BitBucket vs Git: Detailed Comparison for Business Makers

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Read Time 9 min

If you’re a developer, you’re probably working with codes, and you’ve surely heard of Git and BitBucket. It’s also conceivable that you’ve used them previously.  But do you know what Git and BitBucket are and how they differ from one another? Well, don’t worry if you don’t! It’s never too late to learn anything new, and it’s not even that difficult in this case. Read this post on Git vs Bitbucket to learn everything you need to know about both. We are sure that after reading this Git versus Bitbucket article, you will have a thorough understanding of both technologies. So, let’s delve a little deeper into the details.

BitBucket vs Git:  Beyond to Infinity Overview

We’ll go over BitBucket and Git history, development, and characteristics, as well as additional implementations and features, in this overview. Before we jump on the comparison of both BitBucket vs Git, it is essential to understand version control to know the difference. So, let’s dive deeper into it. 

Version control 

Version control refers to a system that keeps track of changes to a file or set of files over time, referred to as ‘versions.’ To put it another way, versions help you in tracking changes to your code/project and, if required, undo those changes. When working on a larger project, this feature will help compare, distinguish, and undo changes between two versions of a larger project. What do you mean by larger projects here? Wondering the same?

Larger projects are the projects on which more individuals are working on the same code, which raises the likelihood of clashes. When you use version code in such projects, it will avoid these problems. What’s more? A Version Control System (VCS) is a software system that manages the versioning of the codes. You can also think of it as a ‘database’ to get a better picture.

The VCS, which is housed in this database, creates snapshots of your entire project and saves them as versions. You can now quickly compare versions and move between them based on your needs thanks to these snapshots. We believe you now have a thorough understanding of version control. Another thing to keep in mind is that a VCS and a backup/deployment system are not the same thing. Unlike backup systems, VCS eradicates the need to change or replace the toolchain entirely. 

We’ve also included a list of some of the benefits of version control:

  • Version control establishes effective workflow, which helps in the prevention of chaos among people working on their projects using incompatible technologies.
  • Each version includes an explanation of the changes made in that version. These descriptions further help in the tracking of code changes by version.
  • VCS keeps the versions in sync and ensures that your changes don’t clash with those made by others who use the same repository.
  • VCS also helps in the preservation of change history by allowing others to store new versions of your code. This history can be reviewed to determine who made the modifications, why they were made, and when they were made.
  • By doing testing, code analysis, and deployment whenever new versions are stored, the VCS automation tools save you and your team time and produce consistent results. 

So, let’s get started with this Git versus BitBucket blog and figure out what Git and BitBucket are all about.

Git

Git development began in April 2005, after many Linux kernel developers gave up access to BitKeeper, a proprietary source-control management system (SCM) used to maintain the project since 2002. Git was originally designed as a low-level version-control system software, on top of which others could write front ends, such as Cogito or StGIT. While strongly influenced by BitKeeper, Torvalds deliberately avoided conventional approaches, leading to a unique design. The core Git project has since become a complete version-control system that is usable directly. 

If we dive into the details Git is a version control system that you must install on your local system to use. Git is an excellent software for a single person working on a project. What if you’re working on a project with a huge group of people? Everyone will be working on the same project, but each of you will be working on a different version. Let’s say you’ve made modifications to the project directory on your system and want to share them with your teammates. Also, you want the changes they make to appear in the project directory on your system. 

Working on a project requires you and your teammates to be on the same page in order to avoid any conflicts is difficult. So, how are you going to manage it? Don’t be concerned. Git takes care of everything, but there is one requirement: each member of your team must have Git installed on their systems. Git is also known as a distributed version control system, which means you can push and pull your changes to other people’s workstations using Git:

You can now collaborate on the same copy as your team member using Git. However, until and unless you pull your collaborator’s modifications and push back your own, the copy on which you’ll be working will not reflect any of the changes in the main directory.

