SmartGit

Overview

SmartGit is a desktop Git client for people who want visual tools alongside a broad set of repository operations. Its appeal is strongest for developers moving among major hosted Git services or working with more involved Git workflows; commercial use requires a paid license.

It covers Windows, macOS, and Linux, with support for cloning repositories from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps. Offline work is supported, and its workflow extends from cloning through deployment.

SmartGit belongs in the broader Git GUI Clients category, and may also suit teams comparing tools for Game Version Control Software.

Key features

• Visual repository work: Visual history and a conflict editor make it possible to inspect changes and resolve conflicts with graphical tools rather than relying solely on command-line work.
• Workflow coverage: Pull requests, Git Flow, cherry-pick, and interactive rebase address common collaboration and history-management tasks. That breadth suits developers who want one client for more than routine commits.
• Large-project support: Git LFS, file locking, and submodule support help with repositories that use large files or linked components. The client also supports distributed version control.
• Repository access: Clone from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps. Enterprise integrations for self-hosted versions of those services are excluded from the hobby license, an important distinction for work environments.
• Submodules and offline work: SmartGit offers an intuitive approach to submodules and supports offline mode, useful when a project has nested dependencies or connectivity is intermittent.

Pricing

SmartGit uses a freemium model, but free use is limited by eligibility and purpose. The Hobby license is free with registration for personal, non-commercial use, includes the full feature set except enterprise integrations, and is not a fit for professional work or self-hosted enterprise services.

Students and employees of public educational institutions can use the Students & Education plan with an educational email address; it includes the full feature set. Open Source & Charities is free for qualifying non-commercial work, subject to use-case-specific verification. These routes are useful for eligible users, but their conditions make them unsuitable as a general commercial license.

Commercial Individuals & Teams licensing starts at $5 a month per user, with optional add-ons. It is the relevant route for professional and commercial use. Enterprise Licensing is aimed at larger organizations that need centralized administration, purchasing, and licensing, with custom pricing.

Licenses cover up to five physical or virtual machines per user. Company licenses may be reassigned once per month, provided the number of assigned users does not exceed the licenses ordered. A shared license file is provided for multiple ordered users. Purchase orders are accepted only for orders of 50 or more licenses. Support is by email, usually on workdays from 9 AM to 5 PM CET/CEST; phone support is not offered.

Platforms

SmartGit is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. That cross-platform support is useful for teams working across different desktop systems without giving up the same client.

Who it's for

SmartGit suits individual developers and teams who want a graphical client with broad Git workflow coverage, major-host cloning, LFS, file locking, and submodule tools. It is also a reasonable candidate for eligible students, educators, and qualifying non-commercial projects seeking a free license.

It is not the right free option for commercial work, nor for hobby users who depend on enterprise integrations with self-hosted services. Teams that need phone support should also look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad workflow coverage, from visual history and conflict resolution to cherry-pick and interactive rebase, reduces the need to switch tools for common Git tasks.
• Pro: Support for Git LFS, file locking, and submodules accommodates repositories with needs beyond basic version tracking.
• Pro: Windows, macOS, and Linux support serves mixed-platform teams.
• Con: The free hobby license excludes enterprise integrations, limiting its usefulness with self-hosted GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Azure DevOps in a work setting.
• Con: Commercial use starts at $5 per user per month, so professional users cannot rely on the free hobby tier.
• Con: Support is email-only, with no phone option.

Alternatives

GitKraken Desktop has a free Community plan for OSS development, limited to local repositories and public remotes; choose it if that public-repository scope fits your work.

Git Cola is a free option for readers seeking a no-cost client.

GitComet offers a free Open Source plan, making it an option for open-source work.

GitButler is free and open source for standalone use; consider it if those terms are your priority.

Sourcetree is a free desktop client for Git and Mercurial on Windows and macOS, so it suits readers who need both systems on those platforms.

Git is free and open source for macOS users seeking the Git tool itself.

TortoiseGit is free for commercial use under GPL and runs on Windows.

Gitember is free and open source, with all features included and no account required.

Verdict

Choose SmartGit if you want a cross-platform desktop client that brings visual repository tools, broad Git operations, and support for major repository hosts together. Its strongest case is workflow breadth, but the hobby license's enterprise-integration exclusion and the paid requirement for commercial work make it a poor fit for users who need those capabilities at no cost.