Git for Windows: when to install it, and when not to
Version control, and the tool every later development step assumes you already have. Install it with the editor, not after the first project.
The short version
Git for Windows: Version control, plus a real Bash shell on Windows so you can stop translating commands in your head. Install it before anything else in this section.
| Licence / price | Free · Open source |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Category | Developer Tools — 12 programs |
| Official download | https://git-scm.com/download/win ↗ |
What it is for
Version control, and the tool every later development step assumes you already have. Install it with the editor, not after the first project.
When to pick something else
It is not a backup service and it is not a place to store large binary assets. If you only need to keep two folders in agreement, a sync tool is a simpler answer.
What independent reviewers found
We do not run lab tests or benchmarks. These summaries are written in our own words, with the publisher named and the original linked. Our citation policy explains what we will and will not reproduce.
Stack Overflow — 2025
What the source says. The same survey reports GitHub as the dominant collaboration platform among respondents, reflecting how central hosted Git repositories have become.
What we take from it. Install Git because your work will pass through a remote repository, not because you need a local version history for a folder of documents.
Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 ↗ (Stack Overflow · 2025 · Developer survey)
How it compares in Developer Tools
These are the alternatives we would consider for the same job. The notes are the same ones used on the main list, so there is no separate ranking hiding on this page.
| Program | Licence / price | Platforms | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Code Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Source-available | Windows, macOS, Linux | The default editor for most languages, with the largest extension ecosystem in existence. Note that official builds ship Microsoft telemetry, so turn it off in settings or use VSCodium if that matters to you. |
| Windows Terminal Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows | Tabs, panes, proper font rendering and a config file, in place of the old console window. On Windows 11 it is already installed. On Windows 10 get it from the Microsoft Store. |
Practical notes
- Set your name and email once in the global config before the first commit.
- Check whether a project expects a version manager or a particular line-ending setting before cloning it.
Questions people ask
Is a remote hosting account required?
No. Git works entirely locally; a remote is only needed to share or to keep an off-site copy.
Where it appears in our guides
See the full Developer Tools explainer for the other 11 programs in this category.
How to read this page. How to read this page. Platform, licence and publisher details come from our directory data. Where an independent review, audit or survey is mentioned, it is summarised in our own words with the source named and linked; our /sources page sets out that policy. The recommendation, the trade-offs and every 'skip it if' line are our editorial judgement. We do not run benchmarks, publish measured performance figures or host installers, and every download link goes to the publisher's own site. If a detail is out of date, our About page explains how to tell us.