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Hello devs, if you want to learn git, a distributed version control ad looking for the best resources like tutorials, courses, websites, etc then you have come to the right place.
In this article, I am going to share the best places to learn Git online, and many of them are free. But, before that, let's find out what git and version control systems are and why you need them.
like many programmers, I have also worked with a lot of source control systems like SVN, CVS, TFS, VSS, and Mercury, and I had always wondered why so many source control systems. Why not just one?
It's one of the necessary software tools for development, and everyone needs a version control and code repository, there should be a standard solution.
It seems Git and Github have solved that problem now. Now, Git is everywhere from open source to closed source, from small startups to big Investment banks, but there were still legacy projects that were lying on SVN and CVS, but they have now also started moving towards it.
Until last year, I was working on at least one project on SVN, but now that has also moved to Git. This shows the dominance of Git, and that's why it becomes essential for both new and experienced programmers to learn Git and Github.
If you don't know what Git and Github are, let me give you a brief overview. Git is a distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code files and coordinating work on those files among multiple people.
Even though It is primarily used for source-code management in software development, it can be used to keep track of changes in any set of files. You often need to work in a team where multiple programmers work on the same project and modify the same collection of data. Git also helps to coordinate that work so that no code change is lost or accidentally overwritten something that is tested.
In short, Git solves the problem of version control and distribution means you can also keep track of changes at your machine on your local branch. Git has also introduced a concept to push changes, which then writes all local commits into the server or remote branch.
While Git solves the version control problem, GitHub solves the Code repository problem. It provides a place to store your code and some useful functionalities like pull requests, which promote code reviews. Most of the open-source are now saved into their GitHub repositories.
In this article, I will share the 10 best websites, platforms, tutorials, courses, and articles where you can learn both basic and advanced Git concepts for free, all you need to do is spend time and practice.
Btw, If you don't mind paying some money to learn a valuable skill like Git, then I also suggest you take a look at this The Git & Github Bootcamp course by Colt Steele on Udemy, one of the best but paid courses to learn Git in-depth for all levels of programmers. Though it's very affordable and you can get in just $10 on Udemy sales.
Top 12 Best Websites and Online Platforms to Learn Git in 2024
There are a lot of useful resources on the internet for learning Git, and many of you already have some of them bookmarked in your Chrome or Firefox browser.
I have tried to include some of them here, but this list is by no means complete; if you come across any other useful resource, then feel free to share it with us, and I will possibly add that to this list.
1. Udemy
This is my favorite place to learn anything, whether it's a technical skill or whatever. Udemy has the biggest collection of online courses on the Internet, and you can find them at the ridiculous price of just $10, which is just the cost of an excellent coffee.
It does not just sell courses at a ridiculous price but also has many great free courses that you can use to learn almost anything. In the past, I have shared free classes to learn Java, Python, Web Development, React, Angular, Spring, and even Git.
Here is a list of some of the best free courses to learn Git in Udemy:
- Get Started with Github by Jason Taylor (link to join free)
- Intro to Git by Ian Schoonover (link to join free)
- Become Git Expert in 4-hour by Jad Khalili (link to join free)
You can use these free Git online training courses to kick-start your Git and GitHub learning.
2. Version Control with Git on Coursera
This is another excellent resource to learn Git. It's an online course offered by Atlassian on Coursera, one of my favorite websites to learn online. Like many other courses in Coursera, this is also free for learning, but you need to pay money if you need certification and want to participate in exercises.
And, if you find Coursera specialization and certifications useful, particularly like this one, then I suggest you join the Coursera Plus, a great subscription plan from Coursera which gives you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects. It costs around $399/year but its completely worth your money as you get unlimited certificates.
3. CodeCademy
I first came across this website when I started learning JavaScript a couple of years back and was thoroughly impressed with the interactive learning environment provided by CodeCademy. Since then, I have used this site to learn Bash commands, Java, and Git.
This is a very well-structured website, and you will learn most of the things about Git you use daily. You will learn about Basic Git Workflow, How to backtrack in Git, Branching, and Collaboration or working with the team.
This is a complete online interactive website, so you don't even need to install Git on your machine, you can start typing git command in your browser.
4. Pluralsight
This is another website where I spend a lot of time learning new things. Similar to Udemy, this also got a lot of useful online courses, but you need a Pluralsight membership to access those courses. The membership costs around $29 per month or $299 per year but provides you access to more than 5000+ online courses on the latest technology.
I have used this site previously to learn Algorithms, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, and many more things. It has also got some of the best courses to learn Git and Github like The Git Fundamentals\
By James Kovacs, which covers Git in depth.
If you have a Pluralsight membership, then you can use this course to learn Git, and even if you don't have it, you can take advantage of their 10-day free pass to access this course for free.
5. Git Tutorial by BitBucket
This is another excellent resource to learn and master git, and I strongly recommend that everyone who wants to learn Git check this website. This website allows you to learn Git with Bitbucket Cloud.
By using this website, you can create a Git repository, add files, pull changes from your Git repository on Bitbucket Cloud, and even use a Git branch to merge a file.
