Atlassian SourceTree vs GitHub comparison

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Atlassian SourceTree

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

GitHub and Atlassian SourceTree are both prominent players in version control and management. GitHub appears to have the upper hand with its robust online collaboration tools and extensive community support, whereas SourceTree distinguishes itself with its superior desktop client experience for managing local Git repositories.

Features: GitHub's valuable features include advanced security, extensive code hosting capabilities, and seamless integration with numerous tools, which enhances collaboration. SourceTree offers a visually appealing interface for branch management, convenient undo options for specific changes, and powerful conflict resolution tools like KDiff3.

Room for Improvement: GitHub could enhance its user experience by offering more intuitive navigation and better integration with IDEs. SourceTree might benefit from improved performance speeds, expanded third-party integrations, and a more modernized interface to compete with other Git clients. Both could bolster user support channels for better real-time assistance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GitHub's cloud-based nature means it requires no installation, offering instant setup, making it ideal for remote teams seeking easy collaboration. Its extensive documentation and community resources are pivotal. SourceTree requires desktop installation, appealing more to those who prefer offline access, with detailed guides and troubleshooting support enhancing the user experience.

Pricing and ROI: GitHub operates on a tiered pricing model, starting with free public repositories and scaling to paid private repositories, maximizing ROI through collaboration tools and integrated features. SourceTree is free for individual developers, attracting those requiring a strong local Git client without incurring costs. GitHub’s ROI is augmented by its integration capabilities, while SourceTree offers value through its cost-free setup.

To learn more, read our detailed Atlassian SourceTree vs. GitHub Report (Updated: January 2025).

Atlassian SourceTree vs. GitHub

January 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Atlassian SourceTree

Ranking in Version Control

6th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

GitHub

Ranking in Version Control

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Version Control category, the mindshare of Atlassian SourceTree is 5.3%, down from 7.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub is 5.3%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Version Control

Featured Reviews

Francisco Castrillo

Coach Agile Architecture & DevOps at Sistemas Humanos

Allows fast and effective management of branches and integration

For me, the branches graph was the most valuable feature of Atlassian SourceTree. I often used the terminal, but during a demo, my boss preferred I not switch to the terminal view. SourceTree's graphical interface for managing branches was handy for that. The demo involved making changes, committing them, pushing to the CI/CD tool, running the pipeline, and seeing the integration, all within about twenty minutes.

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Pervez Roy

Solutions Architect at Small Systems LTD

Very good for collaboration on software projects

We use GitHub for code repository alongside Bitbucket GitHub is very good for collaboration on software projects. We prefer Bitbucket for commercial use, while GitHub is used for open source. You can get the differences, history of changes, and version control for various pull requests. You can…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"For me, the branches ' graph was the most valuable feature of Atlassian SourceTree. I often used the terminal, but during a demo, my boss preferred I not switch to the terminal view. SourceTree's graphical interface for managing branches was handy for that. The demo involved making changes, committing them, pushing to the CI/CD tool, running the pipeline, and seeing the integration, all within about twenty minutes."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to fix a broken repository merge."

"Atlassian SourceTree is a very stable product."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"The tool's UI is good."

"The interface is very good and is easy to use. It tells you when you've committed, when you've uploaded, and gives you the differences."

"The solution's initial setup process is straightforward."

"I find GitHub very user friendly."

"With GitHub, we can manage our development progress, CID, and continuous integration. It helps streamline our development processes effectively."

"The most valuable feature is help offered by the community for open-source projects."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the version control field."

"I find GitHub's pull request strategies and GitHub Actions to be very valuable."

"The most valuable aspects of GitHub are version control and parallel development. I also appreciate the forking part, which allows us to release a specific set of features to the environment."

"During our use of GitHub, we have not encountered any problems and GitHub adds new features frequently."

"GitHub is easy, secure, and widely documented."

More GitHub pros

Cons

"The product's UI needs improvement."

"The visuals, including the UI and UX, have simple fonts, making it an area where certain enhancements can be done."

"For everyday use, I am more comfortable using the command line interface, rather than using SourceTree."

"People think that Visual Studio Code is more intuitive and can serve dual purposes for development and as a client to push or pull code."

"Its interface could be easy to understand for a programmer."

"I have had a food experience with Atlassian SourceTree but it might not be for everyone."

"The sign in process is a bit difficult."

"They're improving the work items to track the progress of the team, but in my experience, Azure DevOps is better in this functionality. GitHub needs to improve the form to track the progress of the work done by a team."

"GitHub needs to improve its UI."

"GitHub could have better integration or capability with other solutions."

"The project management sector really needs some improvement for GitHub. I don't know if GitHub made sense for me as a project manager."

"The support team needs to have a well-defined SLA model since it is an area where the tool currently has some shortcomings."

"If you are uploading or cloning a large file, with more than 25 megs, it's pretty slow."

"As of now, if I would like to learn about GitHub or its features, I would have to look on YouTube. It would be nice if they were able to send out a newsletter with explanations of new features that they are offering and what features are available."

More GitHub cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Atlassian SourceTree is a free solution."

"There is a fee for using SourceTree."

"I do not recall the exact pricing details for SourceTree, but generally, Atlassian products are affordable, and SourceTree typically comes as part of a suite."

