Best CLI and Neovim Tools for Git Workflow

Below is a compact “tool‑belt” that developers who live in a terminal (and in Neovim) usually settle on after trying the popular options. Everything listed is free, works cross‑platform and is actively maintained as of mid‑2025.

1  CLI utilities (outside the editor)

Need	Recommended tool	Why it stands out	One‑liner to enable
Readable, side‑by‑side diffs & blame	`delta`	Drop‑in replacement for `less` that adds syntax‑highlighting, hunk headers, code‑aware line wrapping, optional side‑by‑side view that auto‑enables when the terminal is wide enough news.ycombinator.com	`git config --global core.pager delta`
AST‑aware “what actually changed” diff	`difftastic`	Parses code for ~50 langs; superb when whitespace/noise obscures the real change	`git config --global diff.external difft`
Interactive staging, merging, branch & stash mgmt	`lazygit`	ncurses‑style UI; hit `e` on a conflicted file to open its built‑in 3‑way merge editor github.com www.reddit.com	just run `lazygit` in a repo
Lightweight history browser / partial‑commit helper	`tig`	Minimal deps; great when you only need log browsing or `git add -p` workflow	`tig status`
Pull‑request workflow	`gh` (GitHub CLI)	`gh pr checkout 123` then use any of the above for review/merge

Why delta + lazygit is enough for most:
delta becomes your default pager everywhere (git diff, git show, git blame). When something needs interactive action—stage a hunk, resolve a conflict, squash, etc.—pop into lazygit, fix it, quit, and you’re back in the shell. It saves hunting for half‑finished merges hidden in .git/MERGE_MSG.

2  Inside Neovim

Plugin	Primary job	What you get
`fugitive.vim`	Power‑user porcelain	Ultra‑stable, tiny dependencies; `:Gwrite` to stage, `:Gdiffsplit` for per‑file diff. Long‑established favourite. www.reddit.com
`neogit`	Magit‑style pop‑up UI	Full status buffer with single‑key staging, rebasing, fixups; integrates with Diffview for 3‑way merges. Great if you want the Magit workflow without Emacs. github.com
`gitsigns.nvim`	Inline signs & micro‑workflow	Adds ✓ + ✗ in the sign column, jump between hunks, stage/reset current hunk, virtual‑text blame. Perfect for quick touches while editing. github.com
`diffview.nvim`	Full‑screen review & conflict UI	Single tabpage cycles through all changed files; 3‑way merge layout is popular for resolving conflicts cleanly. www.reddit.com github.com

Typical Neovim setup snippet (Lazy.nvim style)

lua

{ "tpope/vim-fugitive", "lewis6991/gitsigns.nvim", { "NeogitOrg/neogit", dependencies = { "sindrets/diffview.nvim" } }, }

Then add:

lua

-- Make Neovim the default mergetool vim.fn.system({ "git", "config", "--global", "merge.tool", "nvimdiff", })

Now running git mergetool opens a 3‑way nvim -d session with Diffview layouts if you prefer.

3  Choosing what’s “best” for you

If you value …	Pick …
Small footprint, vanilla Git commands	`delta` + built‑in `git add -p`/`mergetool`
A single TUI that replaces most Git sub‑commands	`lazygit`
Magit‑like ergonomics inside Neovim	`neogit` (+ `diffview.nvim`)
Zero‑distraction signs & hunk actions while coding	`gitsigns.nvim`
Long‑term battle‑tested reliability	`fugitive.vim`

Because all the tools are simply wrappers around Git’s plumbing, you can mix and match—e.g. let delta handle every diff/blame, drop to lazygit only for complex rebases, and rely on gitsigns in daily editing.

Quick start checklist

Install delta and set it as your pager.
Grab lazygit for anything interactive (especially merges).
Inside Neovim, load at least gitsigns.nvim (for the sign‑column magic) and either fugitive (classic) or neogit (Magit‑style).
Point Git’s mergetool at Neovim (nvimdiff or Diffview). That gives you a fast, discoverable workflow without locking you into a single big “Git GUI.” Happy merging!