{"slug": "sublime-merge", "name": "Sublime Merge", "category": "git", "category_name": "Git and code hosting", "description": "A desktop Git client from the makers of Sublime Text.", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 9, "warners": 0, "score": 5.571, "rising": 2.35, "first": "2025-11-10", "latest": "2026-10-05", "why": "HN commenters like Sublime Merge for its speed, line-level staging and diff viewing, and for being hard to replace once adopted.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 4, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1], "listed": true, "loved": ["Hard to replace", "Speed"], "caveat": "Slow development", "short_quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "icon": true, "domain": "sublimemerge.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.sublimemerge.com", "pricing": "paid", "aliases": ["Sublime Merge"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters like Sublime Merge for its speed", "cites": [{"id": 799352864, "item_id": 49959554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959554", "by": "aero_code", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "excerpt": "I would love if everything on a computer were instant. One of the fastest programs I use is Sublime Merge for a Git UI. It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it. Since the first time I opened it, I haven't even opened the previous Git GUI I was using, even though I like both their UIs about the same. I had to buy Sublime Merge, compared to the free app I was using before it. It's not just me who prefers ev", "context": "", "use_case": "Git GUI", "switched_from": "", "story": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE"}]}, {"text": ", line-level staging and diff viewing", "cites": [{"id": 734131792, "item_id": 45883237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45883237", "by": "duskdozer", "date": "2025-11-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I do use sublime merge at times though now - it's nice for [un]staging individual lines and for looking at some diffs.", "excerpt": "No - unless you took away my gitconfig, which is pretty big at this point. Though I guess that's mostly a time-saver. Even so, I've found most of the GUI tools to be confusing because it's hard to tell what they're actually doing under the hood. I do use sublime merge at times though now - it's nice for [un]staging individual lines and for looking at some diffs. I also like git-foresta[1] more than log sometimes. I'l", "context": "Git CLI user", "use_case": "staging lines and diffs", "switched_from": "", "story": "The lazy Git UI you didn't know you need"}]}, {"text": ", and for being hard to replace once adopted.", "cites": [{"id": 796846753, "item_id": 49802922, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49802922", "by": "microflash", "date": "2026-09-22", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use their Git client [1] daily and there\u2019s nothing like it.", "excerpt": "Unfortunately, still not much progress on improving the ergonomics of the sidebar. You still can\u2019t do drag and drop, cut and paste etc. Otherwise, really excellent editor. I use their Git client [1] daily and there\u2019s nothing like it. [1]: https://www.sublimemerge.com", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sublime Text Build 4213"}, {"id": 736522850, "item_id": 46032678, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46032678", "by": "Klaster_1", "date": "2025-11-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it", "excerpt": "Moved away from ST to VSCode a couple of years ago for similar reasons too. Sublime Merge, though - I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it, but it has all the same drawbacks as ST, the most severe being glacial pace of changes (or total lack thereof). It's as if the dev team lacks capacity to deal with basic UX issues, year over year.", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Stopped Using Sublime Text"}, {"id": 799352864, "item_id": 49959554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959554", "by": "aero_code", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "excerpt": "I would love if everything on a computer were instant. One of the fastest programs I use is Sublime Merge for a Git UI. It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it. Since the first time I opened it, I haven't even opened the previous Git GUI I was using, even though I like both their UIs about the same. I had to buy Sublime Merge, compared to the free app I was using before it. It's not just me who prefers ev", "context": "", "use_case": "Git GUI", "switched_from": "", "story": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE"}]}, {"text": " Caveats include a slow pace of development with long-standing UX issues", "cites": [{"id": 736522850, "item_id": 46032678, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46032678", "by": "Klaster_1", "date": "2025-11-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it", "excerpt": "Moved away from ST to VSCode a couple of years ago for similar reasons too. Sublime Merge, though - I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it, but it has all the same drawbacks as ST, the most severe being glacial pace of changes (or total lack thereof). It's as if the dev team lacks capacity to deal with basic UX issues, year over year.", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Stopped Using Sublime Text"}]}, {"text": ", a diff view seen as weaker than IntelliJ's, and awkward use on Windows with WSL.", "cites": [{"id": 744100880, "item_id": 46506305, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46506305", "by": "__jonas", "date": "2026-01-05", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Sublime Merge right now and it's kind of ok but definitely not on the