Free, open-source desktop Git client — a lightweight alternative to GitKraken, GitHub Desktop and Sourcetree. Commit graph, branches, staging, merge/rebase and real local Git operations. No account required.
ftuyama.github.io/git-light · MIT License · Built with Electron, Vue 3, TypeScript
Git Light is an Electron app with a three-pane repository view that runs real Git commands against local repositories via a typed IPC layer. Open a folder, browse history, manage branches, stage files, commit, fetch/pull/push, and inspect diffs.
Looking for a free, open-source GitKraken alternative? Git Light focuses on a fast commit graph and local-first Git — no account, no subscription, no vendor lock-in.
| Git Light | GitKraken | GitHub Desktop | Sourcetree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free + open-source (MIT) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅* | ✅ free, ❌ closed |
| No account required | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Commit graph + branch sidebar + working tree | ✅ | ✅ | partial | ✅ |
Real local git CLI backend |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| macOS / Windows / Linux | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ / ✅ / ❌** | ✅ / ✅ / ❌ |
| Lightweight, offline-first | ✅ | ❌ heavy | ✅ | ❌ heavy |
* GitHub Desktop is open-source but GitHub-centric. ** No official Linux build.
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
Real Git backend (git CLI in main process; renderer never shells out) |
✅ |
| Open local repos · recent repos · multi-repo tabs · startup screen | ✅ |
| Commit graph — lanes, refs, pagination, shift-compare, keyboard nav | ✅ |
| Branch sidebar — favorites, tags, stashes, worktrees (add/remove); drag-and-drop merge/rebase | ✅ |
Working tree — flat/tree view, stage/unstage (patch hunks), commit (sign-off, GPG/SSH -S) |
✅ |
| Diff viewer — unified/split, syntax highlighting, per-hunk staging, blame overlay with file history, word wrap | ✅ |
| Fetch / pull / push / sync · remote maintenance (fetch all, prune, push tags) | ✅ |
| Merge (default, ff-only, no-ff, squash) / rebase / interactive rebase / cherry-pick (continue/abort banner) | ✅ |
| Merge conflict resolution (ours/theirs/per-block) | ✅ |
Undo / redo (reflog-backed; discard & drop-stash are intentionally unrecoverable) · force-push via --force-with-lease · stash · search |
✅ |
| Command palette — fuzzy launcher for actions and branches (⌘K) | ✅ |
| Bisect — start, mark good/bad, skip, reset with progress banner | ✅ |
| Git LFS — track/untrack patterns, prune local objects | ✅ |
| Integrated terminal (xterm + node-pty, ⌘T toggle in graph pane) | ✅ |
| Themes — Default, Dracula, Light, Claude, System (settings) | ✅ |
| Collapsible sidebars with expand rails · commit graph zoom | ✅ |
| UI mode — Basic (essential actions) or Advanced (full toolbar and sidebar) | ✅ |
| Open on GitHub · app preferences (appearance, layout, graph, sidebar, credits) | ✅ |
| Credits & attribution (settings panel + native About dialog) | ✅ |
| Resizable three-pane layout · file watcher auto-refresh | ✅ |
| Auto-update check (packaged builds) · Check for Updates… menu | ✅ |
| Clone / hosting auth UI | ❌ Not yet |
Download the latest installer for your platform from GitHub Releases:
| Platform | Installer |
|---|---|
| macOS | .dmg |
| Windows | .exe (NSIS) |
| Linux | .AppImage or .deb |
- Open the DMG and drag Git Light into Applications.
- Launch Git Light from Applications. Notarized releases open normally; ad-hoc signed builds may require Right-click → Open → Open on first launch.
- Run the
.exeinstaller and follow the setup wizard. - Launch Git Light from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
- AppImage: make executable (
chmod +x Git-Light-*.AppImage) and run it. - deb: install with your package manager (
sudo dpkg -i git-light_*.deb).
To check for updates later, use Git Light → Check for Updates… in the menu bar (macOS) or the application menu (Windows/Linux).
If Git Light is useful to you, consider supporting ongoing development:
See DEVELOPER.md for build instructions, scripts, and local development setup. Architecture, stack, and extension points are in ARCHITECTURE.md.
git-client git-gui gitkraken-alternative github-desktop-alternative sourcetree-alternative commit-graph electron vue3 typescript desktop-app developer-tools version-control macos windows linux
Git Light is an independent open-source project, not affiliated with GitKraken, GitHub, or Atlassian. GitKraken, GitHub Desktop, and Sourcetree are trademarks of their respective owners, mentioned here for comparison only.