# Sublime Merge Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Git client Category: Developer Tools · Paid · [Official website](https://www.sublimemerge.com/) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask sublime-merge` ## Quick take August 2026 Sublime Merge (Build 2125) is still among the fastest Git GUIs on Mac: $99 personal / $75 business seat, Apple Silicon native, with LFS locking. Pick it when performance and Sublime Text habits matter. Pick Fork when you want a friendlier native UI for less money. Best for: Sublime Text users wanting a matching Git client, Developers working in large repositories who feel GUI lag elsewhere, Individuals who prefer one-time licences over Git SaaS seats ## What is Sublime Merge? Complete guide for Mac developers in 2026 Sublime Merge is Sublime HQ's cross-platform Git client, built with the same performance focus as Sublime Text. In August 2026 the stable Mac build is 2125 (14 April 2026), adding Git LFS lock/unlock among other fixes, after Build 2121's major load/blame performance work and SHA-256 repository support (December 2025). It remains actively maintained with native Apple Silicon binaries and an unlimited free evaluation that occasionally prompts for a licence. Pricing structure is unchanged: a Personal licence is $99 USD one-time with 3 years of updates (then an optional paid upgrade; licences do not expire for covered builds). Business licences are $75 per user per year. Checkout offers a bundle with Sublime Text. There is no Mac App Store edition. Mac developers who want keyboard-driven, syntax-highlighted diffs still shortlist Merge beside Fork, GitHub Desktop, Sourcetree, and GitKraken. Merge wins on speed and Sublime Text integration; Fork often wins pure GUI friendliness; Sourcetree wins free plus Mercurial. Day to day, Merge feels like Sublime Text applied to Git history: dense UI, keyboard shortcuts everywhere, and diffs that stay readable in large repositories. Build 2121 (December 2025 era) already cut repository load and blame time and added SHA-256 repository support; Build 2125 on 14 April 2026 is the release most binary-heavy teams care about because LFS lock and unlock finally live in the client. The free evaluation is full-featured with no hard time bomb, but a purchase is still required for continued licensed use. One personal key covers all of a user's machines and OSes. If you already bought Sublime Text, checkout still offers a Text+Merge bundle; the products stay separate apps with a shared design language rather than a single merged binary. ## Features - **Line-by-Line and Hunk Staging.** Stage individual lines or hunks instead of whole files. Click the gutter beside a line, or drag to select a range, then commit only what belongs together. The diff view color-codes staged vs unstaged changes so debug leftovers and half-finished edits are harder to ship by accident. Developers who care about atomic history often cite this control as the reason they pay for Merge. Staging is visual: color-coded markers show what will land in the next commit versus what stays in the working tree. That matters when a single file mixes a real fix with temporary logging, or when you touched three features before you had time to commit any of them. - **Side-by-Side Diffs with Syntax Highlighting.** Merge uses the same highlighting engine as Sublime Text across 40+ languages. Side-by-side diffs mark character-level adds and deletes inside a line. Drag hunk boundaries to show more or less context. Strings and keywords keep their colors under your theme, which makes review faster than monochrome patch output. Context expansion is interactive rather than a fixed three lines of patch context. Reviewers who bounce between languages all day get the same highlighting they already trust in Sublime Text, including custom syntaxes loaded from their editor install when available. - **Fast Commit Search.** Search is effectively instant as you type across commit messages, authors, paths, and file contents. Operators include author:, path:, file:, and contents:, plus boolean logic (and, or, not) and time filters (before:, after:). Finding a six-month-old commit that introduced a specific call becomes a query, not a scroll marathon. Combined queries such as author plus path plus after: date turn archaeology into a filter instead of a scroll. Teams that rotate between monorepos and micro-repos feel the difference immediately when the alternative GUI freezes on blame. - **Built-in Merge Conflict Resolution.** Conflicts open in a three-way view: base, incoming, and yours. Conflicting blocks are marked; you accept one side or edit the result by hand. Non-conflicting sections merge automatically so attention stays on real conflicts. Resolve, mark files done, and finish the merge without leaving the app or pasting conflict markers into another editor. Anxiety drops because you see base, ours, and theirs without decoding conflict markers by hand. When a release branch is messy, finishing the merge inside one tool beats hopping between terminal, editor, and a separate merge utility. - **Commit Editing and History Rewriting.** Edit unpushed commit messages, squash commits, or drop them from a visual graph that shows branches and merge points. The edit_commit flow is aimed at fixing typos or author fields before a push. The goal is a readable history on shared remotes without memorizing interactive rebase flags. Keep this for unpushed work. Once commits are public, the same visual tools still help you inspect history, but rewriting shared history remains a team policy decision rather than a Merge feature flag. - **Git LFS and Submodule Support.** LFS-tracked files show special icons, and you can lock or unlock LFS assets from the UI (lock/unlock landed in Build 2125). Submodules appear in the location bar with status; context menus cover initialize, update, and sync. Double-click opens a submodule in a new tab so multi-repo projects stay navigable. Design and game teams that coordinate PSD, audio, or other binary assets finally get lock/unlock without leaving the client after Build 2125. Submodule tabs keep multi-repo layouts usable when a product repo nests libraries. - **Command Palette and Custom Commands.