FAQ
Quick answers about what GitLocal is, what it does with your files, and how to get it.
GitLocal is a free, local-first tool that opens a GitHub-style viewer for any folder or git repository on your computer. It renders Markdown, browses the file tree, and shows what changed, right in your browser, with no IDE required.
Yes. GitLocal is free and open source under the MIT license. There are no accounts, subscriptions, or telemetry.
No. GitLocal runs entirely on your machine. Clone, fetch, pull, and push actions go through your locally installed git only, and only when you choose to run them.
The npm package runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux with Node.js 22+. A native macOS app is also available in beta via Homebrew.
GitLocal is intentionally narrower than a full IDE. It focuses on reading, browsing, reviewing, and lightweight edits — the tasks people still do by hand when an AI agent generates most of the code — plus an integrated terminal for handing work back to that agent.
Run npm install -g gitlocal, then gitlocal . in any folder, or npx gitlocal to try it without installing. A macOS app is available via brew install --cask gitlocal after brew tap ehud-am/gitlocal.
GitLocal renders Markdown, source code with syntax highlighting, JSON, and images, plus built-in viewers for PDF, SVG, CSV, Excel (.xlsx and .xls), and PowerPoint (.pptx) files — many of which GitHub's web UI cannot render inline and offers only as a raw download.
GitLocal is built in the open on GitHub. Share ideas and questions in Discussions, report bugs by opening an issue, or help build it by picking up an issue or proposing a change — see CONTRIBUTING.md. You don't need to write code to take part, and using an AI coding tool to write a change is welcome. Participating needs a free GitHub account; using GitLocal does not.
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