freeproprietary, freeLocal★ $0 forever
GitButler
A modern visual Git client; free forever, source-visible, and deliberately not open source.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Free tier / Free tool)
- License
- proprietary, free
- Hosting Model
- Local (on your machine)
- Platforms
- desktopone-click install
- Installation
- Native MSI, DMG, deb, rpm or AppImage
- Operational Setup
- Its trunk-based virtual-branch workflow is unfamiliar, and Linux packages have strict WebKit and glibc compatibility bands
- Where Your Data Lives
- The Git repository remains on disk; GitButler stores per-project SQLite and metadata under .git/gitbutler and app settings in the OS application-data directory
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It lacks GitKraken's multi-repository shared cloud workspaces, issue dashboards and broad team and admin integrations.
Replaces 2 paid apps
GitButler FAQ
Common questions
Is GitButler free and open source?+
GitButler is a free tool that runs on local. A modern visual Git client; free forever, source-visible, and deliberately not open source.
What paid software does GitButler replace?+
GitButler serves as a free replacement for 2 paid SaaS applications: GitKraken, Tower.
How do you install and set up GitButler?+
Installation: Native MSI, DMG, deb, rpm or AppImage. Setup notes: Its trunk-based virtual-branch workflow is unfamiliar, and Linux packages have strict WebKit and glibc compatibility bands
What is the catch or trade-off with GitButler?+
It lacks GitKraken's multi-repository shared cloud workspaces, issue dashboards and broad team and admin integrations.