lazygit vs GitKraken
Both are git GUIs, but they have very different philosophies: one lives in your terminal for free, the other is a full desktop app.
| Feature | lazygit | GitKraken |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ✅ Free, open source | ⚠️ Free tier, paid for full features |
| Interface | ✅ Terminal UI (any terminal) | Desktop app (Electron) |
| Speed | ✅ Instant, minimal overhead | ⚠️ Slower startup (Electron) |
| SSH remote machines | ✅ Works over SSH | ❌ Requires desktop |
| Cross-platform | ✅ Windows, macOS, Linux | ✅ Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Interactive rebase | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Built-in (paid) |
| Commit graph | ✅ Built-in | ✅ More visual |
| GitHub/GitLab integration | ⚠️ Via gh CLI | ✅ Built-in (paid) |
| Custom keybindings | ✅ Full YAML config | ⚠️ Limited |
| Requires internet for activation | ✅ No | ⚠️ For some features |
Choose lazygit if…
- ✅ You live in the terminal and don't want to switch contexts
- ✅ You work on remote servers over SSH
- ✅ You want a completely free, open-source solution
- ✅ You want fast startup with no Electron overhead
Choose GitKraken if…
- ✅ You prefer a graphical desktop app
- ✅ You need built-in GitHub/GitLab PR management
- ✅ Your team is non-technical and wants mouse-driven UI
See also
- lazygit vs git CLI — when to use a UI layer over raw git
- lazygit vs tig — terminal git UI head-to-head