10 Best Git GUI Clients for Windows in 2023 (2023)

The importance of fast but efficient software development cannot be underestimated. It is the demand for high professionalism that is an absolute must for every successful company. It also means the ability to absorb and implement innovations very quickly. And Git is one of the most effective ways to keep up with ever-changing requirements.

GitIt is aVersion Control System (VCS)designed to track and record all changes to files and code. With its help you can compare, analyze and merge changes, move them to the repository (the storage of your code and your code changes) or undo them and restore previous versions.

You don't have to worry about making a mistake or losing your code. Or more precisely, you will worry because you are a professional who values ​​quality. But if an error occurs, you can fix everything immediately.

Git isn't the only VCS, but it's undoubtedly the most popular. Since its birth in 2005, it has become the standard solution for version control: decentralized, simple, fast and highly efficient. All developers have the same tools and the whole development process is much more flexible and transparent.

To work with Git you can use the functional command line interface. Git pros believe this is the way to go. On the other hand, you can alternatively use a Git GUI.

The Git GUI client is a tool that allows the developer to work with this version control system in visual mode. It doesn't require typing commands manually and offers a convenient graphical interface with built-in options. In this way, tasks can be completed faster and more conveniently.

In this article, we review the most popular Git GUI tools for Windows to determine their strengths and help you choose the right solution for your routines.

Top 10 Git-GUI-Clients

Modern technologies have brought us many software solutions for working with Git. Some developers, not satisfied with any of the currently existing Git GUI clients, even start building their own tools. That's why the variety of Git client software available is already impressive.

In our review, we focus on Git GUI tools for Windows, as this operating system is still the leader, taking almost 73% of the market. Let's consider clients designed for the Windows operating system or cross-platform tools that work on Windows.

Our top 10 Git desktop clients:

• GitHub Office
• GitKraken
• Quellbaum
• Tortuga Git
• SmartGit
• GitForce
• Git Cola
• Golden
• Magit
• Gabel

If you like Git, you may have used a specific Git desktop client before. Or at least heard from some. So let's dig deeper and see what these tools can offer developers.

GitHub Office

GitHub Officeis perhaps the best-known solution for working with Git in a visual interface. It is well known to all developers who maintain their repositories on GitHub (Git repository hosting service used for version control IT projects). This free Git GUI is open source, transparent, and functional. When considering the Git for Windows graphical interface, GitHub Desktop is often the first option that comes to mind.

With this solution, you don't need to use the command line and type commands manually. You just need to login to your GitHub account and use this GUI to manage your code in a repository.

With GitHub Desktop you can:

• Just create new local repositories
• Visually track all changes and their authors
• Collaborate with other developers
• Pay branches easily
• Code safely with syntax highlighting

and much more.

GitHub Desktop is supported by a large community of developers. They are constantly working to make both Git and this free Git client, Windows, better for everyone.

GitKraken

GitKrakenis one of the most famous Git GUI tools for Windows, Linux and Mac. Specialists appreciate this software for its reliability and efficiency, and its elegant interface has also helped this solution become so popular. It simplifies all the basic tasks so you can perform the necessary actions and fix errors in one click.

It has a built-in editor where you can edit the existing code. You can also start new projects without leaving this Git desktop client. Synchronization tasks are possible in real time and many organizational features make it ideal for teamwork.

GitKraken is a free Git client for Windows as long as you use it for non-commercial purposes. There are also advanced paid versions: Pro and Enterprise.

GitKraken provides:

• Mark sentence order
• Drag and drop functionality
• Track all issues
• Support for Gitflow and Git Hooks
• Integration with repository hosting services

and much more.

GitKraken is one of the most functional and convenient Git UI tools, loved by millions of Git specialists around the world.

Quellbaum

Quellbaumis another well-known software solution that offers a graphical Git interface for Windows and Mac. With the free Git client software, you can connect to your repositories on GitHub, Bitbucket, Stash, or Microsoft TFS.

The tool developed by Atlassian is intended to make life easier for Git specialists. It's simple and easy to use, with transparent navigation and lots of useful features.

You can easily perform any necessary Git-related tasks like cloning repositories (including remote repositories), pushing, pulling, committing, and merging changes. Both experienced and novice users can successfully work with Sourcetree and keep track of all changes, actions and actors.

Other Sourcetree features:

• Support for large Git files
• Detailed branching diagrams
• Review all changes (both outgoing and incoming)
• Easy maneuvering between branches
• Full Git-Flow and Hg-Flow support

etc.

The tool aims to keep your repositories cleaner and your development more productive.

Tortuga Git

Tortuga Gitis a dedicated solution for working with Git on Windows. It's essentially a windows shell interface. A free, open-source Git GUI allows any team to tweak functionality or even create a personal version of Tortoise Git for specific needs. It can work with any file and does not depend on any IDE.

Git pros use Tortoise Git to quickly do all the standard tasks like cloning repositories, creating branches, manipulating changes, viewing logs, etc. One useful feature is the integration with Windows Explorer - you can do the necessary work in one run in a familiar and comfortable environment.

More Tortoise Git features

• Autocomplete of keywords and paths
• High efficiency in large projects in nonlinear development
• Easy management of branches and tags.
• Cryptographic authentication of history
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in teamwork.

etc.

Tortoise Git's popularity is worldwide. There are 30 different language versions to make software development jobs faster and easier for developers from different countries.

SmartGit

SmartGitis another functional cross-platform Git client software. It works smoothly on Windows, Mac and Linux. For many specialists, SmartGit is the simplest Git client.

SmartGit's free Git GUI allows users to perform any task required to work with their repositories. It provides the ability to view and edit files side-by-side and allows you to automatically resolve merge conflicts. With Git Flow support, you can set up branches directly in the tool. You don't need to use any additional software.