same level", "excerpt": "I agree with that comment chain about the intelliJ diff view so much https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/discussions/26770#discussioncomment-13051899 I don't even need that to be built into the editor \u2013 I would pay for a fast, standalone git UI that is as good as the IntelliJ one. I use Sublime Merge right now and it's kind of ok but definitely not on the same level", "context": "", "use_case": "git UI", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from VSCode to Zed"}, {"id": 745585632, "item_id": 46599102, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46599102", "by": "dominicrose", "date": "2026-01-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs", "excerpt": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs, one with the code that's open in VS Code and one with the same project but different branch/commit. It works well on Linux. I've managed to make it work with Windows + WSL but I don't recommend it.", "context": "Linux user", "use_case": "comparing branches/commits", "switched_from": "", "story": "Git Rebase for the Terrified"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Hard to replace", "summary": "Users rely on it daily and found alternatives no better.", "quotes": [{"id": 796846753, "item_id": 49802922, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49802922", "by": "microflash", "date": "2026-09-22", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use their Git client [1] daily and there\u2019s nothing like it.", "excerpt": "Unfortunately, still not much progress on improving the ergonomics of the sidebar. You still can\u2019t do drag and drop, cut and paste etc. Otherwise, really excellent editor. I use their Git client [1] daily and there\u2019s nothing like it. [1]: https://www.sublimemerge.com", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sublime Text Build 4213"}, {"id": 736522850, "item_id": 46032678, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46032678", "by": "Klaster_1", "date": "2025-11-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it", "excerpt": "Moved away from ST to VSCode a couple of years ago for similar reasons too. Sublime Merge, though - I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it, but it has all the same drawbacks as ST, the most severe being glacial pace of changes (or total lack thereof). It's as if the dev team lacks capacity to deal with basic UX issues, year over year.", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Stopped Using Sublime Text"}, {"id": 799352864, "item_id": 49959554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959554", "by": "aero_code", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "excerpt": "I would love if everything on a computer were instant. One of the fastest programs I use is Sublime Merge for a Git UI. It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it. Since the first time I opened it, I haven't even opened the previous Git GUI I was using, even though I like both their UIs about the same. I had to buy Sublime Merge, compared to the free app I was using before it. It's not just me who prefers ev", "context": "", "use_case": "Git GUI", "switched_from": "", "story": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE"}]}, {"label": "Speed", "summary": "It opens and responds very quickly.", "quotes": [{"id": 799352864, "item_id": 49959554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959554", "by": "aero_code", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "excerpt": "I would love if everything on a computer were instant. One of the fastest programs I use is Sublime Merge for a Git UI. It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it. Since the first time I opened it, I haven't even opened the previous Git GUI I was using, even though I like both their UIs about the same. I had to buy Sublime Merge, compared to the free app I was using before it. It's not just me who prefers ev", "context": "", "use_case": "Git GUI", "switched_from": "", "story": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE"}]}, {"label": "Line staging", "summary": "Useful for staging or unstaging individual lines and reviewing diffs.", "quotes": [{"id": 734131792, "item_id": 45883237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45883237", "by": "duskdozer", "date": "2025-11-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I do use sublime merge at times though now - it's nice for [un]staging individual lines and for looking at some diffs.", "excerpt": "No - unless you took away my gitconfig, which is pretty big at this point. Though I guess that's mostly a time-saver. Even so, I've found most of the GUI tools to be confusing because it's hard to tell what they're actually doing under the hood. I do use sublime merge at times though now - it's nice for [un]staging individual lines and for looking at some diffs. I also like git-foresta[1] more than log sometimes. I'l", "context": "Git CLI user", "use_case": "staging lines and diffs", "switched_from": "", "story": "The lazy Git UI you didn't know you need"}]}, {"label": "Sublime Text heritage", "summary": "It brings Sublime Text's strengths to a Git frontend.", "quotes": [{"id": 788237520, "item_id": 49264845, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49264845", "by": "_mjk", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Check out sublime merge, too. All the goodies from sublime text for a git frontend!", "excerpt": "Check out sublime merge, too. All the goodies from sublime text for a git frontend!", "context": "", "use_case": "git frontend", "switched_from": "", "story": "They don't make 'em like Sublime Text anymore"}]}, {"label": "Linux support", "summary": "Works well on Linux, including side-by-side tabs for comparing branches.", "quotes": [{"id": 745585632, "item_id": 