i loved fork on windows but i'm too lazy to set up wine to try and get it to work now i just use git cola and the cli.
this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2025
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I use SourceGit as a Fork alternative on Linux, it's pretty similar
Mostly vscode, and GitHub desktop for projects that I don’t use vscode for. I want to learn how to use the CLI, I just didn’t get around to it yet.
I'm a big fan of tig for visualizing the graph and looking over history (then I don't need to leave the terminal, and it's snappier, in my experience, than most full-GUI programs like Sourcetree), but for actual Git commands, I like the CLI
I mostly use the cli, but also Sublime Merge. It makes some things really convenient (like committing only some lines in a changed file), and looking at diffs is snappy too.
Just fyi, you can add only a few lines of a changed file on the cli too using git add -p
cli and meld for mergetool
Yeah, meld is nice.
Vscode with the Git Graph extension.
It's what they used at my job when I started, it does the job, and I've gotten used to it. 🤷♂️
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Whatever's built into pycharm or vscode for looking at diffs. Command line for push pull squash etc
I made some automation in python for common git tasks and use the cli otherwise. I tried a couple like sourcetree and the built in automation for VS but they're either slow or lack features i'd like.
I use Sourcetree for routine stuff, though I occasionally have to hit the command line when shit gets real.
I use GitHub Desktop on Mac and PC. It works fine with local repos, too.
CLI and VSCodium
Mainly the official git CLI for controlling branches and sub modules, and sometimes the GitHub CLI if quickly checking out a pull request from a forked repo.
Also use the source control tab in VSCode rather often, as it's really convenient to review and stage individual line changes from its diff view, and writing commit messages with a spell check extension.
If it's a big diff or merge conflict, I'll break out the big guns like Meld, which has better visualizations for comparing file trees and directories.
About a decade ago, I used to use SmartGit, then tried GitKraken when that came around, but never really use much of the bells and whistles and wasn't keen on subscription pricing. Especially as the UX for GitHub and other code hosting platforms online have matured.
CLI, nvimdiff 90% of the time. If I’m on a windows workstation, I might end up using git extensions GUI as it helps me visualize what’s happening a little better sometimes.
CLI for me. I do use the GitLens plugin in vs code but only so I can see commit info inline. I never commit anything from vs code.
I like Kaleidoscope (v3) for diffs but not for merging. I could probably use any graphical difftool for this purpose but it’s what I’m used to.
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For professional use I’ve heard good things about SmartGit, unfortunately my work refused to buy me a license and the trial period wasn’t long enough for me to really form an opinion.
Work suggests to use SourceTree but it is way too sluggish.
These days I use git CLI for most things, and VSCode to review changes and submit PRs. Of course this also assumes you use a decent shell with git support, like Oh-My-Posh or similar, so it is always clear what you are working on.