When to rebase vs when to merge in Git - CLI Comparison

Introduction

When working with Git, you often need to combine changes from different branches. Rebasing and merging are two ways to do this. Choosing the right one helps keep your project history clean and easy to understand.

When you want to update your feature branch with the latest changes from the main branch before finishing your work.

When you want to keep a simple, straight history without extra merge commits.

When you want to combine completed work from a feature branch back into the main branch with a clear record of merges.

When collaborating with others and you want to avoid rewriting shared history.

When you want to resolve conflicts early by replaying your changes on top of the latest code.

Commands

Switch to your feature branch where you want to apply changes.

Terminal

git checkout feature-branch

Expected Output

Switched to branch 'feature-branch'

Rebase your feature branch on top of the latest main branch commits to keep history linear.

Terminal

git rebase main

Expected Output

First, rewinding head to replay your work on top of it...

Applying: Add new feature

Switch back to the main branch to prepare for merging.

Terminal

git checkout main

Expected Output

Switched to branch 'main'

Merge the feature branch into main, creating a merge commit that records the integration.

Terminal

git merge feature-branch

Expected Output

Updating 1a2b3c4..5d6e7f8

Fast-forward

 file.txt | 2 ++

 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else, remember: rebase rewrites history to keep it clean, merge preserves history and shows integration points.

Common Mistakes

Rebasing a branch that others are also using.

It rewrites history, causing conflicts and confusion for others sharing the branch.

Only rebase local or private branches that are not shared with others.

Merging too often without rebasing, leading to many merge commits.

This clutters the project history and makes it harder to follow changes.

Use rebase to keep your branch up to date before merging to main.

Using rebase to combine unrelated branches or public branches.

This can cause complex conflicts and disrupt collaboration.

Use merge for combining public branches or when you want to preserve the full history.

Summary

Use git rebase to update your feature branch with the latest main branch changes and keep history linear.

Use git merge to combine branches and preserve the full history with merge commits.

Avoid rebasing shared branches to prevent rewriting history that others rely on.