Side by side

GNU RCS vs Sapling SCM

Both stand on version control software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

GNU RCS

Free plan

GNU RCS provides centralized, self-hosted revision management with a broad command-line toolkit. Its single-machine and one-editor model is a key constraint for collaborative workflows.

Visit GNU RCS

Sapling SCM combines Git compatibility with stacked-commit workflows, visual repository views, editor integrations, and undoable mutations. Its free GPL-2.0 licensing is useful for broad adoption, while the documentation identifies limits around public Git support and the largest deployments.

Visit Sapling SCM

The facts

	GNU RCS	Sapling SCM
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Not published	Extension, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Not published
Plans published	1	None
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	gnu.org	sapling-scm.com
On version control software	#42 of 57	#38 of 57

GNU RCS: what it does well

Free software under GPL version 3 or later
Automates storing, retrieving, logging, and merging revisions
Supports binary files with reduced functionality
Includes commands for comparison and revision management
Self-hosted with file locking

What to know first

Centralized storage uses one filesystem or machine
Editing is limited to one person at a time
Binary-file functionality is reduced
Latest listed release is from 2022

Sapling SCM: what it does well

Free and open source
GitHub pull-request integration
Stacked commits with restacking
Commit mutation undo
Sparse checkout and nested repositories

What to know first

Git support may still have kinks
Large-scale server components lack public support
Commit signing works only in Git repositories
Most polished for always-online monorepos

Alternatives to GNU RCS Alternatives to Sapling SCM The whole list