Tool profile
Sourcetree: cost, fit and limits
Sourcetree is a free Git and Mercurial desktop client for Windows and Mac made by Atlassian, with a visual commit history, staging by file, hunk or line, and stash and cherry-pick support for individual developers and teams.
What to know first
Sourcetree costs nothing and covers both Git and Mercurial, which is rare in current clients. The site describes it as a free Git client for Windows and Mac and shows branch and commit history visually. A download archive keeps earlier versions, with a warning that older versions may no longer be supported by Atlassian. The pages read name no AI feature and no paid plan.
Sourcetree at a glance
| Maker | Atlassian (© 2026 Atlassian on the site), Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Git Client Software in 2026, rank 8 of 10 |
| Website | sourcetreeapp.com |
Who Sourcetree is best for
Atlassian-centered teams
Atlassian is the maker, which suits teams already using that vendor's tools and wanting a free desktop client from the same company rather than another vendor to approve.
Mercurial users
The client works with Git and Mercurial in one application, so a team with an older Mercurial repository can keep a single tool open for both kinds of project.
Budget-limited learners
The price is zero, and the visual history helps newcomers see how branches relate, which is useful for students and anyone learning Git for the first time.
Sourcetree plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Sourcetree (Mac or Windows) | Free | A free Git client for Windows and Mac that works with Git and Mercurial, with a visual history, stash and cherry-pick support, and an archive of earlier versions. |
Checked November 2026.
What Sourcetree does
- Visual history
- See branches and commits in a graph with a single click, which helps newcomers understand how work was merged and lets reviewers trace a change back to its branch.
- Fine-grained staging
- Stage and discard changes by file, hunk or line, so unrelated edits in one file can go into separate commits instead of being forced into a single catch-all commit.
- Stash and cherry-pick
- Stash work in progress to set it aside, and cherry-pick a commit from one branch onto another, covering two everyday chores that otherwise need command line syntax.
- Git and Mercurial
- Both Git and Mercurial repositories open in one client, which is unusual among current tools and helps teams that still maintain older Mercurial projects next to Git ones.
- Download archive
- Previous versions remain available on an archive page, which helps when a new release breaks a workflow, though the page warns that older versions may no longer be supported.
How Sourcetree handles your data
The pages we read for Sourcetree do not state a data policy: no mention of telemetry, retention, hosting region or certifications appears on the home page or the download archive. Atlassian is named in the copyright line, and its company-wide terms may apply, but they were not checked here. No AI feature is named, so no model provider receives repository content. Ask Atlassian directly if your security team needs a statement on usage data collected by the client.
Where Sourcetree falls short in practice
- No Linux build named. Only Mac OS X and Windows are listed on the pages read, so Linux developers must choose another client, and mixed-OS teams cannot fully standardize on Sourcetree.
- Support for older versions. The archive page warns that older versions may no longer be supported by Atlassian, which makes keeping current important and limits how long a pinned version stays safe to run.
- No AI named. The pages read name no AI feature, so message drafting and merge assistance need another tool, and the free price does not buy any model-powered help in the client itself.
Alternatives to Sourcetree
Sourcetree: common questions
Is Sourcetree really free?
The site describes it as a free Git client for Windows and Mac, and no paid plan appears on the pages we read. Atlassian does not list a commercial tier there, so check the terms of use if you plan wide company deployment.
Does Sourcetree support Mercurial?
Yes. The site says it works with both Git and Mercurial, which sets it apart from most clients in this ranking. If you only use Git, that extra support makes little practical difference to your daily work. Mercurial support is listed on the site next to Git.
Can I download older Sourcetree versions?
Yes, there is a download archive page for previous versions. It also warns that older versions may no longer be supported by Atlassian, so use the archive for compatibility problems, not as a default installation choice. The archive page lists the versions by number.
Does Sourcetree run on Linux?
The pages we read list Mac OS X and Windows only. Linux users should look at Sublime Merge, SmartGit or Git Cola, which name Linux support or distribution packages, and should check each vendor's download page for current builds. Neither page we read names a Linux build.
Does Sourcetree include AI?
No AI feature is named on the vendor pages we read. Sourcetree's listed features are visual history, staging by file, hunk or line, stash, cherry-pick and Git plus Mercurial support. For AI commit drafting, consider Tower or Gitfox. The pages read name no model provider either.