Chapter 30: Git GUI Clients
Git GUI Clients (also called Git graphical user interfaces, Git desktop apps, Git visual clients)
Many beginners think “Git = only terminal / command line”, but in reality most working developers use a GUI client at least part of the time — especially when they:
- want to see the commit graph clearly
- need to resolve merge conflicts visually
- are reviewing changed lines side-by-side
- are staging only certain hunks (parts) of a file
- are new to Git and feel scared of typing commands wrong
- are working with designers / PMs / juniors who refuse to touch terminal
So let’s understand properly: what Git GUI clients actually are, why people use them, what the popular ones look like in 2026, and then we’ll walk through a realistic example using one of them.
What is a Git GUI Client? (plain English)
A Git GUI client is a desktop application (sometimes web-based) that gives you a visual interface for almost everything you normally do with Git commands.
Instead of typing
|
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
git add . git commit -m "fix login bug" git push |
you click buttons, drag files, see colorful graphs, click hunks to stage, etc.
The GUI is not replacing Git — it’s just a beautiful frontend talking to the same Git engine underneath.
Every serious GUI client is built on top of the real Git binary (the same one you install from git-scm.com).
Popular Git GUI Clients in 2026 (ranked roughly by popularity)
| Rank | Client | Free / Paid | Platforms | Best known for | Most loved by… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GitHub Desktop | Free | Windows, macOS | Extremely beginner-friendly, tight GitHub integration | New developers, designers, GitHub-first teams |
| 2 | GitKraken | Free + Pro ($5/mo) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beautiful graph, huge Actions / Git LFS support | Teams using GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket |
| 3 | Sourcetree | Free | Windows, macOS | Very powerful, Atlassian ecosystem (Bitbucket) | Enterprise teams, Jira users |
| 4 | Fork | Free + paid upgrade | Windows, macOS | Fast, clean, excellent diff/merge tools | Power users who want speed & polish |
| 5 | Git Cola | Free (open-source) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Lightweight, Python-based | Linux users, minimalists |
| 6 | SmartGit | Free for non-commercial | All | Very feature-rich, SVN support | Cross-platform teams |
| 7 | Tower | Paid (~$69 one-time) | macOS + Windows | Most beautiful macOS experience | macOS power users |
| 8 | VS Code built-in Git | Free | All (via VS Code) | No extra install, excellent for coders | Developers who live in VS Code |
Realistic Example – Using GitHub Desktop (most beginner-friendly in 2026)
Goal: Add a new feature to your todo app, stage only some changes, commit, push, all visually.
Step 1 – Install GitHub Desktop → https://desktop.github.com → Download & install (takes ~2 minutes)
Step 2 – Clone or open existing repo
- Open GitHub Desktop
- File → Clone repository → choose your repo (or Add → Clone)
- OR if repo is already local: File → Add Local Repository → select folder
You now see:
- Left sidebar: your branches (main + others)
- Center: commit history graph (very pretty!)
- Right: changes view
Step 3 – Create new branch visually
Click Current Branch dropdown (top) → New Branch Name: feat/add-priority-flag
→ GitHub Desktop creates & switches branch automatically
Step 4 – Make changes in your editor
Open project in VS Code / any editor
Edit todo.js (pretend):
- Add new property priority: “high” to some todos
- Change button color
- Add comment
Save files.
Step 5 – See changes in GitHub Desktop
Right away you see:
- Changed Files list (todo.js modified)
- Diff view (green = added, red = removed)
- You can click individual hunks (sections) to stage only some parts
Example:
You edited 3 places in todo.js:
- Added priority field
- Changed CSS class
- Added console.log (debug — don’t want to commit this)
→ Click only the first two hunks → they move to Staged Changes → console.log stays in Changes (unstaged)
Step 6 – Commit visually
Bottom left:
- Write commit message: feat: add priority flag to todos
- Click Commit to feat/add-priority-flag
Done — commit created!
Step 7 – Push to GitHub
Click Publish branch (first time) or Push origin
→ GitHub Desktop pushes the branch
Now go to github.com → Branches → you see feat/add-priority-flag → Click Compare & pull request → create PR as usual
Step 8 – Later – pull updates
Teammate reviewed → asked for change
You fix → commit again in GUI → Push origin again
After merge on GitHub:
In GitHub Desktop → Fetch origin → Pull origin/main → delete branch visually
Quick Summary – Why people love Git GUI Clients
- See full commit graph (branches, merges) beautifully
- Stage only certain lines/hunks (very hard in terminal for beginners)
- Resolve conflicts side-by-side with colors
- No fear of mistyping git reset –hard
- One-click push / pull / branch creation
- Tight integration with GitHub (PRs, issues, checks)
But remember: serious teams still use terminal for complex operations (rebase -i, cherry-pick, reflog, etc.)
Most people in 2026 use hybrid:
- GUI for daily commit / push / diff / branch switch
- Terminal for advanced surgery
Which client feels most interesting to you?
- Want to try GitHub Desktop step-by-step walkthrough?
- Compare GitKraken vs Fork?
- Or see how VS Code Git panel works (many people never install extra app)?
Just tell me — we’ll continue the class. You’re doing great! 🚀
