Git Checkout vs Git Switch. What's the Difference?

Git Checkout vs Git Switch: Which One Should You Use?

If you’ve worked with Git for a while, you’re probably used to the git checkout command. For years, it was the go-to way to switch branches or restore files. But as Git evolved, the community realized that git checkout was doing too much. It could switch branches, restore files, and even create new branches,all with different flags and arguments. This flexibility made it powerful, but also confusing and sometimes risky, especially for newcomers.

To make things clearer, Git introduced git switch (and git restore). The idea was to split up the responsibilities: git switch is now the recommended way to move between branches, while git restore is for bringing files back to a previous state. This separation makes your intentions explicit and reduces the chance of mistakes.

For example, if you want to move from the main branch to a feature branch, you can simply run:

git switch feature/login

This command does one thing: it switches your working directory to the feature/login branch. No risk of accidentally overwriting files or making unintended changes. If you tried to do the same with git checkout, it would work, but you’d have to remember that the same command could also be used to restore files, depending on the arguments.

So, when should you use each command? For switching branches, prefer git switch. It’s safer, more explicit, and easier to read. Use git checkout only if you need its extra features, like restoring files or creating a new branch on the fly. And if you want to restore a file, use git restore instead of git checkout <file>.

In short: git switch is for switching branches, git restore is for restoring files, and git checkout is the old all-in-one tool. Using the right command for the job makes your workflow clearer and helps avoid surprises.