It provides you online workspace where you can practice git commands like git clone, git config, git add, git status, git commit, git push, git pull, git branch, git checkout, and git merge, etc.
In short, one of the best Git tutorials for beginners and probably the best place to learn Git from scratch and surely worth bookmarking.
6. Learn Git Branching
This is another gem of the site I have found while learning Git and Github last year. As the name suggests, this provides an interactive guide to Git branching. You will learn how to create a branch, commit code into a branch, merge a branch into a master, delete the branch, and navigate around branches.
Even for experienced developers, branching can be confusing, so it's definitely worth a look. I strongly suggest you walk through all the tasks as it will also improve your muscle memory for git commands.
In short, one of the best Git tutorials to learn branching and merging. It's extremely useful for both beginners and experienced programmers alike. You just cannot ignore this tutorial, it's so good, and I strongly urge you to try all the problems in this tutorial.
7. git - the simple guide
This is another excellent resource to start with Git. It's just a single-page website that lists out some of the most common Git commands you would need in your day-to-day life. The best use of this website is to install git in your machine and go through each command one by one.
In just less than an hour, you should have enough experience to clone a git repository and start working on that.
I also suggest you bookmark this website if you are a newcomer to Git as you will always find yourself looking for those commands.
8. Git and GitHub - Step by Step for Beginners
This is another free course to learn Git and Github from Udemy, and particularly useful for beginners and junior developers.
In this course, you will not only learn about necessary installation, setting up your environment on both Windows and Mac, Enable auto-completion of git commands and color on Mac, but also basics of branching and merging, which is critical for working with Git in a team.
This is a short course with just 1.5 hours of content but really useful to get up to speed in a quick time. If you are just starting with Git, then this is an excellent resource, to begin with.
9. Git: Git Immersion
This is an awesome and probably the best course to learn Git was written by the late, great Jim Weirich. A guided tour that walks through the fundamentals of Git, inspired by the premise that to know a thing is to do it.
10. Introduction to Git and GitHub
Introduction to Git and GitHub takes about an hour to get through and is a great way to find your sea legs when it comes to using Git.
This is one of the best websites to learn and Practice Git online. There is no excuse to escape Git now, sooner or later you will need Git in your project, and that's why it's better to learn now than later. It's also a great version control and code repository and will make your life easier.
You can locally commit changes, and only once you are done with a feature, you can push changes. There is no fear of losing change. You can also branch more and develop a feature and then create a pull request to merge them into the trunk.
Pull requests not only merge a feature or branch into the trunk but also require approval from someone who has to write access to the code repository, thus forcing the code reviews. In today's DevOps and Agile world, code review is a must, and Git is the perfect tool to ensure that it happens.
11. OnMyGit
If you want to learn git by playing game for free then you will love OhMyGit website. It's an open source game about learning Git!, highly interactive, fun, and engaging.
You will learn git concepts and commands by visualizing the internal structures of Git repositories in real-time. When you do action you can immediately see the results and then learn by your experience.
To accommodate new people learning git, the game also features a custom-designed playing card interface! The cards help remember newly introduced Git commands, but also contain a short description and an icon. Therefore, they combine both action as well as documentation:
Overall a great free resource to learn Git online.
12. Educative.io
Not many people know about Educative, a new online learning platform which teaches key technical skills like Git using text-based, interactive courses. The best thing about Educative is that they have completely interactive and hands-on courses.
You can practice the skill you are learning right in your browser. You don't need to setup your development environment, your browser act as your cloud desktop and you can practice git commands right in your browser.
This simple things remove the friction many developer has while learning new technologies and help them to learn better and quicker. While Educative has many online text based courses to learn Git, here are a couple of them which I found better than others.
- Learn Git the Hard Way (80 lessons, 132 playgrounds, 48 illustrations)
- A Guide to Git & Version Control (35 lessons, 5 quizzes, 34 playgrounds, 67 illustrations)
By the way, you can either join this course individually or you can take an Educative subscription (recommended) to get access to their 350+ high quality, text-based, interactive courses to learn key skills for coding interviews, software development, and technology.
And, here is a nice diagram which explains git workflow for beginner from how to add files to local repository, commit, and push changes into remote repository.
That's all about best websites, platforms, and resources to learn Git version control for FREE. I really encourage all Computer Science students, Programmers, Web Developers, and Beginners to learn Git because you will need it wherever you go. Almost all companies use Git for storing code and version control.
Not just that, most of the open-source projects and even code examples from online courses on Udemy and Coursera are hosted on GitHub. Unless you know how to work with Git and Github, you cannot take advantage of those awesome codes.
Other Free Programming Resources You may like:
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- 5 Websites to learn Python Programming for FREE
Thanks a lot for reading this article so far. If you like these* best websites and platforms for learning Git for FREE in 2024* then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback or suggestions about any other site to add to this list, please drop a note.
P. S. - If you don't mind paying some money for a skill worth learning, then I also suggest you take a look at this Git Complete: The Definitive Guide, one of the best resources to learn Git in-depth for all levels of programmers.
Top comments (1)
Thank you for sharing these resources!