What Is SourceTree?

A Visual Git Client

SourceTree is a free desktop application from Atlassian that wraps Git (and Mercurial) in a visual interface. Repositories become folders of branches, commit graphs and push/pull buttons instead of command-line sequences.

Why Teams and Beginners Like It

• Branch graph - See the whole history as a picture.
• No command line needed - Buttons replace git add/commit/push.
• Visual diffs - Every change is readable side by side.
• One host, many remotes - GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab and more.

What It Wraps

Under the hood SourceTree runs the real Git commands, so the repository stays standard and works with other tools. It simply makes the common operations faster to click.

When SourceTree Works Best

Commit review, teaching Git visually, handling merge conflicts in a comfortable interface, and quickly combining several repositories on one screen.

Key Points

• SourceTree is a free visual wrapper around Git.
• The branch graph replaces Git's abstract model with a picture.
• Diffs, conflicts and history become mouse actions.
• The underlying repository is perfectly normal Git.