Which Version Control System is the Best?

Shilpa Prabhudesai

Software Engineering

In the software development field, managing code efficiently is crucial. As projects scale, having a system to track changes, revert to previous versions, and collaborate seamlessly becomes critical. This is handled using Version Control Systems (VCS).

Key Takeaways:
A VCS allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously. It maintains a complete history of every change so that developers know what was changed, where, and how. Whether the software project is a small startup’s codebase or a massive open-source project, the VCS significantly affects productivity, collaboration, and software quality. It makes tracking and controlling software development changes easier. VCS plays a crucial role in synchronization, collaboration, and ensuring the project’s success. There are various VCS available in the market, including Git, Subversion (SVN), Mercurial, Perforce, New Relic, AWS CodeCommit, and Bazaar, among others. Choosing the best VCS requires evaluating each VCS depending on its features, use case, pros, and cons.

Key Takeaways:

A VCS allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously.
It maintains a complete history of every change so that developers know what was changed, where, and how.
Whether the software project is a small startup’s codebase or a massive open-source project, the VCS significantly affects productivity, collaboration, and software quality.
It makes tracking and controlling software development changes easier.
VCS plays a crucial role in synchronization, collaboration, and ensuring the project’s success.
There are various VCS available in the market, including Git, Subversion (SVN), Mercurial, Perforce, New Relic, AWS CodeCommit, and Bazaar, among others.
Choosing the best VCS requires evaluating each VCS depending on its features, use case, pros, and cons.

This article explores the top VCS options, compares their features, and helps you decide which one best fits your development workflow.

What Is a Version Control System (VCS)?

A Version Control System (VCS) is a tool that helps organize source code and manage changes to it over time. A VCS records every modification made to files so that developers can track progress, roll back changes, and collaborate without overwriting each other’s work.

A VCS is always necessary, regardless of the company’s size or the development team’s size, because every software project, whether big or small, involves collaboration and maintenance.

It is a part of modern software development and provides several techniques for tracking and controlling. A VCS additionally manages the project’s centralized repository, file storage, documents, and other project-related information.

It remembers all the modifications done to the code, and if a developer ever wants to return to an earlier version, it can be easily achieved. A VCS is a valuable tool to keep work organized and orderly.

There are two main types of VCS:

               Version Control System (VCS)
                         |
     -----------------------------------------------
     |                                             |
Centralized Version                     Distributed Version
Control Systems (CVCS)                  Control System (DVCS)
   • Main repository stored                • Each developer has local
     in single, central server               copy of repository
   • SVN, Perforce                          • Code changes are made in
                                              local repository and then
                                              committed to shared repository
                                            • Git, Mercurial

Centralized Version Control Systems (CVCS): In CVCS, there is a single, central main repository that stores all the data. Developers working on the code check out files, make changes, and commit the changes back to the central repository.

SVN and Perforce are the two standard CVS systems that use a centralized repository.
Distributed Version Control Systems (DVCS): In this type of CVS, each developer has a complete local copy of the repository. Developers make changes to the code and commit the changes locally. These changes are then pushed to a shared remote repository.

Examples of DCVS are Git, Mercurial, and Bazaar.

All VCS contain the same basic features. However, choosing the right VCS depends on the project requirements, the size of the team, and the complexity.

Here are some of the basic considerations to look into before using or purchasing a version control system:

Version Control Type: Determine whether your project requires a commercial or open-source version control system.
Users: Consider the maximum number of users per account. Also, determine if the VCS is scalable if and when required. As teams grow bigger, they will need robust branching and merging tools.
Storage: Verify that the available storage is sufficient to meet the project’s requirements. Can it handle everything from a basic website to a complex Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform?
Multiple Projects: Assess the number of projects allowed per account in VCS. If you plan to deploy multiple projects, a VCS that supports multiple projects is required.
Features: Determine the availability of additional tools, such as bug trackers, time tracking, and documentation.

The Most Popular Version Control Systems

Here are the most widely used and effective VCS options, with their strengths, weaknesses, and use cases.

1. Git

Git is a top Free And Open-source Version Control System. It is by far the most popular version control system today, and it has become an industry standard. It was initially developed by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to manage Linux kernel development and is used by almost every establishment today.

