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Fork vs GitKraken vs Tower: What are the differences?
Introduction
Git is a popular version control system used by developers to manage their code changes efficiently. Fork, GitKraken, and Tower are tools that help users interact with Git repositories in visual and user-friendly ways.
- Graphical Interface: Fork, GitKraken, and Tower all provide a graphical user interface instead of a command-line interface for interacting with Git repositories, making it easier for users to navigate through their version control workflow. However, they differ in the design and functionalities of their interfaces.
- Collaboration Features: Fork and GitKraken offer robust collaboration features such as pull request management, code review tools, and team collaboration features. Tower, on the other hand, mainly focuses on Git repository management and may not have as extensive collaboration tools.
- Price: Fork is free and open-source, providing users with essential Git features at no cost. GitKraken and Tower, on the other hand, are premium tools with pricing plans for individuals and teams, offering advanced features and support options.
- Supported Platforms: While all three tools are available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, GitKraken and Tower also offer mobile applications that allow users to access their Git repositories on the go. Fork, on the other hand, is primarily designed for desktop use.
- Integration with Third-Party Services: GitKraken and Tower have built-in integrations with popular development platforms and services, making it easier for users to connect their Git repositories with tools like Jira, Slack, and Trello. Fork may have limited or no integrations with third-party services.
- Learning Curve: GitKraken and Tower provide more extensive documentation and support resources compared to Fork, making it easier for users to learn how to use the tools effectively. Additionally, GitKraken offers interactive tutorials and educational resources to help users get started with Git.
In Summary, Fork, GitKraken, and Tower provide graphical interfaces for interacting with Git repositories, but they differ in collaboration features, pricing, supported platforms, integrations, and learning resources.
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.
Pros of Fork
- One of the easiest and fastest git GUIs19
- Nice UX14
- Does the job way better than others13
- Fast, Great support, Does-it-all, blazing fast13
- Dark theme11
- Intuitive interactive rebase and conflict resolution UI9
- Gitflow support9
- Excellent commit history tree view7
- This even looks the same as SourceTree5
- Repository Manager4
- Built-in developer feedback3
- Countless quality of life features3
- Github Notifications2
- Not buggy, works smoothly2
- Keyaboard-only2
- Visual branch history2
- Reflog support2
- Git ammend1
- Smart 'Open in' menu; e.g. explorer, bit, giithub .1
- Interactive rebase window1
- Native application1
- Intuitive merge conflict resolution1
- Unique Activity Manager shows current/past operations1
Pros of GitKraken
- Dark theme59
- Best linux git client34
- Great overview29
- Full featured client21
- Gitflow support20
- Beautiful UI19
- Very easy to use18
- Graph16
- Works great on both linux and windows13
- Effortless13
- Easy Merge Conflict Tool6
- Amazing Github and Bitbucket integration5
- Great UX4
- Integration with GitHub3
- Automatic Repo Discovery3
- Submodule support3
- Easy to Learn and Setup3
- Super fast3
- Fuzzy find (CTRL P)2
- Very user friendly1
- Much more stable than source tree1
- Great for non-dev users1
- Because it has Linux client1
- Command palette (CTRL Shift P)1
Pros of Tower
- Git19
- Just works16
- Version control10
- Awesome6
- Simple layout6
- Multiple windows4
- Automatic repo discovery3
- Multiple tabs3
- Submodule support2
- Github integration2
- Full featured client2
- Uses standard git terminology and methods2
- Gitflow support2
- Interactive stage or discard by hunks or lines2
- SAS1
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Cons of Fork
- Poorly written license2
- Stability is fragile when looking deeply into history1
- Merges that require interactive user decision1
Cons of GitKraken
- Extremely slow when working with large repositories3
- No edit/fixup in interactive rebase3
- Hangs occasionally (not as bad as sourcetree)3
- Not as many features as sourcetree2
- Do not allow to directly edit staging area2
- Does not work like a Mac app2
Cons of Tower
- Expensive5
- Subscription based4
- No side by side diff1
- Merge conflict resolution impossible/unclear0