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GitHub CLI vs hub

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.

GitHub CLI

Open source · MIT

GitHub's official command line tool for pull requests, issues, and other GitHub tasks.

Full review Website
hub

Open source · MIT

A git wrapper that adds GitHub commands like cloning by repo name and managing pull requests.

Full review Website

The short answer

Choose GitHub CLI if you need…

  • Developers who already work in the terminal and use GitHub daily
  • People who review or open pull requests often from the command line
  • Teams that want GitHub tasks scripted or automated
  • Users of GitHub Enterprise Cloud or supported Enterprise Server versions

Choose hub if you need…

  • Developers who use git and GitHub daily from the terminal
  • People who want git commands to stay familiar while gaining GitHub shortcuts
  • Developers writing shell scripts that call the GitHub API
  • Teams using GitHub Actions workflows that need to list pull requests

Side-by-side

GitHub CLIhub
TypeCLICLI
PriceFree and open sourceFree and open source
LicenceMITMIT
GitHub stars46.8k23k
Setup difficultyBeginnerBeginner
How you get itInstall with a package managerInstall with a package manager
Main languageGoGo
Last code update6 days ago3 years ago

What each one is

GitHub CLI

GitHub CLI, run as the command gh, brings GitHub features like pull requests and issues into your terminal, alongside git and your code. People use it to do common GitHub tasks without switching to the browser. The README says it is supported on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and works with GitHub.com, GitHub Enterprise Cloud, and supported GitHub Enterprise Server versions.

hub

hub is a command-line tool that wraps git and adds extra commands for working with GitHub, such as cloning a repository by its owner/name or handling pull requests from the terminal. It can also be aliased as git so normal git commands still work with the added features. The README notes that GitHub's official CLI, gh, is an alternative.

Best for

GitHub CLI

  • Developers who already work in the terminal and use GitHub daily
  • People who review or open pull requests often from the command line
  • Teams that want GitHub tasks scripted or automated
  • Users of GitHub Enterprise Cloud or supported Enterprise Server versions

hub

  • Developers who use git and GitHub daily from the terminal
  • People who want git commands to stay familiar while gaining GitHub shortcuts
  • Developers writing shell scripts that call the GitHub API
  • Teams using GitHub Actions workflows that need to list pull requests

Strengths

GitHub CLI

  • Official tool maintained by GitHub
  • Covers macOS, Windows, and Linux with several install routes listed in the README
  • Released under the MIT license, which is permissive

hub

  • Keeps familiar git commands while adding GitHub features
  • Installs through many package managers and as a standalone binary
  • Has no dependencies beyond git 1.7.3 or newer, per the README

Not ideal for

GitHub CLI

  • People who do not use GitHub, since the tool only works with GitHub services
  • Users who prefer a graphical interface over the terminal
  • Users on platforms outside macOS, Windows, and Linux, since the README lists only those as supported

hub

  • People who want the official, actively positioned GitHub CLI: the README points to cli.github.com as the more user-friendly option
  • Users who need help with GitHub.com itself: the README says the repo's issue tracker is not for web interface problems
  • Anyone who dislikes tools that alias or wrap git, since aliasing changes how the git command behaves in the shell

Trade-offs

GitHub CLI

  • Requires comfort with the command line
  • The README notes a PGP signing key rotation for Linux package repositories effective September 5, 2026, which may cause package install or update problems for some users
  • Scope beyond the README excerpt, such as the full command list, is not covered here

hub

  • The README recommends the official gh CLI as a more user-friendly option, so this tool may be less actively promoted
  • Some community-maintained packages may lag behind the latest release, as the README warns
  • The GitHub Actions example needs a token, and the default token only covers the workflow's own repository

Getting started

GitHub CLI

Install the agent skill (from README)

gh skill install cli/cli gh --scope user
Step-by-step guide: how to use GitHub CLI

hub

Install with Homebrew (macOS, Linux)

brew install hub

Install with Scoop (Windows)

scoop install hub
Step-by-step guide: how to use hub

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between GitHub CLI and hub?

GitHub CLI: GitHub's official command line tool for pull requests, issues, and other GitHub tasks. hub: A git wrapper that adds GitHub commands like cloning by repo name and managing pull requests. GitHub CLI suits developers who already work in the terminal and use github daily, while hub suits developers who use git and github daily from the terminal.

Are GitHub CLI and hub free?

GitHub CLI: Free and open source. hub: Free and open source.

Is GitHub CLI or hub more popular?

GitHub CLI has more GitHub stars (46.8k) than hub (23k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

What are other alternatives to GitHub CLI and hub?

Other options people compare them with include git-extras, lazygit, mas.

Keep comparing

hub alternativeshub vs lazygitgit-extras vs hub

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.