Git vs GitHub – What’s the Difference?

Git vs GitHub – most of us might have used both, Git and GitHub for respective tasks. But, if asked about the difference between these two, most of us might know the exact and correct answer to this query.

The primary difference between Git vs GitHub is that Linux maintains Git, and it is software that is installed locally on the system. On the other hand, Microsoft maintains GitHub, and it is a service that is hosted on the web.

You can also explore: GitHub vs GitLab – Difference Between Them?

In this article, we will explore Git vs GitHub in depth. But before we begin exploring the differences between Git and GitHub, let’s go over the list of topics under the table of contents (TOC) that we will cover in this blog.

Table of Contents (TOC)

• Git vs GitHub
• What is Git?
• What is GitHub?
• Git vs GitHub – Key Differences
• Conclusion

Git vs GitHub 

Git and GitHub are distinct entities that perform distinct functions and serve distinct purposes. Despite this, there is a popular misconception that one can utilize Git or GitHub and have precisely the same experience. But this is not the case!

So, in order to better understand Git vs GitHub, let’s explore the differences in a tabular format.

Benchmark	Git	GitHub
What is it?	A version control system to manage source code history.	A hosting service for Git repositories.
Type	It is a type of software.	It is a type of service.
Maintained by	Linux	Microsoft
Focuses on	Version control and code sharing.	Centralized source code hosting.
Security	Git’s privacy is excessive.	The settings of the repositories determine privacy.
Consists of the user management feature?	No	Yes. It has a built-in user management feature.
Does it have minimal external tool configuration?	Yes	No
Does it have an active marketplace for tool integration?	No	Yes
Desktop interface name	Git Gui	GitHub Desktop
Competes with	Azure DevOps Server, Mercurial, etc.	AWS Code Commit, Git Bucket, etc.
Is it a command-line tool?	Yes	No. It is a graphical user interface (GUI).
Released in	2005	2008

What is Git? 

Git Definition: Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes made to a file (source code) during software development. 

For more information, you can also explore: Introduction to Git

Git was created in 2005 as an open-source system for coordinating tasks between several software developers. But as of today, it is commonly used to track the changes in any file set. Git is created to work effectively with text files and is highly responsive. Git is highly dependable on the basis of preserving code history and reversing modifications as needed.

You can also explore: GitHub/Git Tips and Tricks

The Git tool runs locally on a computer, is self-contained, and does not rely on any external cloud hosting service to function. Whereas cloud-based hosting services such as GitHub and GitLab can be helpful/valuable, they are not required by Git. One of the most significant advantages of using Git is that it is simple, quick, and completely free, unlike other version control systems.

You can also explore: Git online courses

Note: Version control systems are software tools that assist software teams in managing source code changes over time.

What is GitHub?

GitHub Definition: GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service that includes all of Git’s distributed version control as well as source code management (SCM) functionality in addition to its own.

You can also explore: Github Online Courses & Certifications

In layman’s terms, GitHub is an online community for web developers or coders that allows them to communicate, contribute, modify, or improve one another’s code. GitHub incorporates git’s version control features, project, and team management features, as well as networking and social coding opportunities.

For more information, you can also explore: Tutorial – How to Use GitHub

GitHub has both paid and free subscription options. Users can create public repositories with a free subscription. Anyone who has access to public repositories can clone their repositories. On the other hand, private repositories are only accessible to individuals the repository owner has granted access. One of the most significant benefits of using GitHub is that GitHub repositories can be made public or private, providing security to an organization during a sensitive project.

Git vs GitHub – Key Differences 

We now understand what Git and GitHub are. So, let’s summarise the preceding information and discuss the key differences between Git and GitHub.

Git vs GitHub – Key differences are listed below:

• Git can be used without Github, but GitHub cannot be used without Git.
• GitHub is hosted in the cloud, whereas Git is installed on a system locally.
• GitHub is a command-line tool, whereas GitHub is a graphical interface unit.
• Git functions as a single computer, whereas GitHub functions as a network of interconnected computers.
• Git is a version control system to manage source code history. On the other hand, GitHub is a hosting service for Git repositories.
• GitHub is a software that focuses on centralized source code hosting, but Git is a software that focuses on version control and code sharing.
• Git was developed in 2005 and is maintained by Linux. On the other hand, GitHub was developed in 2008 and is maintained by Microsoft.

Conclusion

One of the most crucial differences to be aware of when entering the world of open-source development is the difference between Git vs GitHub. Git is designed to focus on the tasks a software engineer must carry out in order to share code. On the other hand, GitHub serves as a cloud-hosted, online Git repository that team members can use to store code centrally.

We went over Git vs GitHub in depth in this article. If you have any questions about the topic, please leave them in the comments section. We will gladly assist you.

Happy Learning!!