"We pay a subscription-based yearly licensing fee for the solution."

"I use the free version of the tool."

"GitHub is an open-source application. It's free to use."

"GitHub is a cost-effective solution."

"You don't have to pay for a license if you are using the free version."

"We have an enterprise licensing agreement, and I am not part of the finance department so I can't say how much it costs."

"It is open-source. There is no license for GitHub."

"The licensing model for GitHub is user-based. Whenever the new developer joins we have to get a new license and register their ID. The overall price of the solution is reasonable."

More GitHub pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

University

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Atlassian SourceTree?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Atlassian SourceTree?

I do not recall the exact pricing details for SourceTree, but generally, Atlassian products are affordable, and SourceTree typically comes as part of a suite.

What needs improvement with Atlassian SourceTree?

There can be improvements in the way the messages are displayed in the tool. The visuals, including the UI and UX, have simple fonts, making it an area where certain enhancements can be done.

What do you like most about GitHub?

The control is the most valuable feature as developers can work on a single code.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitHub?

I'm not aware of the costs associated with GitHub. I simply appreciate its efficiency in managing code and collaborating with team members.

What needs improvement with GitHub?

I would like to see some AI functionality included in GitHub, similar to the features seen in GitLab, to enhance productivity. Additionally, offering limited free access to features like Copilot co...

Git vs Atlassian SourceTree

Comparisons

Compared 40% of the time

Bitbucket vs Atlassian SourceTree

Compared 25% of the time

Bitbucket Server vs Atlassian SourceTree

Compared 16% of the time

AWS CodeCommit vs Atlassian SourceTree

Compared 6% of the time

More Atlassian SourceTree Competitors

Fortify on Demand vs GitHub

Compared 16% of the time

Snyk vs GitHub

Compared 15% of the time

Bitbucket vs GitHub

Compared 14% of the time

AWS CodeCommit vs GitHub

Compared 13% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs GitHub

Compared 5% of the time

More GitHub Competitors

Product Reports

Download Atlassian SourceTree product report

Version Control

January 2025

Download GitHub product report

February 2025

Overview

Atlassian SourceTree is a graphical user interface (GUI) desktop client that facilitates user interaction with Git repositories. SourceTree provides a visual interface that is easy to use and intuitive. It allows developers to save a lot of command lines when working with Git.

The tool is free and works as a Git client for Windows and Mac OS. You can visualize and manage your repositories via the simple GUI. The client offers an efficient and consistent development process for Git and Mercurial.

Atlassian SourceTree Key Features

Branch management: Typically, managing branches is a time-consuming and tedious process for project managers and developers. With SourceTree, you can switch working copies with a single click. You can also see where you are compared with the version in the repository, alerting you to push or pull.
Working copy: Developers who work using the command line often lack visibility. Access the “working copy” section to see the difference between your local copy and the version in the Git repository. This feature allows you to see exactly what has changed.
Branch history: the History section displays the full history of the branch, displaying each commit and file change. This feature enables smooth version control.
GitFlow: GitFlow organizes the workflow, streamlining parallel code changes and reducing merge conflicts.

Atlassian SourceTree Benefits

Any level user can use SourceTree: beginners and experts benefit from the visibility and streamlined workflows of SourceTree. Beginners benefit from the simplified version control. Experts can review changesets and stash and pick between branches. Senior programmers can customize changeset and stashes, apply patches, rebase or shelve changesets. The tool offers detailed tutorials to help beginners and experts start quickly. Other benefits for beginners include easy access to commands with one click and simplified distributed version control.
Code visibility: the visualization of the Git process enables users to manage large projects with multiple branches and commits. SourceTree automatically tracks the activity of your code. It also features bookmarks where you can see a summarized view of all projects and repositories. Therefore, you can check a specific branch or commit with a single click. Finally, it features detailed branching diagrams that make it easy to follow the process.
Git and Hg support: the fully-featured GUI supports Git and Mercurial, offering a consistent development process from the start. You can also use SourceTree for a project on Github. Start by creating the project on Github, then connect it to the SourceTree software.
Free: the SourceTree tool is free to use, even for commercial uses, without buying a license.
Supports Git LFS: users can track large assets and submit code from a single dashboard.
Subordinated modules: you can use submodules for hand-picked dependencies and manage and group projects.

Atlassian SourceTree Use Cases

Check-in and check-out code using the client-side application.
You can also use SourceTree to repair broken Git repositories because you can easily detect mistakes at a glance.
The simple and intuitive user interface allows users to search for and clone remote repositories.

Reviews from Real Users

A Program Manager/Engineer at a government says, "The most valuable feature is the ability to fix a broken repository merge… This product has helped because we have been able to fix problems when our code repository breaks."

Atlassian

GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service. It offers all of the distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well as adding its own features. Unlike Git, which is strictly a command-line tool, GitHub provides a Web-based graphical interface and desktop as well as mobile integration. It also provides access control and several collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for every project.

Sample Customers

Facebook, NASA, Cisco, eBay, Redfin, Toyota, Kaiser Permanente, Gilt, CSIRO, Autodesk, The Daily Telegraph, CODE, Illumnia,

Dominion Enterprises, NASA, Braintree, SAP, CyberAgent