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks versions of files and is often used by programmers to develop software and collaborate on source code.

Key features of Git version control are:

Distributed architecture: Git is a distributed VCS, and every developer has a complete local copy of the repository. It enables seamless context-switching.
Branching and merging: It provides affordable local branching with its lightweight and fast branching and merging features. Git enables powerful workflows, such as Git Flow and trunk-based development.
Performance: Git is highly efficient, even for large codebases.
Security: It is a secure VCS with cryptographic integrity, utilizing SHA-1 and SHA-256, which ensures reliable tracking.

Advantages of Git VCS are:

It provides excellent support for parallel development.
Git has a vast community and documentation.
It can work offline and allows local commits.
Git integrates with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tools.
It is a highly secure VCS.

There are several disadvantages of Git as follows:

Mastering Git can be time-consuming and overwhelming for beginners.
Solving merge conflicts in Git can be tedious.
Large binary files can slow down operations.

Git is best for:

Teams of any size.
Open-source and enterprise-level projects.
Developers using cloud-based repositories.

Git successfully integrates with:

GitHub
GitLab
Bitbucket
Azure DevOps
Datadog
TIBCO Data Virtualization
Visual Studio Code
TestComplete

2. Subversion (SVN)

Apache Subversion (SVN) is a centralized version control system that has dominated the software industry, alongside Git. It is used in many enterprises and legacy systems and is distributed under the Apache License.

SVN is used to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation.

Some of the key features of SVN are:

Centralized Repository: SVN is a centralized repository and ensures a consistent version history. It offers cheap branching and tagging.
Atomic Commit: It follows an all-or-nothing approach, which prevents partial updates.
Access Control: SVN offers fine-grained permission settings and access control to users.
Interactive Conflict Resolution: It provides interactive conflict resolutions through its UI.
Binary file support: SVN efficiently handles significant binary assets.

SVN CVS has several advantages as follows:

SVN is a predictable and straightforward model, suitable for teams needing control over who changes what.
It integrates with tools like Jenkins and VisualSVN.
SVN is easier for non-technical contributors to understand.
It is easy to set up, even for beginners.
It has good community support.

Here are some disadvantages of SVN:

SVN requires a network connection for most operations.
Merging branches in SVN can be a cumbersome process.
It is slower for large-scale or distributed teams.
Additional programming language support is required for working with SVN.
SVN pricing is relatively high.

SVN can be used for:

Enterprises managing documentation or assets.
Teams that prioritize centralized control over distributed flexibility.

Subversion integrations with the following products/systems:

ReqView
Alert Logic MDR
TIBCO Data Virtualization
Coverity
Collaborator
Visual Expert
C++Builder
devZing
Kanbanize
Allsta

3. Mercurial

Mercurial is a distributed VCS similar to Git and is the next most popular system. It is designed with simplicity and performance in mind. Major projects, such as Mozilla and Facebook, use this VCS. It is supported on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and other Unix-like systems, such as FreeBSD and macOS.

Key features of Mercurial are:

Mercurial offers fast and reliable branching/merging.
It features a built-in web interface for browsing repositories.
Mercurial offers excellent cross-platform compatibility.
Mercurial offers a straightforward and detailed tutorial and documentation.

Some of the advantages of Mercurial VCS are:

It offers a clean, consistent command set.
Mercurial is easier for new users than Git.
This system scales well for large repositories.
Mercurial is user-friendly and easily customizable.

Disadvantages of Mercurial are:

It has a smaller ecosystem than Git.
Mercurial offers limited third-party integrations.
With Git dominating the market, support for the Mercurial community has declined.
Mercurial UI requires enhancement.
Configuring some settings may be challenging.

Mercurial is best for:

Teams requiring a DVCS that’s powerful yet simpler than Git.
Organizations that have existing Mercurial workflows.

Mercurial integrates successfully with the following products/systems:

IntelliJ IDEA
Black Duck
QF-Test
Coverity
TestComplete
RAD Studio

There are several Mercurial extensions available, including:

Bugzilla
Blackbox
Censor
Churn
Clonebundles
Get help

4. Perforce Helix Core

Perforce Helix Core (P4) is a centralized VCS used mainly by large enterprises and industries like gaming, finance, and embedded systems. It can efficiently handle massive binary files and large-scale codebases.

