SourceTree vs Tower

Overview

SourceTree

Stacks10.6K

Followers8.1K

Votes727

Tower

Stacks214

Followers360

Votes80

SourceTree vs Tower: What are the differences?

Introduction:

This Markdown code provides a comparison between SourceTree and Tower, two popular Git client applications. The key differences are highlighted below.

User Interface: SourceTree has a more cluttered and complex user interface compared to Tower. Tower offers a clean, intuitive, and user-friendly interface with well-organized features, making it easier for users to navigate and manage their Git repositories.
Platform Availability: SourceTree is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. On the other hand, Tower is primarily designed for Mac users, with limited functionality available for Windows users. Therefore, if cross-platform compatibility is a priority, SourceTree is the better option.
Integration: Both SourceTree and Tower integrate with different Git hosting services, but SourceTree provides a wider range of integrations. It seamlessly integrates with popular services like Bitbucket, GitHub, and GitLab. Tower, on the other hand, offers integrations with select services, making it less versatile in terms of integration options.
Advanced Features: Tower offers a broader range of advanced features compared to SourceTree. These features include cherry-picking, stashing, rebasing, and interactive rebase. SourceTree, although it provides essential Git functionalities, may not have the same level of advanced features and options.
Pricing: SourceTree is free to use for both personal and commercial purposes. Tower, on the other hand, is a paid application with different plans available, including a free trial. This pricing difference can be a crucial factor when considering budget constraints or cost-effectiveness for personal or business needs.
Learning Curve: Tower has a simpler learning curve compared to SourceTree. It provides a more intuitive and guided approach, making it easier for beginners to grasp and navigate the application's features. SourceTree, while comprehensive, may require a bit more time and effort to become proficient with its functionalities.

In Summary, Tower provides a cleaner interface, broader advanced features, and a simpler learning curve for Mac users, while SourceTree has wider platform availability, more integrations, and is entirely free, making it suitable for cross-platform use and budget-conscious users.

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Advice on SourceTree, Tower

Stefan

Jan 19, 2020

Decided

I explored many Git Desktop tools for the Mac and my final decision was to use Fork. What I love about for that it contains three features, I like about a Git Client tool.

It allows

to handle day to day git operations (least important for me as I am cli junkie)
it helps to investigate the history
most important of all, it has a repo manager which many other tools are missing.

198k views198k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

SourceTree	Tower
Use the full capability of Git and Mercurial in the SourceTree desktop app. Manage all your repositories, hosted or local, through SourceTree's simple interface.	Use all of Git's powerful feature set - in a GUI that makes you more productive.
Full-powered DVCS;Create, clone, commit, push, pull, merge, and more are all just a click away.;Review your outgoing and incoming changesets, cherry-pick between branches, patch handling, rebase, stash, shelve, and much more.;Use Git-flow and Hg-flow with ease. Keep your repositories cleaner and your development more efficient with SourceTree's intuitive interface to Git and Hg's 'branchy' development model.	Clone & create repos with a click - Manage your GitHub, Bitbucket & Beanstalk accounts from within Tower;Open repos quickly - Tower's "Quick Open" dialog finds and opens repositories in no time;Automate the boring stuff - Fetching and stashing are automatically done for you, if you wish;Clone in the background- Downloading large projects happens in the background, while you work;Multiple windows - Have multiple projects open side-by-side
Statistics
Stacks 10.6K	Stacks 214
Followers 8.1K	Followers 360
Votes 727	Votes 80
Pros & Cons
Pros 205 Visual history and branch view 164 Beautiful UI 134 Easy repository browsing 87 Gitflow support 75 Interactive stage or discard by hunks or lines Cons 12 Crashes often 8 So many bugs 7 Fetching is slow sometimes 5 No dark theme (Windows) 5 Extremely slow	Pros 19 Git 16 Just works 10 Version control 6 Simple layout 6 Awesome Cons 5 Expensive 4 Subscription based 1 No side by side diff 0 Merge conflict resolution impossible/unclear
Integrations
GitHub Git Bitbucket Windows macOS Mercurial	Bitbucket TextMate Visual Studio GitHub GitLab Git Xcode Gerrit Code Review Beanstalk

What are some alternatives to SourceTree, Tower?

GitKraken

The downright luxurious Git client for Windows, Mac and Linux. Cross-platform, 100% standalone, and free.

Fork

Manage your repositories without leaving the application. Organize the repositores into categories. Fork's Diff Viewer provides a clear view to spot the changes in your source code quickly.

Sublime Merge

A snappy UI, three-way merge tool, side-by-side diffs, syntax highlighting, and more. Evaluate for free – no account, tracking, or time limits.

GitUp

GitUp lets you see your entire labyrinth of branches and merges with perfect clarity. Any change you make, large or small, even outside GitUp, is immediately reflected in GitUp's graph. No refreshing, no waiting.

SmartGit

SmartGit is a powerful Git GUI client with support for GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab and Azure DevOps. SmartGit runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

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