Table of contents
- What are third-party Git CLIs?
- Key tools and ecosystem overview
- Deep dive: Graphite CLI
- Tool comparison matrix
- Recommendations: Which tool when
- Ready to try Graphite CLI?
- Best practices
- Frequently asked questions
The standard Git CLI, while powerful, can be complex and unintuitive for many developers. Third-party Git CLI tools have emerged to address these pain points, offering enhanced user experiences, streamlined workflows, and specialized features for different development scenarios.
This comprehensive guide explores the current landscape of third-party Git CLI tools, with detailed coverage of major players including Graphite CLI, Lazygit, GitUI, Sapling, and Magit. We'll compare their features, strengths, limitations, and provide practical recommendations to help you choose the right tool for your workflow.
What are third-party Git CLIs?
These are command-line tools (or terminal UI tools) that extend, wrap, or replace (to varying degrees) the standard git CLI. They aim to simplify workflows, provide higher-level or opinionated abstractions, improve usability (e.g. better staging, interactive UIs), or scale to large codebases.
Some tools are full SCM replacements or alternatives (or near alternatives) but with Git compatibility; others are purely adjuncts.
Key tools and ecosystem overview
Here are several major third-party Git tools CLI / TUI / SCM compatible, with their core properties, strengths, weaknesses:
| Tool | Type / scope | Strengths & unique features | Trade-offs & limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphite CLI | A tool for "stacked changes" workflows, deeply integrated with Git + GitHub, plus tooling around pull requests, dependency between changes, etc. | • Native support for stacked branches/changes (“stacks”) so that you can build a series of dependent commits/branches & submit PRs for each. <br> • Works with Git under the hood, meaning you can still use standard git in scripts/tools. <br> • Integrations: VS Code extension; Graphite Dashboard; other UI tools. <br> • Good installer support: Homebrew, npm; on *nix & macOS, some Windows support via npm/WSL. <br> • Version requirement: Git ≥ 2.38.0. | • It introduces another layer / workflow: learning curves (what is a stack, restacking, branching prefixes etc.). <br> • Windows native support is somewhat behind *nix / macOS. <br> • Because it wraps or extends Git/GitHub workflows, there may be friction when doing “non-stack” workflows or when integrating with tooling that expects “vanilla git”. <br> • Some operations may involve extra metadata or commands which don’t map 1:1 with pure git. |
| Lazygit | Terminal UI (TUI) for Git, focused on usability. | • Very fast, intuitive for many day-to-day operations: staging individual hunks/lines/files; browsing commits; interactive rebase etc. <br> • Good keyboard support, cross-platform; strong user base. <br> • Low friction to install & use. | • Not a full replacement: for some advanced Git operations you still need raw git. <br> • UI can be less flexible in terms of customizing workflows. <br> • For extremely large repos or performance-critical tasks, TUI tools can lag. <br> • Some platform quirks (e.g. Windows wide chars etc.). |
| GitUI | Another TUI, written in Rust, similar in scope to Lazygit. | • Very good performance (especially in large repos) vs some others. <br> • Modern UI, responsive, good support for staging/unstaging, diff, log, etc. <br> • Good community & active development. | • Still not “everything”-git; some features may lag behind (interactive rebase, complex merges, etc). <br> • Learning curve of keybindings, customizations. <br> • Occasionally features missing or bugs in rare use cases. |
| Sapling (sl) | A Git-compatible source control client developed by Meta. Not just a wrapper: its own client and protocols, but supports working with Git repos. | • Good for large scale and performance; designed for large repos, many commits. <br> • Key simplifications: more ergonomic commands, simpler workflows, better defaults. <br> • Git compatibility: you can clone existing Git repos and push back. <br> • Better tools for “review stacks of commits”, recovering from mistakes. | • As it is not purely Git, full ecosystem compatibility may have friction. <br> • Some features (server side, large FS etc.) are not yet open or fully mature. <br> • Users need to learn its command set (sl …) vs standard git. <br> • For small/simple repos or traditional workflows, Sapling may feel like “too much” overhead. |
| Magit | A Emacs interface ("porcelain") for Git; very powerful for users who use Emacs. | • Immensely powerful: tight control of staging, diff hunks, rebase etc; can script; integrates deeply with Emacs workflow. <br> • For Emacs users, very efficient, nearly everything accessible via keyboard. | • Requires using Emacs; not suitable if you’re not already in that ecosystem. <br> • Steep learning curve if unfamiliar with Emacs. <br> • TUI / CLI (within Emacs) only — not used outside the editor as a standalone tool in many cases. |
| Others / minor tools | E.g. tig, wrappers, smaller scaling tools etc. | • Some are very lightweight for specific tasks (log exploration, diff viewing, etc.). <br> • Useful adjuncts, especially when you want just “better diff/log” etc. | • Limited scope; often no advanced features. <br> • May not scale or integrate with review/PR workflows. |
Deep dive: Graphite CLI
Here's a more technical breakdown of Graphite's CLI, how it works, its commands & workflow, and where it shines / struggles.