Here are the key features of P4 VCS:

High Performance: P4 is optimized for terabyte-scale repositories.
Granular Access Control: It is ideal for security-conscious teams.
Integration: P4 works with Git through the Helix4Git bridge.
Scalability: P4 manages thousands of concurrent users.

P4 has several benefits as follows:

It is excellent for large binaries (e.g., game assets).
P4 offers robust auditing and compliance features.
It has a strong enterprise-level support.

P4 has several drawbacks, including:

It is a proprietary system, and licensing costs may be high.
P4 is complex to set up for smaller teams.
It is less intuitive compared to VCS like Git or Mercurial.

P4 is used for:

Large organizations handling complex, high-volume data.
Game development studios or multimedia teams.

P4 integrates with the following tools:

Microsoft Visual Studio
Visual Studio Code
Unity
Jenkins

5. Bazaar (bzr)

Bazaar is developed by Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) and is another distributed VCS. This remains relevant for projects that integrate into older Ubuntu workflows, though its popularity has declined.

Some of the key features of Bazaar are:

It supports both centralized and distributed workflows.
Bzr offers easy integration with Launchpad.
It has human-friendly commands.

Bzr has the following advantages:

It is user-friendly and intuitive.
Bzr works well for small teams or solo developers.

Bzr has several disadvantages, such as:

As of today, it has minimal community support.
Bzr has fewer integrations with modern platforms.

This VCS is used in:

Legacy projects on Ubuntu.
Small teams that prioritize simplicity.

Bzr successfully integrates with:

Launchpad
Jenkins
Review Board
Developer Tools

6. New Relic

The New Relic VCS is one of the best version control tools for version analysis. It offers a free version and a paid version.

Some of the features of New Relic VCS are:

It can explore data for detailed analysis.
New Relic is helpful for troubleshooting and optimization.
It features custom alerting capabilities to stay informed about issues.

Some of the benefits of New Relic VCS are:

It provides intelligent alerts with AI that help to find problems.
New Relic works well with standard dev tools.

Here are the disadvantages of New Relic:

It needs agents on app servers, making it complicated.
The VCS works well with reporting but not with tasks.

New Relic integrates with:

Cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure
CI/CD tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, Travis CI
Slack, PagerDuty

7. Datadog

Datadog is a VCS that offers an observability service tailored for large-scale cloud applications. It provides monitoring for servers, databases, tools, and services using a data analytics platform delivered through SaaS. The VCS offers a 14-day free trial period.

Some of the key features of Datadog are:

Datadog offers container monitoring, CI visibility, and database monitoring.
It streamlines CI/CD workflows for agile teams, providing comprehensive visibility into CI environments.
Datadog tracks the health and performance of the codebase.
It provides comprehensive CI visibility, facilitating issue resolution, cost reduction, and improved product delivery.

Datadog VCS has several advantages as follows:

It has an effective alerting system.
Using Datadog enhances teamwork.

There are also disadvantages of Datadog as follows:

The community support for Datadog is not adequate, and the response is slow.
Datadog has a steep learning curve.

Datadog integrates with the following products/systems:

Slack
Google Workspace
Microsoft 365
GitHub
Jira
Microsoft Teams
Rippling
Zendesk Suite
Google Cloud
MySQL

8. AWS CodeCommit

This is a fully managed source control service that hosts secure Git-based repositories. With AWS CodeCommit, teams can easily collaborate on code in a safe and highly scalable ecosystem. It enhances collaboration and productivity with features such as code review and feedback workflows.

Key features of AWS CodeCommit are:

AWS CodeCommit provides a default allowance of up to a thousand repositories.
It has an option to store and version any type of file.
AWS CodeCommit can create up to 25,000 additional repositories upon request.
It has an outstanding alerting system for notifications on repository-related events.

Benefits of AWS CodeCommit include:

Its pricing structure is very versatile.
It offers complementary AWS training.

