Git History
Browse the change history of a single file in any git repo, via a web page or CLI.
- Stars
- 13.7k
- Forks
- 542
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 2.1 years ago
- Type
- App
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
Git History lets you see how a file has changed over time without digging through raw git logs. You open a file on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, change the host to githistory.xyz, and step through its commits. It also works on local repos through a CLI or a VS Code extension.
- Open a file on GitHub, swap the host for github.githistory.xyz, and scrub through its commits
- Install the Chrome or Firefox extension to add an Open in Git History button on GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket
- Use the CLI or VS Code extension to view the history of a file in a local repo
Great for
- Developers trying to understand why a file looks the way it does
- People reading unfamiliar open-source code
- Anyone who wants a visual timeline of one file's edits
- VS Code users who want file history inside the editor
Not ideal for
- People who need full repository-wide history or advanced git queries, since the tool focuses on single files
- Users who need offline browsing of hosted repos, since the web version relies on the githistory.xyz service
How to get it
- 1
Use it in the browser (or self-host)
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/pomber/git-history.git - 2
Run it
- Open a file on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket in your browser
- Replace github.com (or the other host) with github.githistory.xyz in the address bar
- Step through the commits to browse the file's history
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Install the Chrome or Firefox extension to get a one-click button on supported sites
- Use the bookmarklet if you prefer not to install an extension
- For local repos, try the CLI in the cli folder of the repository or the VS Code extension
Downloads
Strengths
- Very simple to start: the README describes a three-step process with no setup
- Works with several hosts (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) and local repos
- MIT licensed and widely starred, with a bookmarklet and browser extensions as alternatives
Trade-offs
- The README does not document how the CLI or VS Code extension are installed or configured
- The README is truncated and gives little detail on limits or privacy of the hosted service
- No releases are listed, so it is unclear how versions are tracked
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| git-history (this) | 13.7k | App | beginner | 2.1 years ago | Developers trying to understand why a file looks the way it does |
| gitea | 58.8k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Teams that want to host their own code instead of using a public cloud service |
| desktop | 22k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who work with GitHub and prefer a visual interface for commits and branches |
| Vim | 15.2k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who already know Vim and want its keybindings in VS Code |
| pretty-ts-errors | 14.1k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | Developers working in VS Code on TypeScript projects with complex or generic types |
| github-cheat-sheet | 60.1k | Curated list | beginner | 2.6 years ago | Developers who already use Git and GitHub daily and want to discover lesser-known features |
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.