Compare software

Git LFS vs DVC: catalog facts
Git LFS	DVC
Best for: Repositories that version large media, datasets or design files	Best for: Data scientists who want to version data and models alongside their Git code
Free Free and open source; storage costs depend on your Git host.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Keeps repositories small when storing binaries Works with normal Git commands All 4 strengths for Git LFS Keeps repositories small when storing binaries Works with normal Git commands Installers for Windows, macOS and Linux Migrate tool for existing history	Git-like workflow for versioning data and models Tracks machine learning experiments All 4 strengths for DVC Git-like workflow for versioning data and models Tracks machine learning experiments VS Code extension available Free and open source
Requires a server that supports Git LFS Older versions have a security issue; update to 3.7.1 or newer	Designed for smaller projects; large-scale data needs a different tool Command-line focused, which requires familiarity with Git
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Git LFS git-lfs.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for DVC dvc.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.