GitHub CLI
GitHub's official command line tool for pull requests, issues, and other GitHub tasks.cli/cli
- Stars
- 46.8k
- Forks
- 9.2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Go
- Last update
- 6 days ago
- Type
- CLI
What it is
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.
- View and manage pull requests from the terminal next to your code
- Create and track issues without opening a browser
- Install and update an agent skill so coding agents can drive gh, using gh skill install
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: git
Install the agent skill (from README)
gh skill install cli/cli gh --scope user - 2
Run it
- Install gh using the package manager or binary for your platform from the installation docs
- Authenticate with your GitHub account as described in the manual at https://cli.github.com/manual/
- Run gh pr status in a git repository to see pull request status, as shown in the README screenshot
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Install the agent skill with gh skill install so coding agents can use gh, and update it with gh skill update gh after a release
- Use the verification steps in the README to check downloaded release binaries with gh at verify or cosign
- On GitHub Actions, check whether the pre-installed version fits, or install a specific version in your workflow
- Read docs/gh-vs-hub.md if you are moving from the older hub tool
Downloads
Strengths
- 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
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cli (this) | 46.8k | CLI | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who already work in the terminal and use GitHub daily |
| hub | 23k | CLI | beginner | 2.8 years ago | Developers who use git and GitHub daily from the terminal |
| gitea | 58.8k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Teams that want to host their own code instead of using a public cloud service |
| gitleaks | 30.6k | CLI | beginner | 9 days ago | Developers who want to catch accidentally committed credentials before they reach a shared repository |
| oh-my-posh | 23.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want their terminal prompt to show extra context |
| lazygit | 83.6k | CLI | beginner | 5 days ago | Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.