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GitHub CLI VS Octokit

Compare GitHub CLI VS Octokit and see what are their differences

GitHub CLI logo GitHub CLI

Official CLI tool for using GitHub from the command-line.

Octokit logo Octokit

Official clients for the GitHub API. octokit has 45 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.
  • GitHub CLI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-23
  • Octokit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-29

GitHub CLI features and specs

  • Seamless Integration
    GitHub CLI allows for seamless integration with GitHub, enabling users to perform repository and organization management tasks directly from the command line.
  • Automation
    Enables automation of workflows such as pull requests, issues, and CI/CD pipelines, which can save time and reduce errors.
  • Scriptability
    Command line tools can be scripted, allowing for batch processing and the inclusion of GitHub operations in larger automated scripts and processes.
  • Environment Consistency
    Consistent environments across different development systems can be maintained since command line interfaces are less susceptible to changes than GUI-based tools.
  • Lightweight
    As a CLI tool, GitHub CLI is lightweight and consumes minimal system resources compared to graphical interface alternatives.
  • Offline Access
    Some operations can be prepared or queued up offline and then executed when connectivity is restored, allowing for flexibility in workflows.

Possible disadvantages of GitHub CLI

  • Learning Curve
    Understanding and using a CLI can be challenging for users new to command line operations, requiring them to learn syntax and commands.
  • Limited Visuals
    Command line interfaces lack the visual appeal and ease-of-use provided by graphical user interfaces, potentially making complex operations harder to manage.
  • Manual Errors
    Manual input of commands can lead to human error, such as mistyping commands or arguments, which can result in unintended actions.
  • Feature Parity
    Some advanced features and integrations available in the GitHub web interface may be missing or less accessible in the CLI version.
  • Dependency Management
    Requires users to manage dependencies and versions of other command-line tools and scripting environments, which may add complexity for some setups.

Octokit features and specs

  • Comprehensive API Coverage
    Octokit offers comprehensive coverage of GitHub's REST and GraphQL APIs, making it a versatile tool for interacting with GitHub programmatically.
  • Language Support
    Octokit provides clients in multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, Ruby, and Python, catering to a wide range of developers.
  • Ease of Use
    With well-documented methods and clear organization, Octokit simplifies the process of making API calls, handling authentication, and managing complex requests.
  • Active Community
    Octokit is actively maintained and supported by a strong community, providing regular updates, bug fixes, and enhancements.
  • Extensible
    Octokit offers a plugin system that allows developers to extend its functionality according to specific requirements, providing flexibility and customization.

Possible disadvantages of Octokit

  • Complexity for Beginners
    Despite its thorough documentation, the variety of available methods and options can be overwhelming for beginners who are new to GitHub's API or programming.
  • Dependency Overhead
    Integrating Octokit in a project adds additional dependencies, which may increase project complexity and maintenance effort for smaller applications.
  • Version Compatibility
    With frequent updates, there might be challenges related to compatibility between Octokit's versions and GitHub's evolving API, requiring regular updates.
  • Resource Intensive
    When dealing with large-scale projects or repositories, Octokit can become resource-intensive, requiring optimization efforts to manage API rate limits efficiently.
  • Not Always Cutting-edge
    Octokit's responses might lag slightly behind GitHub's latest features or functionalities, meaning initial exposure to new GitHub features can be delayed until Octokit updates.

GitHub CLI videos

NEW GitHub CLI 1.0 is here! | GitHub CLI Tutorial - Demo & Commands

More videos:

  • Review - New GitHub CLI Crash Course - First Look
  • Demo - GitHub CLI demo

Octokit videos

No Octokit videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GitHub CLI and Octokit)
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Git
86 86%
14% 14
Code Collaboration
80 80%
20% 20
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using GitHub CLI and Octokit. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitHub CLI seems to be a lot more popular than Octokit. While we know about 126 links to GitHub CLI, we've tracked only 9 mentions of Octokit. 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.

GitHub CLI mentions (126)

  • AI coding anti-patterns: 6 things to avoid for better AI coding
    Consider if an MCP server is even necessary. For example, AI coding tools are excellent at using the GitHub CLI, so setting up an MCP to interact with GitHub may not be the best trade-off. - Source: dev.to / 9 days ago
  • Fixing GitHub Authentication Error: "erase operation not supported" and "Invalid username or token"
    Tip: Update GitHub CLI (gh version) to 2.40+ if issues persist. Reinstall from cli.github.com. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • pyaction: Python and the GitHub CLI in a Docker Container
    This Docker image is designed to support implementing Github Actions With Python. It starts with the official python docker image As the base, which is a Debian OS. It specifically uses python:3-slim to keep the image size Down for faster loading of Github Actions that use pyaction. On top of the Base, we've installed curl Gpg, git, and the GitHub CLI. We added curl and gpg because they Are needed to install the... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Automatic PR creation on GitHub for database schema change
    GitHub CLI is installed to connect and manage your GitHub repositories from GitHub Copilot. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Git Worktrees: Git Done Right
    I'm a huge fan of the GitHub CLI, especially for pull requests. I typically run gh co 123 to pull down pull request 123. The CLI is so good. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
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Octokit mentions (9)

  • Extending My Blog with Proofreading by Amazon Nova
    The work is basically carried out by three Lambda functions. The core Lambda function is the one performing the actual proofreading. The functions checking out the PR and creating a new commit are both using Octokit. To see how these work, check my previous posts. I will focus on the actual proofreader. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Building a community database with GitHub : A guide to Webhook and API integration with hono.js
    It is also best practice to use official and maintained third-party libraries for integration. These libraries can assist with payload handling as well as making authenticated requests to the third-party API. For the GitHub API we can leverage Octokit to make our requests and handle the payload. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How I extend my blog with gamified learning
    To communicate with GitHub I use Octokit. Below are snippets from the CloudFormation Template and the code used to call GitHub API. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Server Side Rendering a Blog with Web Components
    During the workshop, we'll be using the Github API known as Octokit to generate client-side HTML from Markdown for each blog post. If you're using Stackblitz, an API token is provided for the workshop but will be revoked soon after. If you've cloned the repo or the token is revoked, login to GitHub and generate a new token on Github for use in the workshop. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Query GitHub Repo Topics Using GraphQL
    I started by using REST endpoints with the Octokit library and TypeScript bindings. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GitHub CLI and Octokit, 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.

pre-commit - A slightly improved pre-commit hook for git

150 ChatGPT 4.0 prompts for SEO - Unlock the power of AI to boost your website's visibility.

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

Awesome ChatGPT Prompts - Game Genie for ChatGPT

OpenGrok - OpenGrok is a fast and usable source code search and cross reference engine.