Tig

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

What Tig is

Tig is a free ncurses-based terminal interface for browsing Git repositories, reviewing changes, staging work, and paging Git command output. It provides dedicated views for commit logs, reflogs, diffs, trees, blobs, blame, refs, status, staging, stashes, grep, and paging. Status and stage views let you stage complete changes or select individual diff chunks and lines. Pager mode reads standard input and can colorize output from Git commands. Tig relies on Git commands for repository views and passes relevant options through to them. Configuration can use files, environment variables, key bindings, and external commands. Optional Readline support adds completion and history to search and command prompts. Tig runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, supports nested repositories, and is self-hosted. Installation requires Git and ncurses or ncursesw; iconv may be needed on some systems. Tig is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.

Who it suits

Tig suits people who want to inspect Git history and changes from a terminal interface. It is also useful for users who need chunk- or line-level staging.

What it does well

Free software under GPL version 2 or later
Views cover logs, diffs, trees, blame, status, and more
Stages individual diff chunks and lines
Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
Supports configuration through keys, files, and commands

What to know first

Requires Git and ncurses or ncursesw
Iconv may be needed depending on the system
Readline completion and history are optional

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Tig	Free software under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later · Requires Git and ncurses or ncursesw · iconv may be required	Free

As jonas.github.io lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Tig brings many Git inspection and staging views into a terminal interface. Its dependencies and command-line focus matter when choosing it for repository work.

Facts from Tig's own pages

Customization: Users can configure Tig through configuration files, environment variables, key bindings, and external commands. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Dependencies: The installation instructions list Git and ncurses or ncursesw as required; iconv may also be needed depending on the system. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Git integration: Tig uses underlying Git commands for its repository views and passes Git command options to the relevant command. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Intended audience: Tig is aimed at people who want to inspect Git repository history and changes through a terminal interface. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
License: The manual states that Tig is free software under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or any later version. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Optional feature: Readline support is optional and adds completion and history to search and command prompts. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Pager: In pager mode, Tig displays input from standard input and can colorize output from Git commands. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Platforms: Installation instructions cover Linux and macOS builds, and Windows installation through Git for Windows or Cygwin. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: Tig is an ncurses-based text interface for browsing Git repositories, staging changes at chunk level, and paging Git command output. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Repository views: Its views include commit log, reflog, diff, tree, blob, blame, refs, status, stage, stash, grep, and pager. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Staging: The status and stage views support staging changes, including individual diff chunks and lines. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs bug reports and feature requests to its issue tracker or the Git mailing list, and other questions to Stack Overflow. · jonas.github.io, 9 Oct 2026

Where Tig stands on Freedom251

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