Top Mercurial SCM Alternatives: Finding Your Ideal Version Control System
Mercurial SCM is a free, distributed source control management tool known for its efficiency in handling projects of any size and its intuitive command-line interface. However, depending on specific project needs, team preferences, or desired features, developers often seek alternatives. This guide explores some of the best Mercurial SCM alternatives available, offering a diverse range of functionalities and approaches to version control.
Top Mercurial SCM Alternatives
Whether you're looking for a distributed system, integrated project management, or specific platform support, these alternatives offer robust solutions to manage your code effectively.
Git
Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system, widely adopted for its speed and efficiency in handling projects from small to very large. As a distributed system, it offers excellent offline capabilities and robust branching and merging, making it a powerful Mercurial SCM alternative. It supports Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, BSD, and Haiku, and features comprehensive version and source control.
Trac
Trac is an open-source, web-based project management system that combines an enhanced wiki and issue tracking, making it an integrated alternative to just a pure SCM like Mercurial. It's minimalistic yet effective for software development, offering features like activity history, helpdesk ticketing, an included wiki, and strong SCM integration. Trac is available for Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, and BSD, and can be self-hosted.
Apache Subversion
Apache Subversion (SVN) is a centralized version control system, conceptually similar to CVS but based on change-sets. For those who prefer a centralized model over a distributed one like Mercurial SCM, SVN offers a stable and well-established solution for version and source control. It is free and open-source, with support for Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and Haiku.
Git for Windows
Git for Windows provides a native, lightweight set of tools to bring the full feature set of Git SCM to Windows users. If your team primarily operates on Windows and desires the power and flexibility of Git as a Mercurial SCM alternative, this is an excellent choice. It's free, open-source, and includes features like Unreal Engine Integration alongside standard version and source control.
Fossil
Fossil is a simple, high-reliability, distributed software configuration management system that stands out by integrating a distributed version control system, bug tracking, and a wiki into a single self-contained application. This all-in-one approach makes Fossil a compelling open-source Mercurial SCM alternative for teams valuing simplicity and integrated tools. It supports Mac, Windows, and Linux, and can be self-hosted.
Bazaar
Bazaar is a free and open-source distributed version control system designed to help people collaborate by tracking changes to files like source code. Similar to Mercurial SCM in its distributed nature, Bazaar offers a flexible and powerful option for managing codebases. It is available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Haiku, providing robust version and source control features.
ZenTao
ZenTao is an open-source project management tool that supports Scrum and integrates product, project, bug, and QA management. While not solely an SCM, its comprehensive feature set, including bug reporting, burndown charts, Kanban boards, and test case management, makes it an attractive alternative for teams seeking a more holistic approach to software development beyond just version control. It offers Freemium and paid tiers, supporting Windows, Linux, Web, and Android, and can be self-hosted.
darcs
Darcs is an advanced, fully distributed revision control system that supports lazy fetching of remote repositories, meaning it fetches only necessary changes. This unique feature, along with its distributed nature, makes darcs an intriguing open-source Mercurial SCM alternative for projects with specific needs around patch management and repository fetching. It is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
CVS (Concurrent Versions System)
CVS is a centralized version control system, and a foundational component of Source Configuration Management (SCM). For those accustomed to or preferring a centralized model, CVS provides a reliable and time-tested option for recording the history of changes to files. It's free and open-source, supporting Mac, Windows, and Linux, and offers core version and source control functionalities.
BitKeeper
BitKeeper is renowned as the original distributed source management system and a significant inspiration for Git. As a fast, enterprise-ready, and scalable distributed SCM, BitKeeper serves as a powerful Mercurial SCM alternative, especially for large-scale projects requiring high performance. It's free and open-source, available on Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and Solaris.
The best Mercurial SCM alternative for you will depend on your specific project requirements, team workflow, preferred development environment, and the need for additional integrated features like bug tracking or project management. Explore these options to find the version control system that best empowers your development efforts.