Git on the other hand has been built from the ground up as a distributed version control system. As with any VCS, you can compare two versions, create a branch and merge it with the main stream, and when there is a conflict, resolve it. Clients can check out (make a local copy of) the repository on their local machines, and after making changes, they can check in (update the server with the changes) the changes to the server. In a few months, the first version of Subversion was released and it’s been extremely popular among developers ever since.Īs previously mentioned, Subversion is a centralized VCS. began seeking developers to build a replacement for CVS that would maintain the CVS fundamentals but fix its most glaring issues. Subversion currently is the most popular centralized VCS. Difference in Subversion and Git Version Control To help you choose the right one, I will explain their major differences and then list the advantages and disadvantages of each. Since Subversion and Git are the most popular in their respective categories, I have chosen to match them against one another in this article. The first choice you need to make, however, is whether to use a centralized system or a distributed system, which depends on your preference and the relevant experience with the VCS. The kinds of people who are going to use the VCS.The types of files you are working with.

Distributed version control systems - Every client has the entire repository stored locally.ĬVS and Subversion are two of the most popular centralized VCSs, while Git, Mercurial, Bazaar and Monotone are their distributed counterparts.Ĭhoosing the right type of VCS for a project depends on several things, including:.Centralized version control systems - The repository is centrally stored on a server.The grandfather of open source VCSs is CVS, a tool that was the de facto standard in the industry for several years until the likes of Subversion came along and made it almost obsolete.Īll the VCSs are broadly categorized into two categories: As with everything in the open source world, version control systems (VCSs) come in several flavors.

Subversion backups