Are you intimidated by git's command line-based interface? It can be a bit much—trying to memorize commands and how they work. That's why I use the GitHub Desktop app, and why I think it's the simplest workflow for using git on your computer.
The command line can be confusing
There are a lot of git commands to try and remember
If you want to use GitHub the traditional way, you'll have to use the command line . The command line is how people have always used git—and it's how I learned it too. There are a slew of git commands to memorize, and even more to forget (if you're anything like me).
For starters, you need to rungit initinside of every repository to start the revision tracking. That's simple, but then there'sgit status,git add,git commit,git diff,git branch,git checkout,git merge, and the list goes on. Each of these commands has different sub attributes, too.
One example isgit add. You can usegit addwith a wildcards*, with a specific file, or with the.moniker. The other commands have similar sub commands that are part of the normal workflow, too. Thegit commitcommand is similar, and it has a lot of extra functions that can be triggered within itself.
I used to work with GitHub via the command line exclusively many years ago, but after returning, I realized that I forgot more than I remembered when it came to working with GitHub—and knew there had to be a better way.
GitHub Desktop offers a streamlined experience with buttons and text boxes
No more memorizing (or forgetting) commands
With the GitHub Desktop app , you get full access to GitHub without having to use the terminal one time. From committing changes to pushing to the repo, merging pull requests, and anything else you might need to do, the GitHub desktop app handles it.
The text boxes and buttons in the GitHub Desktop app make navigating through the git experience a much smoother and simpler task. One of the best features of the GitHub Desktop app is that it lets you see a diff of the files easily without having to push code to GitHub directly.
GitHub
This is something that I really enjoy when using the GitHub Desktop app. It has all the same features that I enjoy using on the GitHub desktop website, but within my local repo. Then, when I'm ready to finalize the changes, it's simple and painless. I just write the commit notes (both the short and log commit log) and then click a single button to either commit it and keep it local (for code I'm not ready to go to GitHub) or push to GitHub directly.
If we go back to thegit addandgit commitcommands, the GitHub Desktop app makes those very easy by providing a simple user interface for them. You add files to commit with checkboxes, and then you simply type the commit message and click commit. There's an easy way to stage changes that you're not ready to commit, and the workflow is easier overall when compared to doing everything in the terminal.
Just use GitHub Desktop if you're new to git—forget the command line
Not everything needs to be done in a terminal
A lot of developers try to say that you have to use a terminal for development. But, in 2026, that's just not the case anymore. I used to work exclusively in the terminal many years ago, but now I'm only in a terminal if I'm SSHing into a server or if I'm using Claude Code .
The only development work I do from a terminal now (outside of Claude Code) is runningnpm run devto start up my local web server for the websites I'm building. Outside of that, everything is done through a GUI of some sort. Even when I'm manually writing code or manually committing code changes, I use Antigravity or Cursor.
The terminal is a fantastic tool and it was a big component during my upbringing as a developer, but dedicated programs with graphical interfaces, like GitHub Desktop, just make tasks easier and simpler to do. I don't have to guess anything, I don't have to have commands memorized, and it honestly is more functional to me.
Don't fall for the trap that all developers need to use the terminal—it's just a gatekeeping tactic used by older developers who had no choice but to use a terminal. You live in 2026. Use whatever tool is best for your workflow, even if it's a desktop program.
