Atlassian SourceTree vs GitHub comparison

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Atlassian SourceTree

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 13, 2025

GitHub and Atlassian SourceTree compete in the version control and collaboration category for software development. GitHub may have the upper hand due to its broader community engagement and versatile integration capabilities.

Features: GitHub provides seamless integration with multiple developer tools, extensive collaboration functionalities, and a robust version control system, making it ideal for distributed teams. Atlassian SourceTree focuses on ease of management with a visual representation of code branches, intuitive navigation, and a user-friendly interface, simplifying Git workflows.

Room for Improvement: GitHub could enhance by providing more visual management tools for non-technical users, simplifying complex workflows, and offering more beginner-friendly resources. SourceTree might benefit from expanded integration options, a more streamlined user interface for advanced users, and improved documentation for troubleshooting complex issues.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GitHub offers a straightforward web-based deployment model with comprehensive documentation, enhancing setup and deployment efficiency. Its online support excels due to widespread community use. SourceTree, with its visually oriented desktop client, simplifies deployment for those preferring graphical interfaces and connects users with Atlassian's support network for direct assistance.

Pricing and ROI: GitHub presents tiered pricing, appealing to a range of budgets while delivering significant ROI through enhanced collaboration tools. Atlassian SourceTree is free, offering excellent value with no setup costs, providing immediate ROI particularly beneficial for small teams seeking cost-effective solutions.

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

Atlassian SourceTree vs. GitHub

September 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 867,445 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

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Version Control category, the mindshare of Atlassian SourceTree is 6.4%, up from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub is 8.0%, up from 5.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Version Control Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
GitHub	8.0%
Atlassian SourceTree	6.4%
Other	85.6%

Version Control

Featured Reviews

PrinceKumar1

Expert Software Engineer at FIS

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

Kamalanadha Reddy

Senior DevOps Engineer at Simplify3x Software Private Limited

Improved deployment pipeline visibility with generally good support

My primary use case involves working with GitHub for code management. I have extensive experience using it for various tasks, such as creating repositories, managing pull requests, and utilizing GitHub Actions for automating workflows GitHub contributes to efficient project management by…

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 tool's UI is good."

"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 initial setup is straightforward."

"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 product helps our team collaborate across different locations."

"This product is very good for storing and versioning code."

"The best feature is the ability to track the history of all code changes, and it's easy to use. Additionally, as it's open source, anyone can use that feature resulting in distributed development. This opens the door to collaboration with different code and developer, feature, and master branches of development."

"The most valuable features are GitHub Actions for triggering workflows, GitHub Secrets for saving credentials without needing a third-party service, and the UI for identifying errors in the code when we commit."

"GitHub's merging feature is much better than that of other products because merging is done daily."

"GitHub is a very good tool, and people should use it more than any other, even Bitbucket."

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

"GitHub is good for small companies and for personal use."

More GitHub pros

Cons

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

"The product's UI needs improvement."

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

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

"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."

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

"It is difficult to merge a code or restore it to an older version."

"The security for this solution could be tightened up and improved."

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

"I would like to see integration with Slack such that all of the changes made in GitHub are reflected there."

"I cannot recall coming across any shortcomings of the product."

"If we have complex branch strategies, it becomes very complicated to manage all those branches."

"The solution could have better support for the Markdown language."

"The stability can be improved."

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."

"I use the free version of the tool."

"There are no licensing fees for the features that we use."

"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."

"It’s an open-source solution."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"We pay a licensing fee for GitHub, which could be cheaper."

"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."

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

More GitHub pricing and cost advice

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

19%

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

14%

University

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

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	12
Large Enterprise	48

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?

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 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 am not aware about the pricing, so I will not be able to give feedback.

What needs improvement with GitHub?

Sometimes we do not get the exact solution, and the suggested solution does not work, so GitHub could improve in that area. We have used GitHub mainly for the code generation part. That is the only...

Bitbucket vs Atlassian SourceTree

Comparisons

Compared 33% of the time

Bitbucket Server vs Atlassian SourceTree

Compared 24% of the time

Git vs Atlassian SourceTree

Compared 19% of the time

More Atlassian SourceTree Competitors

Bitbucket vs GitHub

Compared 14% of the time

Snyk vs GitHub

Compared 10% of the time

OpenText Core Application Security vs GitHub

Compared 8% of the time

AWS CodeCommit vs GitHub

Compared 7% of the time

Mend.io vs GitHub

Compared 6% of the time

More GitHub Competitors

Product Reports

Download Atlassian SourceTree product report

Version Control

August 2025

Download GitHub product report

September 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