Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Subversion VS Plastic SCM

Compare Apache Subversion VS Plastic SCM and see what are their differences

Apache Subversion logo Apache Subversion

Mirror of Apache Subversion. Contribute to apache/subversion development by creating an account on GitHub.

Plastic SCM logo Plastic SCM

Plastic SCM is a cross-platform commercial distributed version control tool.
  • Apache Subversion Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-27
  • Plastic SCM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-05

Apache Subversion features and specs

  • Centralized Version Control
    Apache Subversion (SVN) uses a centralized repository model, which makes it easy to manage and control all project files in one place. All history and versions are stored on the server, making backup and repository management straightforward.
  • Atomic Commits
    Subversion ensures that commits are atomic operations. This means that either all changes in a commit are applied, or none are, helping to maintain the integrity of the repository.
  • Comprehensive Authorization
    SVN offers fine-grained authentication and authorization models. It can integrate with various authentication systems and allows granular access control on a per-directory and per-user basis.
  • Binary File Handling
    SVN handles binary files more efficiently compared to some other version control systems, reducing the size of repositories and improving performance when large files are committed.
  • Mature and Stable
    SVN has been around since 2000 and is widely used in enterprise settings. It is stable, well-documented, and has a vast community for support.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Subversion

  • Limited Branching and Merging
    SVN’s branching and merging capabilities are more cumbersome compared to distributed version control systems (DVCS) like Git. Merging in SVN can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Single Point of Failure
    As a centralized version control system, the SVN repository server becomes a single point of failure. If the server goes down, no commits can be made until it is back up.
  • Performance Overhead
    Working with a remote central repository can introduce latency and performance overhead, especially with large projects and many users.
  • Less support for Offline Work
    SVN generally requires network access to the central repository for most operations. This makes it less flexible for developers needing to work offline, compared to DVCS where local copies are complete repositories.
  • Complex Repository Management
    Managing SVN repositories, particularly for large projects, can become complex and may require significant administrative effort to handle repositories, backups, and access controls.

Plastic SCM features and specs

  • Scalability
    Plastic SCM is designed to handle large projects with extensive histories and large binary files efficiently, making it suitable for enterprises and large development teams.
  • Branching and Merging
    Offers advanced branching and merging capabilities, including visualization tools that make it easier for developers to manage complex branches and understand changes over time.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, which allows teams using diverse platforms to collaborate seamlessly.
  • GUI Tools
    Provides intuitive and powerful graphical user interfaces, which make it easier for users to interact with the system and manage repositories without deep command-line knowledge.
  • Large File Handling
    Plastic SCM is optimized for handling large binary files, which is often a limitation with other version control systems like Git.
  • Integrations
    Supports integrations with popular tools such as Unity, Jenkins, and JIRA, enabling smoother workflows in development environments.

Possible disadvantages of Plastic SCM

  • Learning Curve
    Users who are accustomed to Git or other systems may find it challenging to adapt to Plastic SCM’s unique interfaces and workflows.
  • Cost
    Plastic SCM is a commercial product, and its licensing fees can be prohibitive for small teams or hobby projects when compared to free options like Git.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to more widespread systems like Git, the community around Plastic SCM is smaller, which can lead to fewer third-party resources, plugins, and community-driven support options.
  • Non-Standard Command Line Interface
    The command line interface is not standard, which might be less convenient for developers used to standard Git commands and operations.
  • Server Requirements
    Requires centralized server setups, which can introduce additional infrastructure complexity and costs for smaller teams.

Apache Subversion videos

Setting Up Apache Subversion on Windows

Plastic SCM videos

Plastic SCM - The version control for Unity

More videos:

  • Review - What is Plastic SCM - a short intro to the key concepts
  • Review - Get started with Plastic SCM – from zero to merge hero

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Subversion and Plastic SCM)
Git
65 65%
35% 35
Code Collaboration
62 62%
38% 38
Version Control
66 66%
34% 34
Git Tools
60 60%
40% 40

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache Subversion and Plastic SCM. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Plastic SCM seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Subversion mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Apache Subversion yet. Tracking of Apache Subversion recommendations started around May 2021.

Plastic SCM mentions (2)

  • Plastic SCM stuck on Step 1
    I decided to set up Plastic but I can't even get past step 1. I press login or Sign Up but it just opens a window saying "You correctly signed up to plasticscm.com!" I already have an organization set up as well as Dev Ops. I am not sure what to do now. Thanks in advance. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Best way to manage version control?
    I use http://plasticscm.com hosted in their cloud. A few bucks a month for a pretty good VCS capable of handling large files. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Subversion and Plastic SCM, you can also consider the following products

Git - Git is a free and open source version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. It is easy to learn and lightweight with lighting fast performance that outclasses competitors.

Mercurial SCM - Mercurial is a free, distributed source control management tool.

Atlassian Bitbucket Server - Atlassian Bitbucket Server is a scalable collaborative Git solution.

GitHub Desktop - GitHub Desktop is a seamless way to contribute to projects on GitHub and GitHub Enterprise.

GitKraken - The intuitive, fast, and beautiful cross-platform Git client.

Perforce - Self-hosted Version Control Software