46599102, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46599102", "by": "dominicrose", "date": "2026-01-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs", "excerpt": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs, one with the code that's open in VS Code and one with the same project but different branch/commit. It works well on Linux. I've managed to make it work with Windows + WSL but I don't recommend it.", "context": "Linux user", "use_case": "comparing branches/commits", "switched_from": "", "story": "Git Rebase for the Terrified"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Slow development", "summary": "Changes are rare, and basic UX issues persist year over year.", "quotes": [{"id": 736522850, "item_id": 46032678, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46032678", "by": "Klaster_1", "date": "2025-11-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it", "excerpt": "Moved away from ST to VSCode a couple of years ago for similar reasons too. Sublime Merge, though - I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it, but it has all the same drawbacks as ST, the most severe being glacial pace of changes (or total lack thereof). It's as if the dev team lacks capacity to deal with basic UX issues, year over year.", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Stopped Using Sublime Text"}]}, {"label": "Diff view", "summary": "One user finds it only okay compared with IntelliJ's diff UI.", "quotes": [{"id": 744100880, "item_id": 46506305, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46506305", "by": "__jonas", "date": "2026-01-05", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Sublime Merge right now and it's kind of ok but definitely not on the same level", "excerpt": "I agree with that comment chain about the intelliJ diff view so much https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/discussions/26770#discussioncomment-13051899 I don't even need that to be built into the editor \u2013 I would pay for a fast, standalone git UI that is as good as the IntelliJ one. I use Sublime Merge right now and it's kind of ok but definitely not on the same level", "context": "", "use_case": "git UI", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from VSCode to Zed"}]}, {"label": "Windows + WSL", "summary": "It can be made to work with WSL, but one user does not recommend it.", "quotes": [{"id": 745585632, "item_id": 46599102, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46599102", "by": "dominicrose", "date": "2026-01-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs", "excerpt": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs, one with the code that's open in VS Code and one with the same project but different branch/commit. It works well on Linux. I've managed to make it work with Windows + WSL but I don't recommend it.", "context": "Linux user", "use_case": "comparing branches/commits", "switched_from": "", "story": "Git Rebase for the Terrified"}]}, {"label": "Paid license", "summary": "It must be bought, unlike some free Git GUIs.", "quotes": [{"id": 799352864, "item_id": 49959554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959554", "by": "aero_code", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "excerpt": "I would love if everything on a computer were instant. One of the fastest programs I use is Sublime Merge for a Git UI. It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it. Since the first time I opened it, I haven't even opened the previous Git GUI I was using, even though I like both their UIs about the same. I had to buy Sublime Merge, compared to the free app I was using before it. It's not just me who prefers ev", "context": "", "use_case": "Git GUI", "switched_from": "", "story": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE"}]}], "who": [{"by": "dominicrose", "context": "Linux user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46599102", "date": "2026-01-13"}, {"by": "duskdozer", "context": "Git CLI user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45883237", "date": "2025-11-10"}], "tags": ["for Linux users", "for Git CLI users", "for Sublime Text users"], "use_cases": ["git client", "git gui", "git staging", "git frontend", "comparing branches/commits", "git ui"], "compared": [{"slug": "sublime-text", "name": "Sublime Text", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "visual-studio-code", "name": "Visual Studio Code", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "intellij-idea", "name": "IntelliJ IDEA", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49956681", "title": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49783932", "title": "Sublime Text Build 4213", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49305558", "title": "Stop sending me PRs; a rant", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49252547", "title": "They don't make 'em like Sublime Text anymore", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47029368", "title": "A Beginner's Guide to Split Keyboards", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46530920", "title": "Git Rebase for the Terrified", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"neutral": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 799352864, "item_id": 49959554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49959554", "by": "aero_code", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it.", "excerpt": "I would love if everything on a computer were instant. One of the fastest programs I use is Sublime Merge for a Git UI. It opens and does everything so fast, and I love it. Since the first time I opened it, I haven't even opened the previous Git GUI I was using, even though I like both their UIs about the same. I had to buy Sublime Merge, compared to the free app I was using before it. It's not just me who prefers