What is Graphite CLI
- Stacked changes / “stacks” workflow: Graphite lets you model a series of changes (commits/branches) as a stack. Each change in the stack is a branch, submitted as its own pull request. This makes it easier to break large tasks into smaller reviewable units.
- It sits on top of Git: under the hood, it uses
gitfor branch creation, commits, rebases, push etc. You can still use rawgit. - It has support for creating stacks, navigating among them, restacking, submitting stack to PRs, syncing, etc.
Installation & requirements
- Install via Homebrew for macOS (and Linux via Linuxbrew) or via npm (as
@withgraphite/graphite-cli). - Requires Git version ≥ 2.38.0.
- On Windows: best via npm or WSL; native support is improving but *nix is more mature.
Common commands & workflow
Here are some of the core commands (subcommands) and typical workflow patterns.
| Workflow step | Command(s) / how it’s done | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Create a stack | gt create -am "message" (on top of current branch) multiple times to build dependent branches. | Each “create” makes a branch that depends on the previous. Good for incremental work. |
| Viewing / Navigating stack | gt log, gt log short, gt up, gt down etc. | Lets you see the hierarchy / dependency among branches. |
| Submitting stack to PRs | gt submit submits or updates pull requests for every branch in your stack. | Simplifies pushing multiple interdependent PRs. |
| Auth | gt auth --token <TOKEN> to link your Graphite account / GitHub permissions. | |
| Config / Repo settings | gt user, gt repo, branch prefixes, branch naming, restack behaviour. |
Where Graphite excels
- When you have a large feature that naturally decomposes into multiple smaller, dependent changes: stacked workflow makes code review and merging more modular.
- For teams using GitHub heavily, because Graphite automates a lot around pull requests, keeping stacks up to date, etc.
- Improves visibility: tools + VS Code extension + dashboard help with seeing stack dependencies etc.
- Helps avoid long-lived feature branches by encouraging smaller incremental branches (good for avoiding large merge conflicts).
Tool comparison matrix
To help you pick, here’s a side-by-side contrast among tools for some key dimensions:
| Dimension | Graphite | Lazygit / GitUI etc | Sapling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workflow style | Opinionated: stacks, PR submission, restacking built in. | More general: interactive staging / diff / log / commit, etc. Does not enforce stacks. | Somewhere in between: usability + scalability + simplification, but less opinionated about stacks. |
| Integration with PRs & hosted Git (GitHub etc) | Strong: Graphite is made for pull request workflows. | Less: you stage, commit, push, but PR workflows are external. | Good GitHub integration; especially for hosts that support it. |
| Performance / scalability | Good for standard sizes; some overhead for many dependencies in stacks. | Generally fast; may struggle with huge repos in some UIs. | Designed for large scale; some parts (server, protocols) are still evolving. |
| Learning curve | Moderate: need to learn new commands, understand stack model. | Low to moderate: many commands map directly to git; user learns UI / keys. | Moderate: new commands, but familiar concepts. |
| Platform support | Strong on macOS / Linux; Windows via npm / WSL. | Cross-platform; UI may have platform-specific quirks. | Supports major OS; but some “enterprise” scale features not fully open yet. |
Recommendations: Which tool when
Here are suggestions depending on your context.
