gh-dash vs lazygit
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A terminal dashboard for viewing and acting on your GitHub PRs and issues.
Open source · MIT
A simple terminal interface for working with git commands.
The short answer
Choose gh-dash if you need…
- Developers who spend most of their day in the terminal
- People who review many pull requests and want them in one keyboard-driven view
- Teams that want per-repo sections for PRs and issues
- Users who already use the GitHub CLI (gh) and want a richer view
Choose lazygit if you need…
- Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository
- People who prefer working inside a terminal rather than a graphical app
- Users who want to stage, commit, and push changes without memorizing every git flag
Side-by-side
| gh-dash | lazygit | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CLI | CLI |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.7k | 83.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 10 days ago | 5 days ago |
What each one is
gh-dash
gh-dash is a terminal user interface for GitHub that shows pull requests and issues in customizable sections you define. You can navigate with vim-style keys and perform common GitHub actions such as viewing diffs, commenting, checking out branches, and pushing changes without leaving the terminal. Settings are controlled through a YAML config file.
lazygit
Lazygit is a terminal user interface (TUI) for git, the version control system used to track changes in code. Instead of typing git commands one by one, you use keyboard-driven panels to view status, stage changes, commit, and push. The README describes it simply as a terminal UI for git commands.
Best for
gh-dash
- Developers who spend most of their day in the terminal
- People who review many pull requests and want them in one keyboard-driven view
- Teams that want per-repo sections for PRs and issues
- Users who already use the GitHub CLI (gh) and want a richer view
lazygit
- Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository
- People who prefer working inside a terminal rather than a graphical app
- Users who want to stage, commit, and push changes without memorizing every git flag
Strengths
gh-dash
- Keyboard-first design with overridable vim-style hotkeys
- Fully configurable sections and settings through a YAML file
- Covers many everyday GitHub actions in one place
lazygit
- Keyboard-driven panels make common git actions quicker to reach than typing full commands
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Available as prebuilt binaries for Linux, Windows, and FreeBSD, according to the latest release assets
Not ideal for
gh-dash
- People who prefer a graphical interface, since it runs only in a terminal
- Users who rarely work with pull requests or issues
- Anyone unwilling to edit a YAML file to configure sections, as the README makes configuration central
lazygit
- People who are new to git and need to learn its concepts first, since the tool exposes git operations directly
- Users who need a graphical desktop app or work mainly in an IDE, because it runs only in a terminal
- Teams relying on hosting-platform workflows (pull requests, issues) that the README does not describe as supported
Trade-offs
gh-dash
- Requires comfort with the terminal and editing configuration files
- The README is truncated here, so detailed setup and platform notes are not fully visible
- Depends on GitHub access and the GitHub CLI extension setup
lazygit
- Requires comfort with a terminal and a basic understanding of git
- The README is truncated here, so detailed feature coverage and limits could not be fully verified
- Its scope is git operations; it does not replace a full code editor or code review platform
Getting started
gh-dash
Install as a GitHub CLI extension
gh extension install dlvhdr/gh-dashlazygit
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between gh-dash and lazygit?
gh-dash: A terminal dashboard for viewing and acting on your GitHub PRs and issues. lazygit: A simple terminal interface for working with git commands. gh-dash suits developers who spend most of their day in the terminal, while lazygit suits developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository.
Are gh-dash and lazygit free?
gh-dash: Free and open source. lazygit: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, gh-dash or lazygit?
lazygit is easier to get started with (rated beginner); gh-dash is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is gh-dash or lazygit more popular?
lazygit has more GitHub stars (83.6k) than gh-dash (12.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to gh-dash and lazygit?
Other options people compare them with include GitUI.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.