windows, macOS, and Linux whose logic stays close to the command line: it's easy to see which Git command a button runs. It's distributed under a commercial license with an evaluation option.

lazygit and tig are terminal clients with text-based interfaces. lazygit lets you stage lines, rebase, and resolve conflicts with keyboard shortcuts; tig is great for browsing history. They're the choice for people who live in the terminal and work on servers over SSH.

Git client comparison table

How to choose a Git client

• You already work in VS Code or a JetBrains IDE — start with the built-in Git support. You only need a separate app if something is missing.
• You want maximum simplicity — GitHub Desktop.
• You're on Windows and like working from File Explorer — TortoiseGit; if you need a full graph, Git Extensions.
• Complex history with many branches, team spread across operating systems — GitKraken, Sublime Merge, or Fork; check the license terms for commercial use.
• You live in the terminal — lazygit or tig.

You can install several clients side by side: they all work with the same repository and don't interfere with each other, since all the data lives in the .git folder. Try two or three on a real project and keep the one where you find things fastest.

Pitfalls of graphical clients

• Different Git versions. Some apps ship with an embedded Git whose version may differ from your system Git. If the GUI and the terminal behave differently, check the client's settings to see which Git it uses.
• Hidden operations. A "Sync" button may mean pull with merge or rebase, followed by push. Find out exactly what it does before clicking it on an important branch.
• One-click force push. A GUI makes it easy to rewrite a remote branch's history. Prefer the safe variant (the equivalent of git push --force-with-lease) and protect your main branches on the server.
• Name and email. Clients read them from your Git config. Check git config --global user.name and user.email, or commits made from the GUI will end up with the wrong author.
• Authentication. GUIs often store tokens separately from system Git. If push works in the terminal but not in the app (or vice versa), the problem is almost always credentials.

Using a GUI alongside the command line

The most useful skill is being able to verify in the terminal what the client just did. After a confusing operation in an app, run git status and git log --oneline --graph --all -n 20: you'll see the real state of your branches without the interface's interpretation. If something went wrong, git reflog shows where HEAD was before you clicked the button and lets you go back with git reset or git switch.

Many clients can show a log of the Git commands they ran — turn it on; it's the best way to learn the commands without giving up a convenient interface.

Summary

A Git GUI makes browsing history, partial commits, and conflict resolution easier, but it doesn't replace understanding the commands. For most developers, the Git support built into VS Code or their IDE is enough; beginners will do well with GitHub Desktop, Windows users with TortoiseGit or Git Extensions, and for visual work with complex history there's GitKraken, Sourcetree, or Sublime Merge. We cover installing Git, configuring it, and working comfortably in the terminal hands-on in our Git course.