lazygit
A simple terminal interface for working with git commands.
- Stars
- 83.6k
- Forks
- 3.3k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Go
- Last update
- 5 days ago
- Type
- CLI
What it is
Lazygit is a terminal user interface (TUI) for git, the version control system used to track changes in code. Instead of typing git commands one by one, you use keyboard-driven panels to view status, stage changes, commit, and push. The README describes it simply as a terminal UI for git commands.
- Stage individual files or parts of files and write commits from a single screen
- Review the state of a repository, including changes and commit history, without running multiple git commands
- Push and pull changes to a remote repository from inside the terminal
Great for
- Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository
- People who prefer working inside a terminal rather than a graphical app
- Users who want to stage, commit, and push changes without memorizing every git flag
Not ideal for
- People who are new to git and need to learn its concepts first, since the tool exposes git operations directly
- Users who need a graphical desktop app or work mainly in an IDE, because it runs only in a terminal
- Teams relying on hosting-platform workflows (pull requests, issues) that the README does not describe as supported
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: git
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit - 2
Run it
- Install lazygit using a prebuilt binary from the releases page or a package manager, as described in the project's installation instructions.
- Change into a folder that is a git repository.
- Run lazygit in the terminal to open the interface.
- Use the keyboard to move between panels and perform git actions.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the demo in the README to see the commit-and-push workflow before relying on it
- Check the project's documentation for keybindings and configuration options, which the truncated README does not show in full
- Install through a package manager where available, since the README links to a Homebrew formula
Downloads
Strengths
- Keyboard-driven panels make common git actions quicker to reach than typing full commands
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Available as prebuilt binaries for Linux, Windows, and FreeBSD, according to the latest release assets
Trade-offs
- Requires comfort with a terminal and a basic understanding of git
- The README is truncated here, so detailed feature coverage and limits could not be fully verified
- Its scope is git operations; it does not replace a full code editor or code review platform
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lazygit (this) | 83.6k | CLI | beginner | 5 days ago | Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository |
| gitui | 22.6k | App | beginner | 1 months ago | Developers who already work in a terminal and want a visual view of git changes |
| pure | 14.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 30 days ago | Developers who use zsh and want a simple, readable prompt |
| ccstatusline | 13.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who use Claude Code in the terminal every day |
| cli | 46.8k | CLI | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who already work in the terminal and use GitHub daily |
| bottom | 14.1k | CLI | beginner | 4 days ago | People who like watching system activity from a terminal instead of a graphical window |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.