Characteristics

  • Distributed development
  • Cryptographic authentication of history
  • Compatibility with existent systems and protocols
  • Periodic explicit object packing
  • Pluggable merge strategies
  • Toolkit-based design
  • Garbage accumulates until collected

Implementations

Git (the main implementation in C language) is primarily developed on Linux, although it also supports most major operating systems, including BSD, Solaris, macOS, and Windows. 

BitBucket

Bitbucket was previously an independent startup formed in 2008 by Jesper Nohr. Atlassian purchased Bitbucket on September 29, 2010. Atlassian rebranded its Stash product to Bitbucket Server in September 2015.

Image source: Bitbucket 

Bitbucket later added support for Git Large File Storage in July 2016. Bitbucket stopped supporting Mercurial, its original repository format, in 2020. As previously stated, Git is a version control system that keeps track of changes made to computer code. GitHub, on the other hand, is a hosting service for Git version control repositories on the Web. It offers all of Git’s distributed version control and source code management features while also adding a few of its own. It’s a developer’s paradise, where they can store their projects and network with like-minded individuals. You can think of it as a “code cloud” as well. 

To summarise, it’s a place where you can save all of your identical working folders or repositories. It’s a hub for Git repositories, which you may access by signing up for a free GitHub account. These accounts come with a large amount of storage space where you may keep your repositories and create a user profile. The repositories are public by default, which means that everyone can see your code, but you may make them private as well. So, if you’re a programmer, you may post your apps and programs and gain recognition. 

It has the following three exceptional features that make it so powerful:

  • fork: Forking is another name for it. When you don’t have write access to a repository, it copies it from another user’s account. As a result, you can copy it and edit it in your account.
  • pull: If you’ve made changes to the codes you’ve copied and wish to share them with the original order, you may send them a “pull request” notification.
  • merge: If the user who owns those codes considers your changes useful, he or she can merge the changes in your repo with the original repo with a single button click. 

Bitbucket hosting options

  • Cloud: Bitbucket Cloud is hosted on Atlassian’s servers and accessible via a URL.
  • Server: Bitbucket Server is installed on your local network.
  • Data Centre Users see Bitbucket Data Center as a single instance of Bitbucket Server, but it is hosted on numerous servers in a cluster in your environment.

What else makes BitBucket more interesting? Its best-in-class Jira and Trello integrations, bring the entire software team together to execute a project.

Integration

BitBucket integrates with Jira Software, Confluence, and Bamboo. Apart from that, BitBucket also allows external authentication with GitHub, Facebook, Twitter, and Google. 

Features of BitBucket

  • It allows you to have an unlimited number of private repositories.
  • It also explicitly maintains branch permissions and gives the developer the ability to limit branch access.
  • The integrated CI/CD tool in Bitbucket allows you to develop, test, and deploy with confidence.
  • It supports 330+ languages and data formats.
  • It gives your team granular access control, ensuring that only the right people have access to your code.
  • To minimize clone time, Git Large File Storage (LFS) is supported.
  • It allows you to compare branches and observe history.
  • Allow comprehensive interaction with third-party APIs like Trello.
  • It collaborates continuously, merges with confidence, and produces high-quality code.

Features of Git

  • It specifies labels and project milestones.
  • It mainly consists of public repositories.
  • It demonstrates a branch-by-branch comparison.
  • Within GitHub, you can publish and host websites using GitHub Pages.
  • It offers bug tracking and cloud hosting through third-party API interfaces.
  • Syntax highlighting is also a wonderful feature.
  • It collaborates continuously, merges with confidence, and produces high-quality code.

What Benefits Does BitBucket Offer?

  • BitBucket is reliable and easy to use.
  • Bitbucket offers a sophisticated Jira integration, thus it readily connects with Jira’s task-tracking tool.
  • It provides teams one place to plan projects, collaborate on the code, and test and deploy. 
  • If you don’t want to utilize Jira, Bitbucket also has an easy-to-use integration for Trello.
  • Every BitBucket repository can have its wiki, which can be accessed at any time.
  • Bitbucket provides teachers and students with unlimited private repositories for free, which is a hard deal to refuse.
  • BitBucket is the best way to manage your code and repositories.

What Benefits Does Git Offer?

