Git Version Control:

The difference between 'git pull' and 'git fetch'

Summary

Learn the key differences between git pull and git fetch. While git fetch retrieves remote updates without merging, allowing review before integration, git pull fetches and merges instantly.

Published:

2025-02-18

Updated:

2025-02-18

Reading time:

02:10

Author:

Jonas Jared Jacek

Tags:

git

License:

CC BY-SA 4.0

Permalink:

Difference between git pull and git fetch

Introduction #

Git is a powerful version control system that allows developers to manage code efficiently. Two commonly used commands, git pull and git fetch, serve different purposes in synchronizing repositories.

Understanding git fetch #

git fetch retrieves updates from a remote repository but does not automatically integrate them into your local branch. This allows you to inspect incoming changes before merging them.

When you run git fetch, Git downloads new commits, branches, and tags from the remote repository without modifying your working directory. You can then review the changes using git log or git diff before deciding whether to merge them.

Understanding git pull #

git pull is essentially a combination of git fetch followed by git merge. It retrieves the latest changes from the remote repository and automatically attempts to merge them into your current branch.

This command simplifies the update process but can lead to merge conflicts if the remote changes conflict with your local work. To resolve conflicts, you may need to manually edit files and complete the merge process.

Command-line option differences #

1. Fetching specific branches
   git fetch <remote> <refspec> allows fetching specific branches or tags without updating the working directory. git pull does not provide this level of control, as it always fetches and merges the current branch’s upstream counterpart.
2. Limited history fetching
   git fetch --depth=<n> fetches a limited commit history, which is useful for large repositories. git pull does not allow fetching a limited history and always retrieves the full commit history.
3. Pruning stale branches
   git fetch --prune removes obsolete remote-tracking branches that no longer exist on the remote. git pull does not have this option and will not remove stale branches automatically.
4. Rebasing instead of merging
   git pull --rebase applies the fetched changes by rebasing instead of merging, avoiding unnecessary merge commits. git fetch alone does not modify the working directory, so rebasing is not applicable unless followed by git rebase manually.
5. Performance optimization
   git fetch --no-tags prevents fetching tags, speeding up operations in repositories with many tags. git pull does not provide an equivalent option and always fetches tags along with the commits.

Key differences between git fetch and git pull #

1. Data retrieval vs. integration
   git fetch only downloads updates, while git pull both downloads and merges them.
2. Safety
   git fetch is a more cautious approach as it does not alter the working directory, whereas git pull might cause merge conflicts.
3. Control over merging
   With git fetch, you can review changes before merging, but git pull merges immediately.
4. Usage scenarios
   Use git fetch when you want to check for updates without affecting your local code. Use git pull when you are ready to integrate remote changes.
5. Command-line options
   git fetch provides more control with options like --depth=<n> for limited history, --prune for cleaning up stale branches, and specific branch fetching via <refspec>. git pull lacks these refinements but allows --rebase instead of merging.

While git pull may be more convenient, git fetch provides better control over the update process. By using both strategically, you can maintain a cleaner and conflict-free codebase.

Further readings #

Sources and recommended, further resources on the topic:

• Git manual: git pull
• Git manual: git fetch
• Git manual: git merge
• Git manual: git rebase
• Git cheat sheet

Author

Jonas Jared Jacek (J15k)

Jonas works as project manager, web designer, and web developer since 2001. On top of that, he is a Linux system administrator with a broad interest in things related to programming, architecture, and design. See: https://www.j15k.com/

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