v1.0.2 · Open source · Tauri desktop app

Git Light — a lighter way to see your Git history

Free, open-source desktop Git client for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Browse commit history on a fast graph, manage branches, stage changes, and run real Git commands against local repositories — no account required.

Download View on GitHub Get started
Git Light — AwesomeShop
Git Light showing the AwesomeShop repository with repo tabs, commit graph, branch sidebar, working tree, and resizable three-pane layout
Why Git Light?

Same workflow, without the baggage

Core Git features at parity — free, open-source, and lightweight.

Git Light GitKraken GitHub Desktop Sourcetree
Free + open-source (MIT) ✅ ❌ ✅* ✅ free, ❌ closed
No account required ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌
Commit graph + branches + staging ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Merge / rebase / cherry-pick ✅ ✅ partial ✅
Hunk staging + conflict editor ✅ ✅ partial ✅
Interactive rebase ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅
Undo / redo + stash ✅ ✅ partial partial
Image diffs + blame + file history ✅ ✅ partial partial
Multi-repo tabs ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅
Command palette + custom shortcuts ✅ partial ❌ ❌
macOS / Windows / Linux ✅ ✅ ✅ / ✅ / ❌** ✅ / ✅ / ❌
Lightweight, offline-first ✅ ❌ heavy ✅ ❌ heavy

* GitHub Desktop is open-source but GitHub-centric. ** No official Linux build.

Under the hood

Built with modern tools

Tauri 2 desktop shell, Vue 3 renderer, and a typed Git command layer.

Tauri logoTauri 2 Rust logoRust Vue.js logoVue 3 TypeScript logoTypeScript Pinia logoPinia reka-ui Tailwind CSS logoTailwind CSS 4 Vitest logoVitest Vite logoVite
Get the app

Download Git Light

Free desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux — open source, no account required.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ftuyama/git-light/main/scripts/install.sh | sh
Easy install with one command — no Gatekeeper prompts.
Download for macOS .dmg · Apple Silicon Download for Windows .exe installer Download for Linux .AppImage · .deb
Installation guide

macOS

  1. Recommended: run the one-line command above in Terminal — installs to Applications with no Gatekeeper prompts. Re-run it to update.
  2. Or download the .dmg above (Apple Silicon), open it and drag Git Light into Applications.
  3. Launch the app — then use Git Light → Check for Updates… anytime to stay current.
macOS says "move it to the Trash" or refuses to open?

Browsers attach a quarantine flag to downloaded files, which macOS blocks for apps without an Apple Developer ID. Nothing is wrong with your download:

Easiest fix: run the one-line install command instead — its downloads skip the quarantine flag entirely. If you already installed from the .dmg, run once in Terminal: 

codesign --force --deep --sign - "/Applications/Git Light.app"
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Git Light.app"

Windows

  1. Download the .exe installer above.
  2. Run it and follow the setup wizard.
  3. Launch from the Start menu — then use Git Light → Check for Updates… anytime to stay current.

Linux

  1. Download the .AppImage or .deb above.
  2. AppImage: make it executable with chmod +x *.AppImage and run it. Deb: install with sudo apt install ./git-light_*.deb.
  3. Launch the app — then use Git Light → Check for Updates… anytime to stay current.
All releases

Past versions, checksums and platform-specific installers (.dmg, .exe, .msi, .AppImage, .deb, .rpm) live on the GitHub Releases page.

Build from source 
# Clone and run
git clone https://github.com/ftuyama/git-light.git
cd git-light
npm install
npm run dev
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Git Light.

What is Git Light?

Git Light is a free, open-source desktop Git client for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It shows a commit graph, branch sidebar, and working tree in a resizable three-pane layout, running real git commands against your local repositories.

Is Git Light free?

Yes. Git Light is MIT-licensed and free to download and use. You can optionally support development on Ko-fi.

What platforms does Git Light support?

Packaged builds are available for macOS (.dmg), Windows (.exe), and Linux (.AppImage, .deb) on GitHub Releases. Developers can run it locally on any OS that supports Tauri with Node.js, npm, and Rust.

Does Git Light require an account?

No sign-in, cloud sync, or subscription. Open a local folder, clone from a URL, or start a new repo — then work with your Git repositories offline.

How is Git Light different from GitKraken or Sourcetree?

Git Light is a lightweight, open-source alternative focused on a fast commit graph and direct Git CLI operations — without vendor accounts or lock-in. Built with Tauri 2, Vue 3, TypeScript, and Rust.