** ⌘+Shift+P opens a searchable Command Palette for Git operations, matching Sublime Text habits. Shortcuts are customizable. Custom Commands wrap shell scripts (tests, builds, deploys) so they appear in the UI and can bind to keys, turning Merge into a Git-centered control surface for your own tooling. If your team already memorized Sublime Text muscle memory, the palette and key-binding model transfer. Custom Commands are how people bolt on lint, test, or deploy scripts without writing a separate Git GUI plugin. - **Git LFS Locking (Build 2125).** Build 2125 (April 2026) adds LFS lock and unlock in the client, which helps game and design teams coordinate binary assets. Together with Build 2121's repository load and blame gains, Merge stays competitive on large repos running on Apple Silicon Macs. ## How to Install Sublime Merge on Mac Sublime Merge installs via Homebrew for easy updates, or as a direct download from the official site. The current stable version (Build 2125) requires macOS 10.14 or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon as well as Intel. 1. **Install via Homebrew.** Open Terminal and run: brew install --cask sublime-merge. Homebrew places the latest stable build in Applications and handles later upgrades through brew upgrade. 2. **Launch and Initial Setup.** Launch Sublime Merge from Applications or Spotlight. The first window shows an empty repository list. Choose Open Repository for an existing Git project, or Clone Repository to fetch a remote. 3. **Configure Git Identity.** Merge reads identity from ~/.gitconfig. Confirm user.name and user.email are correct; those values appear on every commit. Verify under Preferences > Edit Settings if a commit shows the wrong author. ## Pros - Exceptional speed for diffs, blame, and large-repo load in the Build 2121/2125 era. - Native Apple Silicon builds with first-class macOS integration. - Personal $99 licence with 3 years of updates, no forced subscription for individuals. - Syntax-highlighted diffs matching Sublime Text's engine across 40+ languages. - Build 2125 LFS lock/unlock plus earlier SHA-256 repository support from Build 2121. - Unlimited free evaluation so you can prove the workflow before paying. - Command Palette and keyboard-first staging of lines and hunks. - Same company support surface as Sublime Text, including forum.sublimetext.com. ## Cons - Git only; no Mercurial. - UI is denser and less hand-holding than Fork or GitHub Desktop. - Business pricing is a yearly subscription, unlike personal one-time keys. - After 3 years, new builds need a paid upgrade even though old builds keep working. - Smaller social and plugin ecosystem than VS Code Git extensions. ## Background: Why Sublime Merge stays fast Merge's speed comes from deliberate architecture choices that favor responsiveness over web-stack convenience. In August 2026 on Mac, confirm the current download build, Apple Silicon support on macOS Tahoe 26.x, and the live pricing page before you renew seats. After each point release, compare release notes with forum reports, especially when macOS privacy prompts change. Install from official DMGs or Homebrew Casks, keep a rollback path, and try Fork or GitHub Desktop on the same weekly workflow before you move licences or team billing. The custom UI toolkit and native Git wrapping are why Merge still shows up in 2026 shortlists even as Electron Git clients add flashier graphs. If your pain is lag on blame and multi-thousand-line diffs, that architecture is the product. If your pain is onboarding juniors who want big buttons and guided flows, Fork or GitHub Desktop may frustrate them less on week one. ## FAQ ### How much does Sublime Merge cost? Personal licences are $99 with 3 years of updates. Business seats are $75/user/year. Evaluation is free without a hard time limit. ### What is the latest version in 2026? Stable Build 2125 shipped 14 April 2026 with LFS lock/unlock and assorted fixes. ### Does my personal licence expire? No. You keep builds released within your 3-year window forever. Only newer builds after that window need an upgrade purchase. ### Does Sublime Merge support Apple Silicon? Yes. Official Mac downloads include native Apple Silicon support alongside Intel. ### Can I use it with Sublime Text? Yes. They share design language, and checkout offers a Text+Merge bundle. They remain separate apps. ### Sublime Merge vs Fork, which is better? Fork is often easier on day one. Merge is typically faster and fits better if you already live in Sublime Text keybindings. ### Is there a Mac App Store version? No. Sublime HQ sells directly; Sales FAQ states no Mac App Store plans. ### Does it support Git LFS? Yes, including lock and unlock actions added in Build 2125. ## Sources - [Buy Sublime Merge](https://www.sublimehq.com/store/merge) - [Sublime Sales FAQ](https://www.sublimehq.com/sales_faq) - [Sublime Merge Download / Changelog](https://www.sublimemerge.com/download) - [Sublime Merge product site](https://www.sublimemerge.com/) - [Best Git Clients 2026](https://briandetering.net/2026/06/04/best-git-clients-2026/) - [Sublime forum licence upgrade discussion](https://forum.sublimetext.com/t/license-upgrade-required-message-makes-me-want-to-puke/72812) ## Related - [Cursor](https://bundl.run/apps/cursor) - [Claude Code](https://bundl.run/apps/claude-code) - [ChatGPT](https://bundl.run/apps/chatgpt) - [Claude](https://bundl.run/apps/claude) - [Codex](https://bundl.run/apps/codex) - [Windsurf](https://bundl.run/apps/windsurf) - [Sublime Merge vs Fork](https://bundl.run/compare/sublime-merge-vs-fork) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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