Finally Open‑Source: Rebased Extracts IntelliJ IDEA’s Git UI into a Standalone Client

Developers who appreciate IntelliJ IDEA’s powerful Git panel—its three‑column diff view, interactive rebase dialog, and visual commit graph—have long wanted the same experience without launching the full IDE.

The long‑standing demand

The YouTrack issue IJPL‑72504, titled “Make git client a standalone app,” has been open since 2014 and consistently ranks among the top‑voted requests, accumulating over 650 votes. Users cite reasons such as corporate policies that forbid IDEs, the overhead of starting IDEA for a single rebase, and the desire for a lightweight Git UI.

JetBrains’ brief experiment

In 2025 JetBrains released a closed‑preview called GitClient 2025.3 EAP , a stripped‑down IntelliJ platform retaining only VCS tools. After a short public trial the project was shelved, with JetBrains explaining that a standalone product would lack the IDE’s code‑analysis engine and be commercially unsustainable.

Rebased: the community’s answer

GitHub user DetachHead forked JetBrains/intellij-community and removed all non‑Git plugins, repackaging the result as Rebased . The project is Apache‑2.0 licensed, fully open source, and aims to provide the exact IntelliJ Git experience as a separate application.

As of April 2026 the repository has about 480 stars and 19 releases; the latest version 1.0.6 was published on 2026‑04‑06.

Installation

Rebased offers pre‑built packages for Windows, Linux (AppImage recommended), and macOS. On macOS the app is unsigned, so users must run xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Rebased.app to bypass Gatekeeper.

Core functionality

You’ll recognize the familiar IntelliJ Git experience.

The Git Log panel shows local/remote branches on the left, a colored commit graph in the middle, and file changes on the right. Shortcut Alt+9 (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+9 (macOS) opens the panel.

Search can filter by branch, author, date, or file path, and even search code snippets within commit messages.

Interactive Rebase

Right‑click a commit and choose “Interactively Rebase from Here…”. The dialog lists all commits up to HEAD, allowing the following actions:

Pick : keep the commit (default)

Reword : edit the commit message

Squash : merge with the previous commit, preserving both messages

Fixup : merge with the previous commit, discarding the current message

Drop : delete the commit

Commits can be reordered via arrow keys, and the process is executed with a “Start Rebasing” button that pauses for conflicts.

Three‑pane Merge tool

The merge view displays Local changes, Remote changes, and the Result side‑by‑side. Arrows “«” and “»” let users pick changes for the Result pane, and a one‑click “Apply All Non‑Conflicting Changes” button merges everything that does not conflict.

GitHub integration

Rebased includes a built‑in GitHub plugin for login, cloning, and browsing pull requests without extra configuration.

Comparison with other Git clients

Rebased – identical IDEA experience; free and open source; early‑stage development; unsigned macOS builds.

GitKraken – polished UI and clear graph; advanced features require a paid license; relatively heavyweight.

Fork – lightweight and stable; macOS/Windows versions are paid (free trial).

Sublime Merge – extremely fast with powerful search; lacks JetBrains‑level three‑pane merge.

Sourcetree – free with strong Atlassian integration; UI feels dated and occasional performance issues.

For users already familiar with IntelliJ’s Git UI, Rebased offers near‑zero learning curve.

Building from source

Requirements:

Git

IntelliJ IDEA 2023.2 or newer

At least 8 GB RAM

JetBrains Runtime 21 (non‑JCEF)

Clone the repository with submodules:

git clone https://github.com/detachhead/rebased.git --recurse-submodules
cd rebased

On Windows, configure Git to avoid path‑length and line‑ending issues:

git config --global core.longpaths true
git config --global core.autocrlf input

Open the project in IDEA, let the index finish, then build via Build | Build Project or run installers.cmd to create installers.

Current limitations

Development resources are limited; the maintainer handles issues and PRs alone.

macOS builds are unsigned, requiring manual removal of quarantine flags after OS upgrades.

Android submodule remains due to build‑script coupling, adding unnecessary components.

There is no official JetBrains support; users rely on community help.

Despite these constraints, Rebased’s Apache‑2.0 license, free distribution, and feature parity with IntelliJ’s Git UI make it a compelling option for developers who prefer a lightweight, IDE‑independent Git client.