GitButler

GitButler is an open-source desktop app that provides a modern interface for Git-based version control. It functions as a drop-in replacement for the standard Git user interface, allowing users to manage repositories through either a desktop application or a command line interface. The software is designed to support agentic workflows and concurrent development, making it suitable for developers who find the standard Git flow too restrictive for complex tasks.

The software is deployed as a desktop app for visual management and a CLI tool named but for terminal-based operations. It works with any existing Git repository without requiring changes to the underlying project structure, meaning it can be added to a project regardless of how the repository was originally initialized. This flexibility allows users to switch between the graphical interface and the terminal depending on the specific needs of their current task.

Key features

• Stacked branches with automatic restacking when commits are edited
• Parallel branches to organize work on multiple streams simultaneously
• Commit management via dragging and dropping to uncommit, reword, or squash
• Undo timeline that logs operations to revert changes
• Conflict marking that allows rebases to succeed while resolving issues later
• GitHub and GitLab integration for managing pull requests and CI statuses
• AI handlers for generating commit messages and branch names
• Support for agent system hooks and skills

The desktop application is built using Tauri, with a Svelte and TypeScript frontend and a Rust backend. The but CLI utilizes the same Rust engine to ensure consistency between the GUI and terminal experiences. It is intended for developers who need to manage complex branching strategies or those integrating AI agents into their version control process. By removing the need for manual interactive rebasing, the tool simplifies the process of cleaning up commit histories before merging.

GitButler is distributed under a Fair Source license that transitions to MIT after two years.