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GitKraken

719
909
+ 1
279
SourceTree

10.4K
7.9K
+ 1
727
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GitKraken vs SourceTree: What are the differences?

GitKraken vs SourceTree

GitKraken and SourceTree are both popular Git clients with similar features, but they also have some key differences.

  1. User Interface: GitKraken has a sleek and visually appealing user interface, which is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. SourceTree, on the other hand, has a more traditional and functional interface without much emphasis on aesthetics.

  2. Platform Support: GitKraken is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it a versatile choice for developers across different operating systems. SourceTree, on the other hand, is primarily designed for Mac users, although it does have a limited version for Windows.

  3. Integration with GitHub: GitKraken offers seamless integration with GitHub, allowing users to easily access and manage their repositories on the platform. SourceTree also provides integration with GitHub, but it lacks some of the advanced features and options available in GitKraken.

  4. Performance: GitKraken is known for its fast and efficient performance, providing smooth navigation and operations even with larger repositories. SourceTree, while generally performing well, can sometimes experience slowdowns and lags, especially when working with larger repositories.

  5. Ease of Use: GitKraken puts a strong emphasis on simplicity and ease of use, with features like drag-and-drop functionality and a visual history view. SourceTree, while still user-friendly, has a steeper learning curve and may require more familiarity with Git concepts.

  6. Git Flow Support: GitKraken has built-in support for the popular Git Flow workflow, providing a streamlined experience for managing branch strategies and releases. SourceTree also offers support for Git Flow, but it may require additional plugins or configurations to fully utilize its capabilities.

In summary, GitKraken offers a more visually appealing interface with smoother performance and better cross-platform support, along with seamless integration with GitHub. SourceTree, while still a solid Git client, has a more traditional interface with some limitations in terms of platform support and advanced features.

Decisions about GitKraken and SourceTree

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.

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Pros of GitKraken
Pros of SourceTree
  • 59
    Dark theme
  • 34
    Best linux git client
  • 29
    Great overview
  • 21
    Full featured client
  • 20
    Gitflow support
  • 19
    Beautiful UI
  • 18
    Very easy to use
  • 16
    Graph
  • 13
    Works great on both linux and windows
  • 13
    Effortless
  • 6
    Easy Merge Conflict Tool
  • 5
    Amazing Github and Bitbucket integration
  • 4
    Great UX
  • 3
    Integration with GitHub
  • 3
    Automatic Repo Discovery
  • 3
    Submodule support
  • 3
    Easy to Learn and Setup
  • 3
    Super fast
  • 2
    Fuzzy find (CTRL P)
  • 1
    Very user friendly
  • 1
    Much more stable than source tree
  • 1
    Great for non-dev users
  • 1
    Because it has Linux client
  • 1
    Command palette (CTRL Shift P)
  • 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
  • 22
    Great branch visualization
  • 18
    Ui/ux and user-friendliness
  • 8
    Best Git Client UI/Features
  • 7
    Search commit messages
  • 5
    Available for Windows and macOS
  • 1
    Log only one file
  • 1
    Search file content

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Cons of GitKraken
Cons of SourceTree
  • 3
    Extremely slow when working with large repositories
  • 3
    No edit/fixup in interactive rebase
  • 3
    Hangs occasionally (not as bad as sourcetree)
  • 2
    Not as many features as sourcetree
  • 2
    Do not allow to directly edit staging area
  • 2
    Does not work like a Mac app
  • 12
    Crashes often
  • 8
    So many bugs
  • 7
    Fetching is slow sometimes
  • 5
    No dark theme (Windows)
  • 5
    Extremely slow
  • 5
    Very unstable
  • 4
    Can't select text in diff (windows)
  • 3
    Freezes quite frequently
  • 3
    Can't scale window from top corners
  • 2
    UI blinking
  • 2
    Windows version worse than mac version
  • 2
    Installs to AppData folder (windows)
  • 2
    Diff makes tab indentation look like spaces
  • 2
    Windows and Mac versions are very different
  • 2
    Diff appears as if space indented even if its tabs
  • 2
    Doesn't have an option for git init
  • 2
    Useless for merge conflict resolution
  • 2
    Doesn't differentiate submodules from parent repos
  • 2
    Requires bitbucket account
  • 1
    Generally hard to like
  • 1
    No reflog support
  • 1
    Bases binary check on filesize
  • 1
    Can't add remotes by right clicking remotes (windows)

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What is GitKraken?

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

What is SourceTree?

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.

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What companies use GitKraken?
What companies use SourceTree?
See which teams inside your own company are using GitKraken or SourceTree.
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What tools integrate with GitKraken?
What tools integrate with SourceTree?

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What are some alternatives to GitKraken and SourceTree?
Tower
Use all of Git's powerful feature set - in a GUI that makes you more productive.
GitKraken Glo
A more productive way for developers to track tasks and issues from inside GitKraken, VS Code, Atom or a browser! Glo Boards sync in real-time with GitHub Issues, support markdown and offer lots of time-saving features for devs.
GitHub
GitHub is the best place to share code with friends, co-workers, classmates, and complete strangers. Over three million people use GitHub to build amazing things together.
SmartGit
It is a graphical Git client with support for SVN and Pull Requests for GitHub and Bitbucket. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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.
See all alternatives