Understanding Git Merge vs Rebase

Merge vs Rebase

Both combine changes from one branch into another, but they create different histories. Understanding the difference avoids messy commit logs.

Git Merge

git checkout main
git merge feature
# Creates a merge commit, preserves full history

History keeps both branch lines and adds a merge commit.

Git Rebase

git checkout feature
git rebase main
# Replays your commits on top of main — linear history

History becomes a clean straight line, as if you branched from the latest main.

Visual Difference

	Merge	Rebase
History	Branched, with merge commit	Linear
Safety	Safe	Rewrites commits
Best for	Shared branches	Local cleanup

The Golden Rule

Never rebase commits that others have pulled — it rewrites history and breaks their copies.

FAQs

Which should I use?

Merge for shared/public branches; rebase to clean up your local commits before pushing. More in our Git guides.

What is interactive rebase?

git rebase -i lets you squash, reorder, or edit commits.