| Scenario | Recommended Tool(s) |
|---|---|
| You are part of a team doing large features, want clean, small PRs, worry about merge conflicts / code review efficiency | Graphite CLI is a strong choice. Its stack-based workflow will help. |
| You prefer working mostly in terminal, frequently stage / unstage hunks, inspect diffs, commit often, small to medium codebase | Lazygit or GitUI — fast, interactive, less overhead. |
| You have a very large repository, many commits, performance issues, & want scaling + simpler commands | Sapling might shine here. |
| You live in Emacs and want everything keyboard-driven | Magit is still excellent. |
Ready to try Graphite CLI?
If you're working on large features that could benefit from stacked development, or if you want to streamline your pull request workflow, Graphite CLI is worth exploring.
Get started in minutes:
- Install via Homebrew:
brew install withgraphite/tap/graphite - Or install via npm:
npm install -g @withgraphite/graphite-cli - Authenticate with GitHub:
gt auth --token <YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN> - Create your first stack:
gt create -am "Your feature description"
Graphite CLI is free to use and works seamlessly with your existing Git workflow. Try it on a small feature branch to see how stacked development can improve your code review process.
Best practices
- Keep fallback to raw git: No tool covers every edge case. Be prepared to drop into
gitdirectly when you need fine control. - Understand the underlying model (e.g. Graphite stacks, Sapling’s model, interactive staging in Lazygit). Misunderstanding can lead to merge conflicts, unexpected behavior.
- Versioning: Make sure your tools and Git version are compatible (e.g. Graphite requiring Git ≥ 2.38).
- Integration: If you rely on CI/CD pipelines, code review tools, editor extensions, etc., check compatibility. E.g. Graphite offers VS Code extension; whether your tool works with your code host matters.
- Team alignment: If you work with others, everyone using the same or compatible tools/workflows reduces friction.
Frequently asked questions
Which third-party Git CLI is best for beginners?
For beginners, Lazygit or GitUI are excellent choices. They provide intuitive visual interfaces for common Git operations like staging, committing, and viewing history, while still allowing you to use standard Git commands when needed. They have a gentle learning curve and don't require changing your fundamental Git workflow.
Is Graphite CLI worth learning if I'm not doing stacked development?
Graphite CLI is specifically designed for stacked development workflows, so if you don't plan to break large features into smaller, dependent changes, it may add unnecessary complexity. However, if you're working on large features that could benefit from being split into reviewable chunks, Graphite can significantly improve your development process.
Do third-party Git CLIs work with all Git hosting platforms?
Most tools work with standard Git repositories regardless of the hosting platform (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.). However, some features may be platform-specific. For example, Graphite CLI has deep GitHub integration for pull request management, while other tools may have different levels of integration with various platforms.
Are third-party Git CLIs safe to use in production environments?
Yes, reputable third-party Git CLIs are generally safe to use in production. They typically use standard Git commands under the hood and don't modify your repository data in unsafe ways. However, always ensure you have proper backups and test new tools in non-production environments first.
How do I migrate from one third-party Git CLI to another?
Migration is usually straightforward since most tools work with standard Git repositories. You can simply stop using one tool and start using another. However, if you were using tool-specific features (like Graphite's stacks), you may need to manually clean up any tool-specific metadata or branches.
Do third-party Git CLIs affect Git performance?
Most tools have minimal impact on Git performance since they use standard Git commands. However, some tools may add overhead for certain operations (like Graphite's stack management) or may be slower than raw Git for very large repositories. Performance varies by tool and use case.