Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Fork

198
253
+ 1
126
GitKraken

719
908
+ 1
279
Tower

211
359
+ 1
80

Fork vs GitKraken vs Tower: What are the differences?

Introduction

Git is a popular version control system used by developers to manage their code changes efficiently. Fork, GitKraken, and Tower are tools that help users interact with Git repositories in visual and user-friendly ways.

  1. Graphical Interface: Fork, GitKraken, and Tower all provide a graphical user interface instead of a command-line interface for interacting with Git repositories, making it easier for users to navigate through their version control workflow. However, they differ in the design and functionalities of their interfaces.
  2. Collaboration Features: Fork and GitKraken offer robust collaboration features such as pull request management, code review tools, and team collaboration features. Tower, on the other hand, mainly focuses on Git repository management and may not have as extensive collaboration tools.
  3. Price: Fork is free and open-source, providing users with essential Git features at no cost. GitKraken and Tower, on the other hand, are premium tools with pricing plans for individuals and teams, offering advanced features and support options.
  4. Supported Platforms: While all three tools are available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, GitKraken and Tower also offer mobile applications that allow users to access their Git repositories on the go. Fork, on the other hand, is primarily designed for desktop use.
  5. Integration with Third-Party Services: GitKraken and Tower have built-in integrations with popular development platforms and services, making it easier for users to connect their Git repositories with tools like Jira, Slack, and Trello. Fork may have limited or no integrations with third-party services.
  6. Learning Curve: GitKraken and Tower provide more extensive documentation and support resources compared to Fork, making it easier for users to learn how to use the tools effectively. Additionally, GitKraken offers interactive tutorials and educational resources to help users get started with Git.

In Summary, Fork, GitKraken, and Tower provide graphical interfaces for interacting with Git repositories, but they differ in collaboration features, pricing, supported platforms, integrations, and learning resources.

Decisions about Fork, GitKraken, and Tower

I explored many Git Desktop tools for the Mac and my final decision was to use Fork. What I love about for that it contains three features, I like about a Git Client tool.

It allows * to handle day to day git operations (least important for me as I am cli junkie) * it helps to investigate the history * most important of all, it has a repo manager which many other tools are missing.

See more
Get Advice from developers at your company using StackShare Enterprise. Sign up for StackShare Enterprise.
Learn More
Pros of Fork
Pros of GitKraken
Pros of Tower
  • 19
    One of the easiest and fastest git GUIs
  • 14
    Nice UX
  • 13
    Does the job way better than others
  • 13
    Fast, Great support, Does-it-all, blazing fast
  • 11
    Dark theme
  • 9
    Intuitive interactive rebase and conflict resolution UI
  • 9
    Gitflow support
  • 7
    Excellent commit history tree view
  • 5
    This even looks the same as SourceTree
  • 4
    Repository Manager
  • 3
    Built-in developer feedback
  • 3
    Countless quality of life features
  • 2
    Github Notifications
  • 2
    Not buggy, works smoothly
  • 2
    Keyaboard-only
  • 2
    Visual branch history
  • 2
    Reflog support
  • 1
    Git ammend
  • 1
    Smart 'Open in' menu; e.g. explorer, bit, giithub .
  • 1
    Interactive rebase window
  • 1
    Native application
  • 1
    Intuitive merge conflict resolution
  • 1
    Unique Activity Manager shows current/past operations
  • 59
    Dark theme
  • 34
    Best linux git client
  • 29
    Great overview
  • 21
    Full featured client
  • 20
    Gitflow support
  • 19
    Beautiful UI
  • 18
    Very easy to use
  • 16
    Graph
  • 13
    Works great on both linux and windows
  • 13
    Effortless
  • 6
    Easy Merge Conflict Tool
  • 5
    Amazing Github and Bitbucket integration
  • 4
    Great UX
  • 3
    Integration with GitHub
  • 3
    Automatic Repo Discovery
  • 3
    Submodule support
  • 3
    Easy to Learn and Setup
  • 3
    Super fast
  • 2
    Fuzzy find (CTRL P)
  • 1
    Very user friendly
  • 1
    Much more stable than source tree
  • 1
    Great for non-dev users
  • 1
    Because it has Linux client
  • 1
    Command palette (CTRL Shift P)
  • 19
    Git
  • 16
    Just works
  • 10
    Version control
  • 6
    Awesome
  • 6
    Simple layout
  • 4
    Multiple windows
  • 3
    Automatic repo discovery
  • 3
    Multiple tabs
  • 2
    Submodule support
  • 2
    Github integration
  • 2
    Full featured client
  • 2
    Uses standard git terminology and methods
  • 2
    Gitflow support
  • 2
    Interactive stage or discard by hunks or lines
  • 1
    SAS

Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

Cons of Fork
Cons of GitKraken
Cons of Tower
  • 2
    Poorly written license
  • 1
    Stability is fragile when looking deeply into history
  • 1
    Merges that require interactive user decision
  • 3
    Extremely slow when working with large repositories
  • 3
    No edit/fixup in interactive rebase
  • 3
    Hangs occasionally (not as bad as sourcetree)
  • 2
    Not as many features as sourcetree
  • 2
    Do not allow to directly edit staging area
  • 2
    Does not work like a Mac app
  • 5
    Expensive
  • 4
    Subscription based
  • 1
    No side by side diff
  • 0
    Merge conflict resolution impossible/unclear

Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

What is Fork?

Manage your repositories without leaving the application. Organize the repositores into categories. Fork's Diff Viewer provides a clear view to spot the changes in your source code quickly.

What is GitKraken?

The downright luxurious Git client for Windows, Mac and Linux. Cross-platform, 100% standalone, and free.

What is Tower?

Use all of Git's powerful feature set - in a GUI that makes you more productive.

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

What companies use Fork?
What companies use GitKraken?
What companies use Tower?

Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions

What tools integrate with Fork?
What tools integrate with GitKraken?
What tools integrate with Tower?

Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions

What are some alternatives to Fork, GitKraken, and Tower?
SourceTree
Use the full capability of Git and Mercurial in the SourceTree desktop app. Manage all your repositories, hosted or local, through SourceTree's simple interface.
JavaScript
JavaScript is most known as the scripting language for Web pages, but used in many non-browser environments as well such as node.js or Apache CouchDB. It is a prototype-based, multi-paradigm scripting language that is dynamic,and supports object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles.
Git
Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency.
GitHub
GitHub is the best place to share code with friends, co-workers, classmates, and complete strangers. Over three million people use GitHub to build amazing things together.
Python
Python is a general purpose programming language created by Guido Van Rossum. Python is most praised for its elegant syntax and readable code, if you are just beginning your programming career python suits you best.
See all alternatives