Git Essentials

Git and GitHub

T'Chaka Dev· 7 pages· 4 min read

Git and GitHub are not the same thing, and conflating them is the single most common beginner mistake.

Git is local

Git runs on your machine. It works with no network, no account, and no website. Every commit you make lives in a .git folder next to your code.

bash
git init git log --oneline

GitHub is a host

GitHub is one of several companies that will store a copy of your repository on their servers and put a web interface on it. GitLab and Bitbucket do the same job.

DIAGRAM laptop with .git folder, arrow labeled push, cloud labeled "any host"

Why the confusion

Because most people meet git through GitHub, the two blur together. They shouldn't:

You can use git forever without an account anywhere. The network step is optional and comes last.