FileMerge
SmartGit comes with special integrations for GitHub, BitBucket and BitBucket Server (former Atlassian Stash) to create and resolve Pull Requests and Review Comments. Of course, you can use SmartGit like any other Git client with your own Git repositories or other hosting providers (e.g.
Being part of its developer toolset, Apple's own merge tool comes at no additional costs. It might not be the most elegant tool, but it's definitely a solid one that does the job of comparing & merging text.
Beyond Compare
- Meld is a visual diff and merge tool targeted at developers. It provides two- and three-way comparison of both files and directories, and has support for many popular version control systems. It might even help you to figure out what is going on in that merge you keep avoiding.
- This is a simple guide to configure your git merge tool and diff tool to use KDiff3. Install KDiff3 https://sourceforge.net/projects/kdiff3/files/.
Originally a product for Microsoft Windows, the Beyond Compare team has contributed a fine diff tool to the Mac platform. Like Araxis Merge and DeltaWalker, it goes beyond (pun intended) comparing simple text and also allows diffing Word and PDF contents. In its 'Pro Version', it also supports merging.
Araxis Merge
One of the few diff tools that works with more than just text and image files, Araxis Merge lets you also compare office documents (like MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, or ODF). For people working on both Windows and Mac, it's great to know that a single license is valid for both platforms.
NEW: Image Diffing in Tower! Our popular Git client Tower now supports Image Diffing for a variety of formats (including PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, JPEG2000, and HEIC). In both the Working Copy and various History / Changeset views, you can now see the actual images - and how they were changed! Try it yourself - for free!
DeltaWalker
Git Graphical Merge Tool Mac
Just like Araxis, the DeltaWalker app also lets you compare office files. However, it goes one step further by letting you compare file archives like ZIP, JAR, and TAR files. Also, if you're regularly performing comparisons on a folder basis, DeltaWalker shines with a great performance in this area.
Kaleidoscope
Originally developed by 'Sofa', Kaleidoscope was later acquired by 'BlackPixel' - who did a great job in making it one of the best diff & merge tools for the Mac. Its beautiful user interface and great image diffing capabilities are what set it apart.
Free Alternatives
In case you're looking for a free alternative to the standard FileMerge app, you should also have a look at P4Merge and DiffMerge.
Both can't compare in terms of features and user interface with their commercial competitors - but make for a valid alternative on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Integrations
Another aspect to watch out for is integrations: before choosing your favorite tool, you should make sure that it plays nicely with the rest of your tool chain. I can already confirm that all of the mentioned tools work seamlessly at least with Tower, our own Git client.
If you don't need the power of a dedicated Diff tool application, the integrated diff views in Tower might be absolutely sufficient for you:
Best Git Merge Tool For Mac
In case you don't know Tower: it's the Git desktop client for Mac and Windows that helps thousands of developers and designers to easily & productively work with the Git version control system. Try it 30 days for free!
Conclusion
Diff & merge apps are amongst the most underestimated tools. But a good one can be really helpful in a lot of situations. Try one of the above and see for yourself!
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Git comes with built-in GUI tools for committing (git-gui) and browsing (gitk), but there are several third-party tools for users looking for platform-specific experience.
If you want to add another GUI tool to this list, just follow the instructions.
SourceTree
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: ProprietaryGitHub Desktop
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: MITTortoiseGit
Platforms: Windows
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLGit Extensions
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLGitKraken
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free / $29 / $49
License: ProprietarySmartGit
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: $79/user / Free for non-commercial use
License: ProprietaryTower
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Price: $79/user (Free 30 day trial)
License: ProprietaryGitUp
Platforms: Mac
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLGitEye
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: Proprietarygitg
Platforms: Linux, Windows
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLungit
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: MITgit-cola
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLCycligent Git Tool
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: Proprietarygiggle
Platforms: Linux
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLGitbox
Platforms: Mac
Price: $14.99
License: ProprietaryAurees
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: ProprietaryFork
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: ProprietaryWorking Copy
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free with in-app purchases
License: ProprietaryCodeReview
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLgmaster
Platforms: Windows
Price: Beta / Free for non-commercial use
License: ProprietaryGit2Go
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free with in-app purchases
License: ProprietaryGitAhead
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: MITPocket Git
Platforms: Android
Price: 1.99€
License: ProprietaryGitDrive
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free with in-app purchases
License: ProprietaryGitX-dev
Platforms: Mac
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLGitBlade
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free Lite version, $59.99/user/year for PRO version
License: ProprietaryGuitar
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: GNU GPLRepoZ
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: MITGitAtomic
Platforms: Windows
Price: 15.00€
License: ProprietarySublime Merge
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: $99/user, $75 annual business sub, free eval
License: ProprietarySnailGit
Platforms: Mac
Price: $9.99 / Lite version
License: ProprietaryGitFinder
Platforms: Mac
Price: $24.95
License: ProprietaryGitfox
Platforms: Mac
Price: 29€/user
License: ProprietaryNitroGit
Platforms: Windows
Price: 20€/user / Free for non-commercial use
License: ProprietaryGitFiend
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free
License: Proprietary
There are other great GUI tools available as well. Have a look at the list of interfaces, frontends and tools in the Git Wiki.