Software Alternatives & Startups

GitHub Desktop VS lazygit

Compare GitHub Desktop VS lazygit and see what are their differences

GitHub Desktop

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

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
lazygit

Simple terminal UI for git commands.

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

GitHub Desktop might be a bit more popular than lazygit. We know about 136 links to it since March 2021 and only 121 links to lazygit.

social mentions
136 vs 121
Git popularity
67% vs 33%
alternatives listed
214 vs 93

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

GitHub Desktop
lazygit
Website desktop.github.com github.com
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

GitHub Desktop 5 features
lazygit 5 features
  • User-Friendly Interface
    GitHub Desktop offers a clean, intuitive GUI that simplifies the Git process, making it accessible for beginners and less technical users.
  • Seamless GitHub Integration
    The application is tightly integrated with GitHub, allowing users to easily clone repositories, create branches, and submit pull requests directly through the desktop interface.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    GitHub Desktop is available on both Windows and macOS, offering a consistent experience across these major operating systems.
  • Simplifies Workflow
    Features like drag-and-drop to add files, visual diff tools, and easy branching help streamline the workflow for users.
  • Collaborative Features
    The app provides useful collaborative tools such as reviewing changes, creating requests, and viewing history, enhancing team productivity.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While GitHub Desktop is great for basic tasks, it lacks advanced features found in other Git clients like GitKraken or the command line.
  • Dependency on GitHub
    The app is deeply integrated with GitHub, which can be limiting for users who want to interact with repositories hosted on other platforms like GitLab or Bitbucket.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues when dealing with large repositories or a significant number of files, which can hinder productivity.
  • Customization Limitations
    GitHub Desktop offers limited customization options compared to other Git clients or the command line, which may be a drawback for power users.
  • Offline Limitations
    Certain features of GitHub Desktop require an internet connection to interact with GitHub, limiting its usability in offline scenarios.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Lazygit provides an intuitive terminal user interface (TUI) for managing git repositories. It simplifies complex git tasks and makes them more accessible for users who are not comfortable with the command line.
  • Speed and Efficiency
    With keybindings and an efficient layout, lazygit can significantly speed up git workflows. Common tasks like staging, committing, and switching branches can be performed more quickly.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Lazygit is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile for users across different platforms.
  • Interactive UI
    The interactive UI of lazygit allows users to visualize changes, diffs, and logs in a more comprehensible way compared to traditional command-line interfaces.
  • Ease of Installation
    Lazygit is straightforward to install, often requiring just a few commands, making it accessible even for those with limited technical knowledge.

Possible disadvantages

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly design, lazygit introduces a new set of keybindings and interfaces that users must learn, which could be a barrier for some.
  • Limited Customization
    Lazygit may lack the deep customization options available in other git clients or command-line tools, potentially limiting power users who need highly specific configurations.
  • Dependent on Terminal
    Since lazygit operates within a terminal, it might not fully integrate with other graphical development tools some users prefer, reducing its appeal for those who favor all-in-one solutions.
  • Feature Parity
    Lazygit might not support all the advanced features found in more comprehensive GUI-based git clients, potentially requiring users to fall back to command-line git for specific tasks.
  • Resource Consumption
    As a terminal-based tool, lazygit might consume more system resources compared to purely CLI-based git operations, which could be a concern for users on less powerful machines.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

GitHub Desktop
lazygit

No analysis of GitHub Desktop yet.

Overall verdict

  • Lazygit is highly regarded among developers who prefer working from the command line but want a more user-friendly interface than the traditional Git CLI. Its lightweight nature and efficient functionality make it a great tool for those looking to streamline their version control workflow.

Why this product is good

  • Lazygit is a simple, yet powerful terminal UI for Git commands. It allows users to manage their Git repositories with ease through an intuitive interface, reducing the need to remember complex command line options. Users have praised it for improving productivity and making Git processes more visually accessible.

Recommended for

    Lazygit is recommended for developers and software engineers who frequently use Git for version control and prefer a terminal-based user interface. It's particularly useful for those who want a quick and efficient way to perform Git operations without leaving their terminal environment.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

GitHub Desktop 3 videos + Add
lazygit 1 video + Add

GitHub Desktop 2.0 -- Easy Mode Version Control

More videos

  • - GitHub Desktop Quick Intro For Windows
  • - Git and GitHub for Beginners: GitHub basics, and how to use GitHub Desktop

15 Lazygit Features In Under 15 Minutes

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
GitHub Desktop
lazygit
67% 67%
Git
33% 33%
71% 71%
29% 29%
65% 65%
35% 35%
68% 68%
32% 32%

User comments

Share your experience with using GitHub Desktop and lazygit. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

GitHub Desktop no reviews yet
lazygit no reviews yet

We have no reviews of lazygit yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

GitHub Desktop 136 mentions
lazygit 121 mentions
  • You too can Git it: A beginners guide to connecting Git and GitHub
    Optional: You can also download GitHub Desktop (https://desktop.github.com) if you prefer a GUI version, but this guide focuses on Git Bash to understand the basics. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • How to Fix the Issue of Not Being Able to View Your GitHub Account on Other Devices
    Download the latest version from the GitHub Desktop website. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • 12 Steps to Organize and Maintain Your Python Codebase for Beginners
    I’m not going to dive into Git commands here — you can find plenty of tutorials online. If you’re not a fan of using the plain terminal CLI, you can also manage repositories with tools like GitHub Desktop or SourceTree, which provide a... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago

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  • .gitignore Everything by Default
    Lazygit[0] is ideal for quickly selecting files or lines you want to include in your commit. There are probably countless others. And `--patch` is also not that hard. [0] https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Git rebase -I is not that scary
    I'm a big fan of https://github.com/MitMaro/git-interactive-rebase-tool on the terminal. I also use git absorb (https://github.com/tummychow/git-absorb) and lazygit a lot (https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit). - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • The Git Commands I Run Before Reading Any Code
    Navi is good for generating personal cheatsheets: https://github.com/denisidoro/navi But for Git, I can't recommend lazygit enough. It's an incredible piece of software: https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago

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Alternatives to GitHub Desktop and lazygit

When comparing GitHub Desktop and lazygit, you can also consider the following products.