Git Fork
Git Fork is "a fast and friendly git client for Mac and Windows".
Before I start I just wanted to say. I'm not affiliated with Git Fork by any means. I just had good experience with it over the past year so I wanted to share why I like it.
1. It's free
Although it's not open-source. It's completely free to use for both individual and enterprise. It doesn't have a pro version unlike other popular Git clients out there. (I'm talking about you GitKraken)
2. It's simple
Git Fork is incredibly simple to use. It's modern and clean looking. I've tried GitKraken and struggled to figure out how to do simple things. I've tried SourceTree and liked it however it was too buggy when I used it.
3. It's fast
I have probably tried all the Git client's out there. Git Fork has been by far the fastest and least buggy Git client I have used. Don't believe me? I would encourage you to at least give it a try.
4. It has a built-in feedback button
So I love this feature because it shows the developers really care. A year ago when I first started using Git Fork there was some annoying issues I didn't like. Such as not being able to right click on multiple branches and deleting them. I used this feedback button and within 30 minutes the developer responded and it was fixed in the next release. This wasn't the only time as well. I've sent another feedback about allowing Visual Studio Code to be used as an external merge tool. The developer responded back right away and fixed in the next release again. This just shows me the developers really care about Git Fork and really have a passion for it. I can't count how many times I've been annoyed with another Git client and have been wanting to tell the developers to fix it. (I'm talking about you SourceTree). With Git Fork if something is bothering you, or if you wish they had a feature they currently don't have. USE THIS FEATURE! It's awesome! You WILL be heard!
5. It has a built in merge conflict resolver
So a year ago they didn't have this feature. This was one of the biggest features I've been wanting for a long time. SourceTree didn't have this either last time I used it. GitKraken does have this but it's not available in the free version. So previously I've had to use an IDE for this. Which isn't bad but it would be nice to these kind of issues straight from the Git client.
6. It's available on both Windows and Mac (Hopefully Linux in the near future)
I do wish this was available for Linux but for Windows and Mac this is by far the best Git client. I've used Git Fork extensively for both Windows and Mac and I've been nothing but happy with it. I've had no reason to switch to anything else.
7. It's constantly getting better (actively maintained)
A year ago I would have not wrote this. However Git Fork in 2019 has impressed me. All the features that I have wanted have been added. I can't remember the last time I've ran into a problem with Git Fork. It just works. Git Fork updates about once or twice a month. It's very stable.
8. It's loaded with features
Git Fork is simple but it has a ton of features. I still don't know them all. If you wanna see all of their features reading through their blog. See here
9. It can show what commands are being called underneath.
This feature is awesome. If you're one of those people that need to know what commands are being called underneath this feature will be very helpful to you.
10. It increases my productivity.
I use whatever makes me more productive. So far that has been Git Fork. I've used the terminal for a while but typing out simple commands all the time was annoying to me. Also trying to look back at git logs is not as easy as using the GUI. So I wanted something that was fast, simple and feature packed where I can use one tool for all my git needs.
So let me know below..
What's your favorite Git client and why?
If you don't use one..
Top comments (13)
My favorite git client is the command-line one
tig. Very lightweight, I mainly use it to select the specific chunks of a file I want to commit, and since it's a console tool, it does not disrupt my terminal/neovim workflow: github.com/jonas/tigFork is my current fav too when I want to use a GUI. I used to be a big fan of GitKraken, particularly for it's beautiful interface and merge tool. However, once they started charging to use it with a non-GitHub repo, I knew it was time to find an alternative. After trying 5 or 6, Fork was the clear winner.
The only thing I miss from GitKraken is the built-in conflict resolution tool. I use P4Merge now, and am happy with it. While it is more powerful, it does lacks the simplicity and nice design of GitKraken's. With any luck, I'll figure out how to unlock Fork's!
However, I saw that your screenshot shows an internal merge tool! I swear I've clicked the Merge button (which no longer says 'beta') before and was just given the default textual git merge with the comments. After seeing this post, I just tried it again, and I'll be damned if it didn't provide a nice merge tool! I'm thrilled. Thank you so much!
Can’t agree more. Yeah the built in merge tool is new it’s not as nice as GitKrakens. Since I do a lot of web development I use Visual Studio Code for the merge conflict resolver. I found that to work the best for me.
My favorites are
gitkwhen a UI is available andtigotherwise. Sure,forklooks nicer, butgitkis much faster to start, and I find it's display to be more understandable, not sure exactly why. The main problem being that on most recent versions of macOS, it crashes withinwish, so it's usuallyfork(for complex repos) ortig(for speed) anyway.They are about start charging $49.99 very soon. Details pricing and features not yet released so not sure
I just saw that too. I hope they won't do the same of gitkraken.
The $49.99 is a one time fee at least, and it's free for evaluation. So that's still a plus over GitKraken's yearly subscription pricing model for me.
While Fork is cool keep in mind is not open-source. Based on previous experience with more than a dozen of git gui clients, anything not open-source will only become more expensive with time. I would gladly sponsor it if it was an open-source and even contribute with fixes. Meanwhile SourceTree is open but it lacks behind, especially as Atlassian did not spend much effort on it after they acquired it.
This post was written almost 2 years ago. I use the built in git from VSCode now. At least for me it does everything I need it to and I don’t have to leave my code editor.
SourceTree was the first Git GUI I used but it was very buggy and slow for me.
As far as Fork becoming more expensive, sure everything does. Fork used to be free the only reason they made people pay for it was because so many people were telling them they should make people pay for it. At least it will help support them. It’s only a man and his wife making it. This was before GitHub sponsers came out.
I am just starting to using it. and How can I open it from the terminal ?
If you're using a mac you can type
open -a forkNo. Fork > Preferences > Integration > Command Line > Install CLI Tool.
Then, $fork .
Cool good to know. For me I had to type
forkinstead of$forkon mac.