ev", "context": "", "use_case": "Git GUI", "switched_from": "", "story": "A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE"}, {"id": 796846753, "item_id": 49802922, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49802922", "by": "microflash", "date": "2026-09-22", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use their Git client [1] daily and there\u2019s nothing like it.", "excerpt": "Unfortunately, still not much progress on improving the ergonomics of the sidebar. You still can\u2019t do drag and drop, cut and paste etc. Otherwise, really excellent editor. I use their Git client [1] daily and there\u2019s nothing like it. [1]: https://www.sublimemerge.com", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sublime Text Build 4213"}, {"id": 788906481, "item_id": 49306655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49306655", "by": "skydhash", "date": "2026-08-14", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Before magit, I use sublime merge, Intellij vcs feature, and fugitive.", "excerpt": "Then you may need to improve your git-fu (or $vcs-fu). I use magit, so it's always easier to select only the lines/hunks/files that is for one specific change, stage and commit that. Before magit, I use sublime merge, Intellij vcs feature, and fugitive. My flow state is for editing files. Once that's done and I've got something that work. It's always easy to convert those into sensible commits. Do not that the logs i", "context": "", "use_case": "git staging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop sending me PRs; a rant"}, {"id": 788237520, "item_id": 49264845, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49264845", "by": "_mjk", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Check out sublime merge, too. All the goodies from sublime text for a git frontend!", "excerpt": "Check out sublime merge, too. All the goodies from sublime text for a git frontend!", "context": "", "use_case": "git frontend", "switched_from": "", "story": "They don't make 'em like Sublime Text anymore"}, {"id": 753389201, "item_id": 47086825, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47086825", "by": "gregnavis", "date": "2026-02-20", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Hyper + Q is Sublime Merge", "excerpt": "Intensive keyboard used caused me two problems: soft tissue overload in my palms and elbow pain. After trying Microsoft Natural 4000, Kinesis Advantage 2, I finally settled on ErgoDox EZ with Kailh Silver switches. These switches don't require much force to activate, and I retrained myself to type lightly. This made the palm issue go away. For my elbows, physical therapy and foam rolling made the pain go away. I keep", "context": "", "use_case": "git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "A Beginner's Guide to Split Keyboards"}, {"id": 745585632, "item_id": 46599102, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46599102", "by": "dominicrose", "date": "2026-01-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs", "excerpt": "When things get messy I use Sublime Merge with two tabs, one with the code that's open in VS Code and one with the same project but different branch/commit. It works well on Linux. I've managed to make it work with Windows + WSL but I don't recommend it.", "context": "Linux user", "use_case": "comparing branches/commits", "switched_from": "", "story": "Git Rebase for the Terrified"}, {"id": 744100880, "item_id": 46506305, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46506305", "by": "__jonas", "date": "2026-01-05", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Sublime Merge right now and it's kind of ok but definitely not on the same level", "excerpt": "I agree with that comment chain about the intelliJ diff view so much https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/discussions/26770#discussioncomment-13051899 I don't even need that to be built into the editor \u2013 I would pay for a fast, standalone git UI that is as good as the IntelliJ one. I use Sublime Merge right now and it's kind of ok but definitely not on the same level", "context": "", "use_case": "git UI", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from VSCode to Zed"}, {"id": 736522850, "item_id": 46032678, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46032678", "by": "Klaster_1", "date": "2025-11-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it", "excerpt": "Moved away from ST to VSCode a couple of years ago for similar reasons too. Sublime Merge, though - I tried a couple of alternative solutions, but none of those felt like an improvement, so I still rely on it, but it has all the same drawbacks as ST, the most severe being glacial pace of changes (or total lack thereof). It's as if the dev team lacks capacity to deal with basic UX issues, year over year.", "context": "", "use_case": "Git client", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Stopped Using Sublime Text"}, {"id": 734131792, "item_id": 45883237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45883237", "by": "duskdozer", "date": "2025-11-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I do use sublime merge at times though now - it's nice for [un]staging individual lines and for looking at some diffs.", "excerpt": "No - unless you took away my gitconfig, which is pretty big at this point. Though I guess that's mostly a time-saver. Even so, I've found most of the GUI tools to be confusing because it's hard to tell what they're actually doing under the hood. I do use sublime merge at times though now - it's nice for [un]staging individual lines and for looking at some diffs. I also like git-foresta[1] more than log sometimes. I'l", "context": "Git CLI user", "use_case": "staging lines and diffs", "switched_from": "", "story": "The lazy Git UI you didn't know you need"}]}