Some of the disadvantages of AWS CodeCommit are:

Its configurations are challenging.
AWS CodeCommit UI is complex, especially for newcomers.

AWS integrations include:

SAS Visual Analytics
SAS Customer Intelligence 360
Relation
Kaholo
Eclipse
Visual Studio
AWS Cloud
Sourcegraph
Jira Cloud
Tenable

9. Unity Version Control

This VCS provides essential version control solutions to tackle game development obstacles.

Some of the features of Unity version control are:

It provides built-in capabilities for managing the complexities of game development.
Unity version control maintains speed and performance even with large files and repositories.
It efficiently handles large files and reports.
Unity version control offers flexibility for coding in both centralized and distributed environments.
It provides full branching and merging solutions.

Unity Version Control integrates with:

Tools for issue tracking, collaboration, communication, CI, IDEs, and more.
Unity, Rider, TeamCity, Bamboo, Jira, and Unreal Engine.

Here are some of the advantages of Unity version control:

It works with various tools.
Initially, the software is offered free of charge with a pay-as-you-use model.

Unity version control has several disadvantages:

Its reporting has to be automated and customizable by users.
The learning curve is steep, and the entire process is challenging.

10. Flyway

Flyway is a VCS based on seven basic commands: Migrate, Clean, Info, Validate, Undo, Baseline, and Repair. It is a paid software system.

Flyway offers the following key features:

It offers full cloud support for Google Cloud SQL, Heroku, Microsoft SQL Azure, Amazon RDS, and others.
Flyway’s auto-migration on startup feature enables deploying migrations with the application and automatically executing them on startup using the API.

Some of the advantages of Flyway are:

It is easy to set up.
Flyway offers good community support.

Flyway has the following drawbacks:

It requires additional programming language support to work.
Flyway pricing is relatively high.

Flyway integrates with:

Heroku
SQLite
MySQL
Snowflake
Amazon RDS
Firebird
Google Cloud SQL
Azure SQL Database
SAP HANA
MariaDB
PostgreSQL

Cloud-Based Hosting Options

The following table provides the top platforms with a cloud-based ecosystem that supports collaboration, issue tracking, and deployment.

Tools	Details
GitHub	Best for Git VCS, with a global community and CI/CD integration.
GitLab	Offers DevOps automation with built-in pipelines.
Bitbucket	Supports Git and Mercurial.
Perforce Helix TeamHub	Designed for Perforce users with Git integration.
Launchpad	Works primarily with Bazaar.
AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodePipeline, and AWS CodeDeploy	With third-party cloud services such as GitHub and Bitbucket.
Terraform	Manages various New Relic resources, including alerts, dashboards, and synthetic monitors, as code.
Unity DevOps	Unity’s integrated solution offering version control and CI/CD services in the cloud.

Future of Version Control Systems

As of today, Git remains dominant among VCS. However, the version control landscape continues to evolve, with the following emerging trends:

AI-assisted Versioning: Tools like GitHub Copilot and Sourcegraph Cody integrate AI to suggest commits, document changes, and detect merge conflicts early.
Decentralized and Blockchain-based VCS: Systems like Radicle are experimenting with peer-to-peer version control, reducing dependency on centralized servers.
Cloud-native Workflows: Platforms such as GitHub Codespaces and JetBrains Space integrate VCS directly into cloud-based development environments.

These innovations suggest that the future of version control will emphasize automation, scalability, and intelligence.

Conclusion

The discussion above nearly answers our question: Which version control system is best? However, the exact answer depends on your team’s goals and context:

For most developers, Git is the best. It’s flexible, powerful, and supported by nearly every central platform and toolchain.
For enterprises managing massive repositories and binary assets, Perforce Helix Core provides unmatched performance and control.
For legacy or documentation-heavy projects, SVN remains a reliable choice because of its simplicity.
Mercurial and Bazaar serve niche or legacy roles but are less competitive today.
For projects emphasizing observability, New Relic is the chosen one.
For gaming platforms, where Unity is the dominant choice, Unity version control is the primary option.

In short, Git remains the best version control system, followed by others, depending on the tools used, integrations chosen, features, project complexities, and user requirements.