gitup vs SmartGit in 2026

Q: Is gitup free to use?

gitup is free and open-source . The facts given here do not state any paid plan or price for gitup, so this page gives none. Its page also says it requires macOS 12.4 or later . Check its own page for current licensing terms before you rely on them.

gitup and SmartGit compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before you pick a Git GUI.

By SayDeploy · 2026-10-22

SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

This page compares what gitup and SmartGit do, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before you choose one. RepoYeti is shown beside them, using only its approved claims.

Option	Price	Platforms	Key features	Install
gitup	Free and open-source ^[1]; no paid plan stated in the facts here	Requires macOS 12.4 or later ^[1]	Undo the latest changes with cmd-z ^[1]; renders a 40,000-commit graph in under a second ^[1]; search by message, author and diff content ^[1]	Install steps not given in the facts here ^[1]
SmartGit	Not published in the facts here ^[2]	Windows, macOS and Linux ^[2]	Visual Git client ^[2]; conflict resolution and pull requests ^[2]; Git Flow and Git LFS ^[2]	Get it with a few clicks ^[2]
RepoYeti	Free for noncommercial use; commercial use US$79 per installation ^[3]	Prebuilt binaries for Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon; dashboard in any browser ^[3]	Repo view with branch and changed files ^[3]; commit graph ^[3]; diffs in the Monaco editor ^[3]; preview of incoming commits ^[3]; AI-assisted commits ^[3]	Single binary from GitHub Releases, or clone and run with Bun 1.1 or newer ^[3]

The short answer

GitUp is free and open-source ^[1]. It comes with GitUpKit, a toolkit for building your own Git apps ^[1]. Its Snapshot feature builds a Time-Machine-like history of every change made to a repo, so you can step back to any point in time ^[1].

SmartGit is a visual Git client ^[2]. It works on your desktop ^[2].

For setup needs, GitUp's page says it requires macOS 12.4 or later ^[1] and directs support and feedback to GitHub Issues ^[1]. SmartGit's page says it supports Windows, macOS and Linux ^[2]. RepoYeti's claims cover a view of every repo under the folders you add, showing its branch, number of changed files and ahead/behind count, updated when files change on disk ^[3]. They also cover a preview of incoming commits and any conflicts before you pull ^[3].

What gitup and SmartGit are built for

GitUp's own page says it is free and entirely open-source ^[1]. The page describes GitUpKit as a toolkit for building your own Git apps ^[1]. It describes a Snapshot feature that builds a Time-Machine-like history of every change made to your repo ^[1]. It requires macOS 12.4 or later ^[1], and it asks users to take support and feedback to GitHub Issues ^[1].

SmartGit's own page calls it a visual Git client ^[2]. It works on your desktop ^[2] and supports Windows, macOS and Linux ^[2]. A developer can open a local Git repo or clone from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure DevOps ^[2].

What RepoYeti is built for

RepoYeti is made by the team that publishes this site.

It shows, for every repo under the folders you add, the branch, the number of changed files and the ahead/behind count, and it updates when files change on disk ^[3]. It draws a commit graph with lanes, merges and tags, and loads it in pages so large repos open quickly ^[3]. Diffs between the last commit and your working files appear in the Monaco editor, the editor used in VS Code, side by side or inline, and you can edit and save files from there ^[3].

Before you pull, it shows the incoming commits, the files they touch and any conflicts they would cause ^[3]. You can select many repos and pin, star, hide, remove, pull or push them all at once ^[3]. It applies a different commit name and email to each repo using path rules, and can pin a GitHub account to each repo for pushes ^[3]. Its AI help uses your own API key for Groq, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter or DeepSeek to split your changes into scoped commits with messages, which you approve, edit or discard ^[3]. An undo and redo option steps back or forward through the last git action, such as a commit, pull or branch switch, and refuses a rebasing pull or a cherry-pick ^[3].

Pricing and fees

gitup is free and open-source ^[1]. The facts given here do not state any paid plan or price for gitup, so this page gives none.

SmartGit's price is not published in the facts given here, so this page gives no figure. Check SmartGit's own pages for its plans and fees.

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use ^[3]. Commercial use costs US$79 per installation, meaning per machine it runs on ^[3]. The price is a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[3]. It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction ^[3]. No features are locked or time-limited, whether you use it under the free licence or a paid one ^[3].

