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Commonly confused · DevOps & Automation

Git Merge vs Git Rebase: What's the Difference?

Both integrate changes from one branch into another. Merge preserves history exactly and adds a merge commit tying the branches together. Rebase replays your commits on top of the target branch, producing a clean linear history but rewriting commit hashes.

git merge

vs

git rebase

git mergegit rebase
History shapeBranching, non-linearLinear
Creates merge commitYes (unless fast-forward)No
Rewrites historyNoYes; commits get new hashes
Safe on shared branchesYesNo; avoid rebasing commits others have pulled
Conflict handlingResolve onceMay resolve per replayed commit
Typical useIntegrating feature branches into mainUpdating a private feature branch, cleaning up commits
Remember it

Merge records what happened; rebase rewrites it to look tidy.

Exam tip

The golden rule is tested often: never rebase public, shared history. Questions may also ask which produces a linear history (rebase) or preserves context (merge).

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