Fossil
A distributed version control system with built-in wiki, tickets, forum and web interface.
HN commenters like Fossil as an all-in-one version control system that keeps code, wiki, tickets and forum together in a single file12345, and for how easy it is to self-host and use, especially on solo or small-team projects.678910 The most common caveat is its small user base and missing ecosystem compared to Git11121314, plus a no-rebase workflow that Git users may find alienating.1516
Why people recommend it
All-in-one · 3
Wiki, tickets, forum and web UI are versioned alongside the code in one file.
“I use Fossil for all my freelance work and it so easily allows me to get right back into the context of a project”
“fossil‘s simplicity is a breath of fresh air for anyone who has to use git from a CLI. Well worth a try”
Show 1 more
“Email isn't a wiki, bug tracking, documentation and all the other stuff Fossil offers as part of their core design.”
Easy self-hosting · 3
A single binary and SQLite file make it simple to set up and host.
“I love Fossil, I have been using it for all of my projects for the last couple years.”
“Super easy to host, tiny, includes everything I need for a project, all in one file.”
Show 1 more
“I'm personally very partial to Fossil, it works well and is dead easy to set up.”
Simplicity · 3
Users find it lightweight and easier to use than Git.
“Fossil is my favorite as it's easier to use than git”
“fossil‘s simplicity is a breath of fresh air for anyone who has to use git from a CLI. Well worth a try”
Show 1 more
“I love Fossil and I use it for my projects.”
No-rebase history · 3
Some prefer its honest history and Dr. Hipp's stance against rebase.
“I love Fossil and I use it for my projects.”
Show 1 more
“I use Fossil extensively, but only for personal projects.”
Clear docs · 1
The documentation explains and justifies how it differs from Git.
“the docs are good at explaining (and justifying) the differences, and the built-in features are very useful”
Caveats and dissent
Small ecosystem · 3
Few users, a small community and missing integrations such as Jenkins plugins.
“The infrastructure around fossil and jujitsu are missing. Git isn't the best but network effects matter.”
“Fossil looks really cool. I like how it's all in one and includes the web interface.”
Show 1 more
“It is a small community. The forums are moderately active though”
Unfamiliar workflow · 3
No rebase and permanent branches can throw off people used to Git.
“There's no rebase, on principle. Branch names are permanent attributes of commits.”
“It is revision control, it is as good as git (maybe better), but it is different.”
Show 1 more
Outside contributions · 1
Accepting contributions means receiving patches or bundles, unlike Git forges.
“I use Fossil extensively, but only for personal projects.”
Dated web UI · 2
Some find the web interface old-fashioned.
“I've been using Fossil since 2009.”
Per-repo users · 1
Users must be managed separately in each repository.
“I love Fossil, I have been using it for all of my projects for the last couple years.”
Binary files · 1
Not a compelling choice for projects with lots of binary assets.
“Currently I use Fossil for most projects, but it's not a compelling choice (just like git) for when you have binary stuff.”
Often compared with
2 moved from Git to Fossil
1 moved from Forgejo to FossilGitea2 comments mention both
1 moved from Fossil to Gitea
Who recommends it in their own words
From the makers not counted in the ranking
“We make no secret about not liking the ticket system”
Threads where it came up
- Ask HN: Alternatives to GitHub 13 mentions
- From Git to Fossil (2025) 4 mentions
- I made my own Git 2 mentions
- Fossil versus Git 2 mentions
- We want you to build the next Git platform on Cloudflare 1 mention
- Git 3.0's upcoming SHA-256 default will be a costly mistake 1 mention
Data: fossil.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 34
“But I love fossil for this. You can create users for all of the agents (or agent roles).”
“Fossil has already moved from SHA1 to SHA3-256 and I haven't encountered any issues.”
“Super easy to host, tiny, includes everything I need for a project, all in one file.”
“I looked at fossil a long time ago and liked it a lot”
“I use both, and I prefer fossil.”
“I love Fossil and I use it for my projects.”
“I prefer fossil so never bothered to learn git command line”
“I really dig everything being so tightly coupled to a given project”
“I'd probably take a look at fossil. That thing is so damn cool.”
“I've been using Fossil since 2009.”
“It really looks like fossil is actually what I've always wanted.”
“It is a small community. The forums are moderately active though”
“Fossil looks really cool. I like how it's all in one and includes the web interface.”
“It is revision control, it is as good as git (maybe better), but it is different.”
“Try Fossil”
“the docs are good at explaining (and justifying) the differences, and the built-in features are very useful”
“I love Fossil, I have been using it for all of my projects for the last couple years.”
“I'm personally very partial to Fossil, it works well and is dead easy to set up.”
“There's no rebase, on principle. Branch names are permanent attributes of commits.”
“fossil‘s simplicity is a breath of fresh air for anyone who has to use git from a CLI. Well worth a try”
“storing PRs and issues and wiki inside the repository itself, similar to how Fossil[1] does it”
“I love the minimalism of his programs, SQLLite and Fossil.”
“I'm also secretly a massive fan of Dr. Hipp and his work on FossilSCM [1]. I love a bunch of his design decisions there”
“Currently I use Fossil for most projects, but it's not a compelling choice (just like git) for when you have binary stuff.”
“fossil is a broader all-in-one solution: not only a new Version Control System”
“I use Fossil for all my freelance work and it so easily allows me to get right back into the context of a project”
“I wish the prevailing SCMS were more like Fossil, where issues and forum posts, at least, are part of the repository”
“bash, bc, convert, cp, df, du, fossil, grep, less, tail, make, man, mc,”
“Fossil is my favorite as it's easier to use than git”
“Email isn't a wiki, bug tracking, documentation and all the other stuff Fossil offers as part of their core design.”
“I use Fossil extensively, but only for personal projects.”
“the web interface was _so_ dated”
“The infrastructure around fossil and jujitsu are missing. Git isn't the best but network effects matter.”
“I love Fossil, I love SQLite, and I also like Althttpd.”