  • Git is a popular open-source project with a twelve-year track record of success. 
  • The majority of developers rely on it from the mentioned time for commercial and non-commercial projects. Thus, you can also use it to handle complex development tasks with ease. 
  • Git uses the SHA-1 cryptographic algorithm to protect your data.
  • Git provides a stage called “index” or “staging area” where commits can be formatted and updated before being completed.
  • The major goal of Git is the flexibility it provides in supporting various nonlinear development workflows, as well as its efficiency in handling both small and big-size projects and protocols.
  • Git supports the preservation of source code integrity.
  • When working on a project, most developers and teams require optimum performance, functionality, security, and adaptability, Git is ideal for that purpose as well. 
  • When compared to other version control systems, Git is regarded to work exceptionally well and consistently.

BitBucket Vs. Git: Let’s Understand Key Differences

The most fundamental difference between Git and Bitbucket is that Git is focused on public code, whereas Bitbucket is focused on private code. Git, on the other hand, has a large open-source community, whereas Bitbucket caters mostly to enterprise and business users. That’s not to say you can’t have a private GitHub repository, you can. Or if you are unable to publish your code on Bitbucket, again, you can. Aside from that, the two platforms are extremely similar in terms of functionality. You can use the website or the command line to build and manage repositories, invite collaborators, discuss problems, log in with two-factor authentication (2FA), make/merge pull requests, and do just about everything else.

In that manner, they’re extremely similar. So, let’s take a closer look at the differences so you can choose the best option possible.

Definition: Git is a distributed version control system, whereas Bitbucket is a Git-based version control repository hosting service for Git or Mercurial-based development projects. The data is pushed, pulled, and cloned using the source tree. When compared to Git, bitbucket is the quickest and most efficient. 

Advantages: Git has some advantages. It promotes efficiency and data integrity by providing robust branching and merging capabilities. Bitbucket is also not going anywhere in this fast-moving and highly technical world. It offers both paid and free accounts with an unlimited number of private repositories

Functionality: Git allows the developer to track changes made to the source code during the software development process. Bitbucket, on the other hand, provides a web hosting service for Git and Mercurial repositories.

Developer: Jesper Noehr was the developer of Bitbucket. If we talk about Git, Linux Torvalds was the initial developer, while Junio Hamano is the current developer. 

Written in: Bitbucket is written in Python whereas Git is written in C, Tcl, Shell, Perl, and Python.

Pricing: Bitbucket is free for up to five users. On the other hand, GitHub’s free offering has unlimited public and private repositories with unlimited collaborators but its enterprise package is a bit more expensive than BitBucket which might cost $21 per user. 

BitBucket vs Git: Comparison Table

The below table difference will clear all of your queries that are currently touring your mind even after reading the above key differences. So, before you make any decision, let’s have a quick look. 

We hope this comparison has cleared all of your doubts that were getting through your head and you’re good to go. 

Endnote

If you are looking for a version control system that can run on the web as well as be installed easily locally using tools like source tree, then BitBucket is an ideal option to choose from. You can also get assistance with custom software solutions like Bitbucket. It interacts with the local repository using command line commands; before making code changes makes a copy in the local machine and commits it to the local machine. Finally, it connects to the remote repository and pushes the updated files there. However, if you are looking for software that is both free and open-source, then Git is awesome to opt for. Since it’s a completely distributed version control system, it does not use the user management function. What’s more? The cloned repository in GIT serves as a complete backup of the code. We hope you find this article useful. 

About author

Gourav Khanna

Gourav Khanna is co-founder and CEO of APPWRK IT SOLUTIONS PVT LIMITED, a web & mobile app development company. He is a technophile who is always eager to learn and share his views on new technologies and future advancements. Gourav’s knowledge and experience have made him one of the industry's most respected and referenced leaders in the IT industry. His passion for writing and a high spirit of learning new things is reflected in his write ups. He has inspired many organizations to leverage digital platforms with his top-notch writing strategy skills that cut through the noise, backed by sharp thinking. Gourav believes that - “Words are the way to know ecstasy, without them life is barren ''.

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