Atlassian SourceTree vs GitHub comparison

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Atlassian SourceTree

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

In the realm of software development and version control management, both GitHub and Atlassian SourceTree compete closely. GitHub appears to have the upper hand due to its widespread adoption and cloud-based collaborative capabilities, according to data comparisons.

Features: GitHub provides features such as integrated issue tracking, extensive collaboration tools, and continuous integration support. It also benefits from a strong community and open-source integrations. Atlassian SourceTree offers features like user-friendly repository visualization, simplified branching processes, and drag-and-drop support for files.

Room for Improvement: GitHub could enhance its user interface for simplicity and ease of use, improve offline access options, and refine its command-line interface for new users. SourceTree could expand support for cloud-based integrations, improve documentation for newer users, and enhance the speed of processing large repositories.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GitHub's cloud-hosted service allows for quick deployment, adaptability across various environments, and has reliable support channels. Meanwhile, Atlassian SourceTree provides desktop clients with straightforward on-premise implementations, along with thorough documentation and community support.

Pricing and ROI: GitHub offers various pricing tiers, favorable for scalability, and provides a free option for open-source projects, promising high ROI through collaborative tools. SourceTree, being cost-effective with its free offering, delivers substantial ROI for small teams or individuals focused on local repositories without incurring high initial costs.

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

Atlassian SourceTree vs. GitHub

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (4th), Agile and DevOps Services (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Version Control category, the mindshare of Atlassian SourceTree is 7.1%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub is 9.3%, up from 5.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Version Control Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
GitHub	9.3%
Atlassian SourceTree	7.1%
Other	83.6%

Version Control

Featured Reviews

PrinceKumar1

Expert Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Utilize Agile methodologies with efficient project management, yet seek improvements in resolving merge conflicts

SourceTree is one of the best tools from a UI perspective. However, I would prefer if SourceTree could address merge conflicts more easily. Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code, providing a comprehensive tool for both development and code management, is favored because it can serve as both a development tool and a client for pushing or pulling code, resolving conflicts efficiently. It would be beneficial if SourceTree could offer similar integrated functionalities.

Read full review

Murathan OK

Software Development Manager at a media company with 10,001+ employees

CI/CD workflows have become streamlined and AI support has improved collaborative development

We are using GitHub because it is open-source software, which is the most valuable solution for us. The open source and community support are very good. We are always up-to-date with the community, and integration difficulty is very low. If you integrate any CI/CD solutions on GitHub, it's very easy. We started using GitHub about three months ago with AI integration. For our deployments, some developers can be very shy about asking for descriptions on their commits. We are using AI support for comments and deployment management, which is beautiful. We are not using the GitHub API for automating workflows in our projects. I give GitHub a five-star rating for the review capabilities. I also give GitHub five stars for integration with third-party applications. There is a lot of integration available on GitHub. If you want to integrate something, even if it could be integrated before GitHub, you can make your code and integrate your own in-house applications. It's a very easy and powerful aspect of GitHub.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

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

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

"Atlassian SourceTree is a very stable product."

"The tool's UI is good."

"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 initial setup is straightforward."

"Any complex banking can be handled very easily in GitHub. It allows us to integrate with tools like Grid, where we can merge and resolve conflicts without any hassle."

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

"The support team is good."

"The product has a very user-friendly interface and user-friendly security."

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"The most valuable features are the speed, low latency, and the clear, concise set of commands."

"GitHub is very straightforward. I really appreciate the versioning capabilities, ease of use, and the ability to host code."

"GitHub provides good time reduction and this is what I value the most."

More GitHub pros

Cons

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

"The product's UI needs improvement."

"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."

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

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

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

"In complex cases, we have to use the terminal for conflict resolution. If those conflicts could be resolved visually in the editor, that would be much better."

"There is a bit of a learning curve."

"GitHub could improve in resolving conflicts when multiple developers modify the same line of code."

"I think it would be valuable to have more security. Some of the data is very open to everyone."

"The merging features can be improved."

"When solving merge conflicts, it would be helpful to have tooltips within the actions to know what changes could happen next when resolving a conflict."

"We face issues with synchronization while working with teams."

"GitHub needs to improve its UI."

More GitHub cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a fee for using SourceTree."

"Atlassian SourceTree is a free solution."

"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 licensing fee for GitHub, which could be cheaper."

"GitHub is an open-source product, but when using the free-to-use version, anyone can see the code we're working on."

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

"The product is reasonably priced."

"The private repositories are free, which is very good."

"The price of this solution is reasonable."

"The licensing model from GitHub is very clear."

"If there are only 10 people using a particular repository, then GitHub is free. But if we increase the number of users, we need to pay the normal charge for GitHub."

More GitHub pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Version Control solutions are best for your needs.

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881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

18%

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

13%

University

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	42
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	49

Questions from the Community

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

Both SourceTree and primary alternatives like Visual Studio Code are open-source, so there are no costs involved.

What needs improvement with Atlassian SourceTree?

What is your primary use case for Atlassian SourceTree?

I am currently using Atlassian Jira for project management, and I have been using it for about eight years across two companies. I use it to create design documents for upcoming projects, where all...

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 was paying approximately one hundred dollars annually about a year ago. I am uncertain of the current cost, but GitHub without Copilot is free as far as I know. I am not paying anything for my Gi...

What needs improvement with GitHub?

Security could make GitHub better. OWASP Top Ten security advisors could be integrated on GitHub, and it could provide checks and advice. That would be much better. Additionally, LLM integration on...

Bitbucket vs Atlassian SourceTree

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Product Reports

Download Atlassian SourceTree product report

Version Control

January 2026

Download GitHub product report

January 2026

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