SmartGit Features:

• An embedded SSH client
• Commit history in visual mode
• The conflict resolution feature to fix file merging problems
• Log window with single view to show commands, index and working tree at the same time
• Commit debugger to check for commits when needed

and many more.

SmarGit has free and paid versions with more robust functionality and additional integration features. The ease of use made this tool a favorite of many developers. It offers great features that are constantly being improved.

GitForce

GitForceis a popular Git GUI alternative to the command line. It is a cross-platform solution that runs on Linux (including Ubuntu) and Windows. The tool is simple, smart and efficient. However, since Git's overall functionality is versatile and there are too many options, this Git client software doesn't cover everything. But it offers an easy way to run the most common commands in a graphical interface. Also, it's a free Git GUI available to anyone.

Among the many useful features of GitForce, you can mention support for multiple repositories, the ability to scan local repositories, drag-and-drop functionality, access to history, and so on.

Other GitForce features:

• No need to install the software - just grab the single file and run it
• Create and manage multiple repositories and branches
• A clean and intuitive GUI
• Easily manage SSH keys
• Integrated command line interface with the ability to select the commands to run via the CLI

etc.

Despite some functional limitations, GitForce is a very efficient free Windows Git client. It is suitable for both beginners and experienced Git users. The most valuable advantage is that the need to use the command line can be reduced to a minimum (or even eliminated).

Git Cola

Git Colais a free, open-source Git desktop client. Originally developed for Linux, it also runs smoothly on Windows and offers many powerful functions in a customizable interface. There are a variety of tools at your disposal and it is possible to rearrange them for your convenience and hide those that are not genuine.

Git Cola allows its users to perform all the necessary routines. The tool compares commits, searches data by message, author, filename, etc. and edits Git indexes. It also ensures proper execution of all necessary Git-related commands in visual mode. A multi-panel interface allows you to view different aspects of the project and track activities.

More features of Git Cola

• A dedicated Git Dag viewer for branches and commands
• The commit message editor
• Keyboard shortcuts to speed up task execution
• Remember design changes and restore them in the next version
• Cool dark mode and stylish custom themes for window managers

etc.

Git Cola is one of the most popular Git GUI tools for Windows, which is very useful for Git specialists of all levels.

Golden

Goldenis a free Git client compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. You have an account on GitHub and users must be signed in to that account to use the client. The main purpose of the tool was to easily edit and publish Git files. Color labels make it easy to navigate the remote Git GUI repository.

Like other Git for Windows GUI tools, Aurees allows the user to examine all the changes, IDs, tags, and authors who implemented those changes. With the tool, you can easily spot and analyze differences between different data, manage branches, and undo changes made to the previous working copy.

More features of Aurees

• Elegant and easy to use interface
• View confirmation and combination data in side-by-side windows to quickly identify and resolve problems
• Check the differences in the advanced built-in editor

etc.

This is a powerful free Git GUI alternative to a command line interface that works well for most Git jobs. Many developers prefer the tool no matter what operating system environment they prefer.

Magit

MagitIt's not a standalone Git desktop client, but a free plugin with an original text-based interface. It is implemented as a GNU Emacs package for use on Windows, Mac and Linux. The plugin allows developers to perform necessary version control tasks directly in the Emacs window.

This solution is very effective for high-level Git commands. Sets the outputs for reading by human operators.

More Magit features

• The ability to clone repositories locally and fetch changes.
• The option to create, merge and reorganize branches
• Create commits and push them to the repository
• Examine commit history
• Create and run patches
• Adding notes and tags

etc.

The functionality is missing some specific options. In general, however, Magit allows Git specialists to do all their day-to-day work from within Emacs.

Gabel

Gabelis a relatively young, simple and fast Git client for Windows and Mac. The software is available for free, but there is also a paid version with more options.

The tool's trademark is a tab-based interface that makes browsing and other organizational activities much faster. You can open the websites or apps you are working on directly in Fork. This allows you to better track the results of your repository-related work.

More fork features

• An advanced view for investigating and analyzing differences
• A dedicated repository manager
• A complete file tree structure of the repository
• Creating and deleting remote repositories
• All major Git commands are supported

etc.

Magit is one of the newer solutions and its functionality is constantly being improved. It reacts quickly to all new challenges and thus offers all the necessary features of the Git desktop client.

dbForge Source Control: A Git GUI plugin for SSMS

For software developers who prefer to work with databases using SSMS, Devart has developed a specialized solution that enhances SSMS-dbForge Source Control. The plugin is compatible with all major version control systems like Gitgit and Git-based systems, Mercurial, Perforce, Azure DevOps Server, etc. By implementing this alternative Git GUI, developers can greatly speed up professional routines and eliminate the human error factor. .

More features ofSQL source control

• Versioned database schemas and static table data
• Dedicated and shared modes
• Support for all major version control operations.
• Track all changes, their originators and causes
• Monitoring and resolution of conflicts and inconsistencies
• Automation of database development routines with the DevOps approach

etc.

In case you prefer to have all the necessary options to run your software development routines smoothly in SSMS, Devart has taken care of that. dbForge Source Control would suit your purposes by adding required functionality to your favorite IDE.

Diploma

The variety of Git GUI tools for Windows allows the developer to easily find the right software. Even experienced specialists who know all the tricks of the command line interface often switch to a desktop Git client as well. The graphical user interface increases the speed of work and makes the code delivery better and more error-free. The choice of Git client is a matter of personal preference. The key is that there is always the right tool to choose from.

DisposeMake a free trial of dbForge Source Control and use the methods of version control and collaboration in your projects.