Gitline
A clean, fast commit graph for VS Code — free, MIT, no account, no telemetry.
Gitline is a focused alternative to GitLens that puts a real Git graph in the bottom panel. SVG lanes, color-coded branches, working changes and stashes inline, file-level diff with one click, right-click actions for everyday Git work.
Why Gitline
- Commit graph is the product. Not paywalled, not behind a sign-in.
- MIT licensed. Use it, fork it, ship it.
- No telemetry, no account. Opens and works.
- Native VS Code feel. Uses VS Code theme tokens, integrates with the built-in Git extension.
Features
Commit graph (panel)
- SVG lane graph — color-coded branches with smooth bezier merges.
- Ref chips inline next to each commit:
HEAD, local, remote, tag.
- Search bar — text,
@author, or partial SHA. 280 ms debounce, server-side git log --grep / --author.
- File-level history — open the graph filtered to a single file (
--follow for renames). Editor title bar button + explorer context menu.
- Auto-refresh —
.git/HEAD, refs/**, index watched. Commit, checkout, fetch, stage — graph reloads automatically.
- Virtual scrolling — only the visible window of commit rows is in the DOM. Stays responsive on large histories.
Working tree and stashes
- Working changes row at the top of the graph when there are uncommitted changes (
3 staged · 5 modified · 2 untracked). Click to focus the SCM view.
- Stashes as their own rows. Click for the file list; right-click for apply / pop / drop.
Click a commit
- Right pane shows the changed files with status badge (
A / M / D / R / C) and +N −M line counts.
- Click a file → native VS Code diff editor, with rename-aware before/after paths.
- "Patch" button opens the full
git show as a tab.
| Target |
Actions |
| Commit |
Checkout (detached) · Create branch / tag here · Cherry-pick · Revert · Merge / Rebase · Reset (soft / mixed / hard) · Copy SHA / message · Open patch |
| Local branch |
Checkout · Merge / Rebase · Push · Rename · Delete / Force delete · Copy name |
| Remote branch |
Create tracking branch · Fetch · Merge · Delete on remote · Copy name |
| Stash |
Apply · Pop · Drop · Copy ref |
Destructive actions show a modal confirmation. Branch/tag creation and rename prompt for the name.
Getting started
- Install from the Marketplace (search Gitline) or via VSIX.
- Open a folder that is, or contains, a Git repository.
- Press Cmd+J / Ctrl+J to open the panel, click the Gitline tab.
- Or run Gitline: Open Commit Panel from the command palette.
For per-file history: right-click any file → Gitline: File History, or use the history icon in the editor title bar.
Commands
| Command |
What it does |
Gitline: Open Commit Panel |
Reveals the graph panel and reloads. |
Gitline: File History |
Opens the graph filtered to the current file. |
How it compares
|
Gitline |
GitLens (free) |
GitLens (Pro) |
Git Graph (mhutchie) |
| Commit graph |
✅ |
— |
✅ ($) |
✅ |
| Right-click branch/commit actions |
✅ |
partial |
✅ |
✅ |
| Working changes + stashes in graph |
✅ |
— |
partial |
— |
| Search by author / message / SHA |
✅ |
partial |
✅ |
partial |
| File history view |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ (visual) |
✅ |
| No account / no sign-in |
✅ |
— (account prompts) |
— |
✅ |
| Telemetry-free |
✅ |
— |
— |
✅ |
| License |
MIT |
proprietary |
proprietary |
MIT |
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85+
- Git on
PATH
- The built-in
vscode.git extension (bundled)
Limitations (v1.0)
- Single-repo workspaces. Multi-root with multiple repos picks the first.
- No interactive rebase editor yet.
- No two-commit compare picker yet.
Both are on the v1.1 roadmap.
Contributing
git clone https://github.com/AzuraLight/gitline
cd gitline
npm install
npm run compile
# Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host.
Bug reports and PRs welcome at github.com/AzuraLight/gitline/issues.
License
MIT © Azura
