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Ask HN: GUI Git client for macOS recommendations

7 points by petecooper 10y ago

I've flattened and rebuilt a macOS environment for web development work. I'm looking for a GUI git client, and I'd be most grateful for your input -- good or bad. I'm a front-end person and I'm dabbling with other parts of the stack, though my new project is purely HTML/CSS/PHP. I'm running SourceTree right now, which connects to a networked GitLab CE server. It works, but it feels overkill for what I need, and I haven't yet tuned it to work with my incremental & frequent commit style...which makes for about 6 mouse clicks for each commit. Maybe I'm using it incorrectly. My personal preference is for open source, but I'm not averse to proprietary/commercial (e.g. Tower [2]) if the feedback is positive. The medium-term goal is to master the terminal commands, but for the short term I'm really interested in what you use for macOS git in the GUI style so I can improve my confidence. Thanks very much in advance. [1] https://www.sourcetreeapp.com [2] https://www.git-tower.com/mac/ Edit: formatting.

bitshiffed 10y ago
GitKraken (gitkraken.com) is very nice, though not open source.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
brianjking 10y ago
If I use a GUI tool on my Mac I use Git Tower, while it's definitely not open source and has a reasonably high price tag it's definitely a superb Git GUI application. Github Desktop and SourceTree are both quite nice as well, however, it's generally Git Tower (on Mac or Windows) but more often than not I stick to the terminal.
chris_7 10y ago
GitX is buggy and terrible and yet it still has the best staging interface I've used. I don't use any other features though, and just do those on the command line, because they're easier, but a GUI is much better than "add -p".
- balac 10y ago
  GitUp is a good GitX replacement.
- cauterized 10y ago
  There are also a couple of forks of GitX, and IIRC Google doesn't bring the best-maintained one to the top of search results. You may have to dig a bit to find it. The tree visualization in GitX is also pretty decent as such things go.
mostlystatic 10y ago
I use GitHub Desktop and am really happy with it. It works for non-GitHub repos too
- petecooper 10y ago
  Thanks for this. The GitHub Desktop is what I've come from, and it's almost too easy to use. I suspect I'm letting it taint my workflow for SourceTree, especially with all the additional stuff that SourceTree offers.
sandis 10y ago
I recently switched to Fork [1] after seeing it on HN and so far am liking it. It's currently in beta and is actively being developed. [1] https://git-fork.com https://git-fork.com
- alexeldeib 10y ago
  To me, Fork has the cleanest UI, although sometimes I prefer GitKraken. Things seem a little closer to the surface sometime with GitKraken. Ultimately, though, nothing has really beaten the command line, and that's where I still do most of my git work.
ThomPete 10y ago
I used to use Git Tower
adambrenecki 10y ago
Cannot reccomend GitUp (http://gitup.co/ http://gitup.co/) enough. It's open source too. That said, I use it differently to you; I use a graphical Git client mostly to view and browse around the commit graph, and I generally make commits and stuff like that from the CLI. I think it's pretty simple to do commits through GitUp as well.
- balac 10y ago
  I have the same workflow as you and GitUp works great.
  - kzisme 10y ago
    Is there a nice Windows version of something similar? GitUp looks awesome!
alexgaribay 10y ago
I use Tower and I love it. I've been using it for 2 years now and I'm so glad I paid for it. It has been so critical my git workflow.
wingerlang 10y ago
Why don't you learn keyboard shortcuts in ST? Of course clicking the files you want to commit is necessary (or just do select all). Then CMD+SHIFT+C for commit, then CMD+ENTER for committing. Not sure how you make it into 6 clicks even using the mouse.
- petecooper 10y ago
  That might be the way forward, good call. Here's my workflow -- and please bear in mind I'm a new SourceTree user, not yet proficient: * make changes to source files * switch to ST (cmd+tab or mouse click #1) * click (#2) commit * fill in commit details * click (#3) `Sign off` checkbox * click (#4) `Commit mode` dropdown, then `Selected files` * click (#5) `Push commits immediately to [...]` checkbox * click (#6) `Commit` button I'm sure I could make this a more streamlined workflow. Research continues. Edit: formatting.
Adamsimet 10y ago
GitUp is a good app. Beautiful UX, pretty simple to do commits.
M0llyPolly 10y ago
I don't like write git command in terminal. I like GitX ;)

7 points by petecooper 10y ago

bitshiffed 10y ago

GitKraken (gitkraken.com) is very nice, though not open source.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

brianjking 10y ago

If I use a GUI tool on my Mac I use Git Tower, while it's definitely not open source and has a reasonably high price tag it's definitely a superb Git GUI application. Github Desktop and SourceTree are both quite nice as well, however, it's generally Git Tower (on Mac or Windows) but more often than not I stick to the terminal.

chris_7 10y ago

GitX is buggy and terrible and yet it still has the best staging interface I've used. I don't use any other features though, and just do those on the command line, because they're easier, but a GUI is much better than "add -p".

balac 10y ago
GitUp is a good GitX replacement.
cauterized 10y ago
There are also a couple of forks of GitX, and IIRC Google doesn't bring the best-maintained one to the top of search results. You may have to dig a bit to find it. The tree visualization in GitX is also pretty decent as such things go.

mostlystatic 10y ago

I use GitHub Desktop and am really happy with it. It works for non-GitHub repos too

petecooper 10y ago
Thanks for this. The GitHub Desktop is what I've come from, and it's almost too easy to use. I suspect I'm letting it taint my workflow for SourceTree, especially with all the additional stuff that SourceTree offers.

sandis 10y ago

I recently switched to Fork [1] after seeing it on HN and so far am liking it. It's currently in beta and is actively being developed. [1] https://git-fork.com https://git-fork.com

alexeldeib 10y ago
To me, Fork has the cleanest UI, although sometimes I prefer GitKraken. Things seem a little closer to the surface sometime with GitKraken. Ultimately, though, nothing has really beaten the command line, and that's where I still do most of my git work.

ThomPete 10y ago

I used to use Git Tower

adambrenecki 10y ago

Cannot reccomend GitUp (http://gitup.co/ http://gitup.co/) enough. It's open source too. That said, I use it differently to you; I use a graphical Git client mostly to view and browse around the commit graph, and I generally make commits and stuff like that from the CLI. I think it's pretty simple to do commits through GitUp as well.

balac 10y ago
I have the same workflow as you and GitUp works great.
- kzisme 10y ago
  Is there a nice Windows version of something similar? GitUp looks awesome!

alexgaribay 10y ago

I use Tower and I love it. I've been using it for 2 years now and I'm so glad I paid for it. It has been so critical my git workflow.

wingerlang 10y ago

Why don't you learn keyboard shortcuts in ST? Of course clicking the files you want to commit is necessary (or just do select all). Then CMD+SHIFT+C for commit, then CMD+ENTER for committing. Not sure how you make it into 6 clicks even using the mouse.

petecooper 10y ago
That might be the way forward, good call. Here's my workflow -- and please bear in mind I'm a new SourceTree user, not yet proficient: * make changes to source files * switch to ST (cmd+tab or mouse click #1) * click (#2) commit * fill in commit details * click (#3) `Sign off` checkbox * click (#4) `Commit mode` dropdown, then `Selected files` * click (#5) `Push commits immediately to [...]` checkbox * click (#6) `Commit` button I'm sure I could make this a more streamlined workflow. Research continues. Edit: formatting.

Adamsimet 10y ago

GitUp is a good app. Beautiful UX, pretty simple to do commits.

M0llyPolly 10y ago

I don't like write git command in terminal. I like GitX ;)