What is Git?
Git, which was created in 2005, is an extremely popular version control system that is at the heart of many high-profile projects. Git is a version control system that is installed and maintained on your local system rather than in the cloud, and it provides you with a self-contained record of your ongoing programming versions. It can be used entirely independently of any cloud-hosting service — you don’t even need internet access to download it.
In comparison to other version control systems, Git is quick, simple, and inexpensive (free, actually). Git is also specifically designed to work well with text files, which is, after all, what code is. But it is Git’s branching model that truly distinguishes it. Branching in your code allows you to create independent local branches.
What is GitHub?
GitHub is intended to serve as a repository hosting service for Git. What is a Git repository hosting service, exactly? It’s a web-based database that allows you to manage and share your Git version control projects outside of your local computer/server. GitHub, unlike Git, is entirely cloud-based. GitHub, like Git, is a for-profit service (although basic repository-hosting features are available at no cost to those who are willing to create a user profile, making GitHub a popular choice for open-source projects).
GitHub extends Git’s core functionality. It has an extremely intuitive, graphically represented user interface and includes control and task-management tools for programmers. The GitHub Marketplace service can be used to add new features. You can share your code with others via GitHub, granting them the ability to make revisions or edits to your various Git branches. This enables entire teams to collaborate in real-time on individual projects. New branches are created as changes are introduced, allowing the team to continue revising the code without overwriting each other’s work. Changes made on these branches do not reflect in the main directories on other users’ machines unless users choose to push/pull the changes to incorporate them. (Zolpidem)
Git vs GitHub Comparison
| Git | GitHub |
| First Release in 2005 | The company launches in 2008 |
| Installed Locally | Hosted in Clouds |
| Maintained by the Linux Foundation | Purchased in 2018 by Microsoft |
| Competes with Mercurial, Subversion, IBM, Rational Team Concert and ClearCase | Competes with Atlassian Bitbucket and GitLab |
| Focused on version control and code sharing | Focused on centralized source code hosting |
| Provide a desktop interface named Git Gui | Desktop Interface named GitHub Desktop |
| Minimal External tool configuration features | Active Marketplace for tool integration |
| No User Management features | Built-in user management |
| primarily a command line tool | Administered through the Web |
| Open-Sourced Licensed | Includes a free tier and pay-for-use tiers |
Conclusion
So, what is the difference between Git and GitHub? Simply put, Git is a version control system that allows you to manage and track the history of your source code. GitHub is a cloud-hosted service that allows you to manage Git repositories. If you have open-source projects that use Git, GitHub can help you manage them better.
After all, naming conventions aren’t always intuitive in the world of programming. That is why it is important to understand the similarities and differences between Git and GitHub. Git and GitHub both provide valuable version-control functionality to programmers, allowing them to work on ongoing coding projects without fear of breaking everything. GitHub simply goes a step further than Git, providing more functionality and resources, as well as a place to store and collaborate on projects online.