Setting it up and daily use

gitup requires macOS 12.4 or later ^[1]. The facts given here do not include a download link or installation steps for gitup, so check its own page for those. Its Snapshot feature lets you step back through the history of a repo ^[1]. Support and feedback go through GitHub Issues ^[1].

SmartGit works on Windows, macOS and Linux, and you can get it with a few clicks ^[2]. A developer can open a local Git repo or clone one from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure DevOps ^[2]. The facts given here do not add further installation or daily-use steps for SmartGit.

RepoYeti is installed by downloading a single binary from GitHub Releases, or by cloning the repo and running it with Bun 1.1 or newer ^[3]. Prebuilt binaries are available for Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon, and you open the dashboard in any browser, including on Android or iPhone ^[3]. A command with the tunnel option prints a QR code so you can open the dashboard on your phone ^[3]. cloudflared, a separate program, must be installed first ^[3]. The dashboard can be added to a phone's home screen as a web app, and it reconnects after the phone wakes from sleep ^[3]. Day to day, you see your repos in one view ^[3], review diffs in the Monaco editor ^[3], check incoming commits before you pull ^[3], and run actions across many repos at once ^[3].

Things to check before you choose

Check your operating system. gitup requires macOS 12.4 or later ^[1]. SmartGit works on Windows, macOS and Linux ^[2]. RepoYeti has prebuilt binaries for Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon ^[3].

Check where your repos are hosted. SmartGit can clone from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure DevOps ^[2]. The facts given here do not name hosting services for gitup, so check its own page.

Check the cost against your use. RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use, and commercial use costs US$79 per installation ^[3]. The gitup facts given here describe it as free and open-source ^[1].

Check whether you want AI help with commits. RepoYeti uses your own API key for Groq, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter or DeepSeek ^[3]. The gitup and SmartGit facts given here do not mention AI features, so check their own pages if that matters to you.

How to choose

If you need a history of your changes that you can step back through, gitup's page describes its Snapshot feature ^[1].

If you need a visual Git client that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, SmartGit's page describes that ^[2].

If you need Git Flow or Git LFS, SmartGit's page says it supports both ^[2].

If you need to see every repo under your folders with its branch, changed files and ahead/behind count, RepoYeti's claims describe that ^[3].

If you need to check incoming commits and conflicts before a pull, RepoYeti's claims describe that ^[3].

If you need AI help that splits your changes into scoped commits with your own API key, RepoYeti's claims describe that ^[3].

If you need a free and open-source tool, gitup's page says it is free and entirely open-source ^[1]. If you need a tool for noncommercial work with no features locked, RepoYeti's claims say it is free for noncommercial use ^[3] and that no features are locked ^[3].

Frequently asked questions

Is gitup free to use?

gitup is free and open-source ^[1]. The facts given here do not state any paid plan or price for gitup, so this page gives none. Its page also says it requires macOS 12.4 or later ^[1]. Check its own page for current licensing terms before you rely on them.

What does SmartGit cost?

SmartGit's price is not published in the facts given here, so this page gives no figure. SmartGit works on Windows, macOS and Linux ^[2]. Check SmartGit's own pages for its plan names and fees before you decide.

What does RepoYeti cost for commercial use?

Commercial use costs US$79 per installation, meaning per machine it runs on ^[3]. The price is a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[3]. RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use ^[3]. It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 ^[3], and no features are locked or time-limited under either licence ^[3].

Does gitup or SmartGit support AI-assisted commits?

The facts given here for gitup and SmartGit do not mention AI features, so this page cannot say whether either one has them. Check their own pages if that matters to you. RepoYeti's claims say it uses your own API key for Groq, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter or DeepSeek to split your changes into scoped commits, which you approve, edit or discard ^[3].

Can you run RepoYeti on a phone?

RepoYeti's dashboard opens in any browser, including on Android or iPhone ^[3]. It can be added to a phone's home screen as a web app, and it reconnects after the phone wakes from sleep ^[3]. A command with the tunnel option prints a QR code so you can open the dashboard on your phone, and cloudflared must be installed separately ^[3].

Free for noncommercial use; commercial use costs US$79 per installation (per machine running the daemon), a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. ^[3]

Try RepoYeti