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Git vs Mercurial: catalog facts
Git	Mercurial
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Full history available offline in every clone Fast branching and merging	Full history in every clone, so most actions are local Approachable command set
Command-line interface has a steep learning curve Not suited to large binary files without extensions	Fewer hosting services and tools support it than Git Command line first; graphical clients are separate
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.