How to Check Git Version on Windows, Mac, and Linux — `git --version` (2026)

Checking Git version is the first step to verify Git is installed and determine which features are available. The command is the same on every OS:

This guide covers reading the output, locating Git on each OS, and updating when you need to.

Introduction

Why Check Git Version?

• Verify Git is installed
• Check feature availability
• Ensure compatibility
• Troubleshoot issues
• Plan upgrades

Version Format: Git versions follow major.minor.patch format (e.g., 2.42.0)

Check Git Version

Basic Command

git --version

Output example: git version 2.42.0.windows.1

Detailed Information

git version

Same output as git --version.

All Platforms

Works the same on Windows, macOS, and Linux — the output format varies slightly:

Version Information

Understanding Output

Standard Output:

git version 2.42.0

Windows Output:

git version 2.42.0.windows.1

Components:

• 2: Major version
• 42: Minor version
• 0: Patch version
• .windows.1: Platform-specific build (Windows)

Version Components

Major Version: Significant changes, may break compatibility Minor Version: New features, backward compatible Patch Version: Bug fixes, security updates

Check Git Capabilities

git --version --build-options

Shows build configuration and enabled features.

Verify Installation

Check if Git is Installed

git --version

If installed: Shows version number If not installed: Command not found error

Find Git Location

Windows:

where git

macOS/Linux:

which git

Common Locations:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Git\cmd\git.exe
• macOS: /usr/local/bin/git or /usr/bin/git
• Linux: /usr/bin/git

Verify Installation Path

Windows:

where git
git --exec-path

macOS/Linux:

which git
git --exec-path

Update Git

Windows

Using Git for Windows:

1. Download latest from git-scm.com
2. Run installer
3. Verify: git --version

Using winget:

winget upgrade Git.Git

Using Chocolatey:

choco upgrade git

macOS

Using Homebrew:

brew upgrade git

Using Git Installer:

1. Download from git-scm.com
2. Run installer
3. Verify: git --version

Linux

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade git

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf upgrade git

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -Syu git

Troubleshooting

Issue: git command not found

Windows:

• Git not installed
• Git not in PATH
• Restart terminal after installation

macOS/Linux:

• Git not installed
• PATH not configured
• Use package manager to install

Issue: Wrong version shown

Possible causes:

• Multiple Git installations
• PATH pointing to old version
• Version manager (nvm, etc.) interfering

Solution: Check which Git is used:

which git
git --version

Issue: Version mismatch

Client vs Server:

• Local Git version may differ from remote
• Usually not an issue unless major version difference
• Update to latest for best compatibility

Quick Reference

Check Version: git --version Find Location: which git (macOS/Linux) or where git (Windows) Update: Use platform-specific package manager Verify: Run git --version after installation/update

Conclusion

Checking Git version:

1. Use git --version command
2. Verify installation location
3. Update if needed using package manager
4. Understand version format for compatibility

Key Points:

• git --version works on all platforms
• Version format: major.minor.patch
• Update regularly for security and features
• Verify installation if command not found

Knowing your Git version helps ensure compatibility and access to latest features.