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Atlassian SourceTree vs GitHub comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 13, 2025

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
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
GitHub
Ranking in Version Control
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
94
Ranking in other categories
Application Security Tools (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Version Control category, the mindshare of Atlassian SourceTree is 6.2%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub is 6.9%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Version Control
 

Featured Reviews

PrinceKumar1 - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Pervez Roy - PeerSpot reviewer
Very good for collaboration on software projects
We use GitHub for code repository alongside Bitbucket GitHub is very good for collaboration on software projects. We prefer Bitbucket for commercial use, while GitHub is used for open source. You can get the differences, history of changes, and version control for various pull requests. You can…

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."
"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 most valuable feature is the ability to fix a broken repository merge."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"Atlassian SourceTree is a very stable product."
"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 solution's initial setup process is straightforward."
"GitHub allows us the option to push files from a non-UA method or directly upload files from the UA. You can integrate GitHub with Jenkins to do CI/CD."
"GitHub's version control is valuable."
"The support team is good."
"I find GitHub's pull request strategies and GitHub Actions to be very valuable."
"The most valuable feature of GitHub is version control and continuous integration."
"I recommend using GitHub because it is reliable and helpful for developers."
"This product is very good for storing and versioning code."
"It has a lot of features from the code development perspective. You get a lot of features such as repo, commit, merge, and branch. You can play around and do things on the fly. It is easy and simple to deploy. It is also easier to use when working from home."
 

Cons

"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."
"I have had a food experience with Atlassian SourceTree but it might not be for everyone."
"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."
"There is a bit of a learning curve."
"From the recruiting standpoint, I would like to see email IDs and phone numbers and a brief introduction about their profile."
"While using the solution when merging two code branches the code becomes a bit messy. This should be improved in the future."
"I would want to see some form of code security scanning implemented."
"GitHub's issue management could be improved a little from an organization standpoint. It would be helpful to have the ability to organize a work board or a backlog more comprehensively. For organizations migrating to GitHub from arbitrary systems, it's a little bit of a headache to move on to that system."
"As of now, if I would like to learn about GitHub or its features, I would have to look on YouTube. It would be nice if they were able to send out a newsletter with explanations of new features that they are offering and what features are available."
"There is a bit of a learning curve."
"Scalability is an area with a shortcoming, because of which it has room for improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"Atlassian SourceTree is a free solution."
"There is a fee for using SourceTree."
"I use the free version of GitHub."
"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."
"The basic licensing model is free, and if you need to have technical support and such things, then it does cost something. You only need to pay extra if you need technical support."
"We have an enterprise licensing agreement, and I am not part of the finance department so I can't say how much it costs."
"GitHub is an open-source product, but when using the free-to-use version, anyone can see the code we're working on."
"The private repositories are free, which is very good."
"The tool offers a free program. As you go, you can upgrade from the community version to the professional one. I believe it costs about ten dollars per person, per month."
"GitHub is an open-source application. It's free to use."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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?
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 comprehe...
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...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Facebook, NASA, Cisco, eBay, Redfin, Toyota, Kaiser Permanente, Gilt, CSIRO, Autodesk, The Daily Telegraph, CODE, Illumnia,
Dominion Enterprises, NASA, Braintree, SAP, CyberAgent
Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian SourceTree vs. GitHub and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
862,514 professionals have used our research since 2012.