GitLens Alternative VSCode: Don't Get Git Lost

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Use VS Code's built-in Git blame and history views, then tune repository detection to keep large workspaces easier to open.

Quick Report

If GitLens started feeling more heavier than usual, it is time to replace with better tools that faster and free. Been a Gitlens user for nearly a decade.

For Git log, I have switched to native VS Code Git history aka Graph view. It is faster, more responsive, and has a better UI than GitLens. For inline Git blame, I have switched to the Better Git Line Blame, which is also faster and more responsive than GitLens. For file history, I have switched to Don't Git Lost extension, which is also faster and more responsive than GitLens. For repository detection, I have tuned VS Code settings to avoid opening large workspaces with many repositories, which can slow down VS Code and GitLens.

Written using GitHub Copilot GPT-6 in agentic mode instructed to follow current codebase style and conventions for writing articles.

Source(s)

  • VS Code Git documentation
  • Better Git Line Blame extension
  • Don't Git Lost extension