Git vs. Perforce for source code management is an ongoing debate. And if you're evaluating Git vs. Perforce, there's a lot to consider.
Here, we dive into everything you need to know about git vs. Perforce.
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Back to topGit vs. Perforce — What’s the Difference?
The main difference between Perforce and Git is in their underlying architecture and approach to version control. Git is a distributed version control system, and Perforce Helix Core is a centralized system, which enhances security and scalability. Here we explore the four key differences to help you choose which one is right for you.
So, Which Version Control System Should You Use?
Different teams have different needs. Git version control might be a good choice for one team; Perforce might be the right version control for another. However, they have key differences.
Native, open-source Git can work well. This is especially true for code-only projects with a small group of developers and fast release cycles. One example is website development.
However, Helix Core from Perforce may be a better versioning control solution for large teams and teams wanting to prioritize IP security. Helix Core is especially ideal for game development and semiconductor companies, where teams work on large files, need a range of IP security features, and have complex global workflows which work best with a distributed version control system.
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Perforce vs. Git Comparison
Let’s review some of the key differences between Perforce and Git.
Centralized vs. Distributed Model
Git Is Distributed
With a distributed Git model, developers download source code –– along with a full version history –– to their machine. Then they are able to make changes locally. This makes local commits, diffs, and merges fast.
But a team of developers –– each of whom has their own copy of the repository –– need to coordinate sharing of changes. The question then is, whose repository is the master? Your company may also have security concerns. Each developer having a copy of the repository on their machine can be difficult to manage. That’s why more and more teams today are using a centralized Git model. Changes intended to become part of the project are submitted as a pull or merge request to a master branch. This is done to a dedicated Git server, rather than to one particular developer’s workstation.
Git permissions are assigned at the repo level. Therefore, teams with security requirements typically break their projects into several repositories. This ensures developers only have access to the repositories they need. This makes auditing easier. But once a project is broken up, teams need to deal with cross-repository dependencies.
Perforce Is a Centralized System
Helix Core –– version control from Perforce –– has a centralized system. Storing everything in one place ensures developers always have the latest version, making it easy to handle large files. Developers, no matter where they are located, commit all their changes to a central server. Having one copy of a project creates a single source of truth across your enterprise. This also improves communication because work in progress is easily visible to other team members. Whereas the status of Git work in progress is only stored in a local Git repository.
A centralized model makes code collaboration and code reuse much easier. And it assures auditability and traceability. Even though Helix Core is centralized, it securely supports remote sites through replica and proxy servers. This dramatically improves performance because most actions are done locally.
Performance
When it comes to performance, teams are often surprised when comparing Git vs. Perforce.
Where Git Is Faster
Local commits, diffs, and merges can be faster with Git. But many developers pushing and pulling repos slows down performance and decreases productivity.
Where Perforce Is Faster
Helix Core was built for speed and scale. It can handle millions of transactions a day, billions of files, and petabytes of storage. Developers can quickly and easily see whether or not they have the latest version of a file on their workstation. Plus, it handles large binary files with exclusive locking. This prevents team members stepping on each other’s work.
With Perforce Federated Architecture, remote teams experience local-speed performance for large clone/pull/build operations. This can decrease much of the WAN wait with traditional Git.
Managing Large Files/Binaries
Large files and binary artifacts are part of development. They can be the result of builds and inputs into testing. But for some industries, like game development, they are integral to your whole process. You need to be able to combine both artist and developer's work into the final product.
Git Offers LFS
Today, Git attempts to addresses this with Git LFS. But most large teams store their large binary assets in an artifact repository tool, like Nexus or Artifactory. This means you no longer have a single source of truth. These additional tools also complicate your build pipeline.
Perforce Stores It All in One Repository
In Helix Core, artifacts are stored alongside your source code and other non-code assets. These artifacts can be checked in as part of the same changelist as your related source code. Having everything in one central server makes workflows simpler. And your admins don’t need to manage additional licenses and integrations.
Branching
Both Git and Perforce offer lightweight branching. Although, both track branching differently.
Git Branches
In Git, when a branch is created, you can instantly start work on the local new branch. After you’ve made your additions and changes, and you are ready to commit, you can either merge or rebase the history. But merging to your local copy of the master branch is not the same as pushing your changes to the central repository.
If multiple developers were working on the same files when you push your changes, merge conflicts can arise, making it difficult to work with multiple branches. This is why it is always important to fetch the latest changes from the server before merging. But if you have hundreds of developers working on a project in Git, this can be time-consuming.
And if you have cross repository dependencies, then you need to coordinate merge conflicts across repos. This can be tricky. it gets harder as your team or the number of repos grows.
Perforce Branches
In Helix Core, branches are done at the file hierarchy level. Your team members can pick and choose specific files to checkout and submit back into the repository. Exclusive checkouts give developers visibility into what other people are working on. And with granular permissions down to the file level, admins can keep their most important files protected.
Perforce Streams –– our way to branch and merge –– simplifies workspace set up and helps guide teams. Developers can easily switch between streams (branches) and it is easy to see how changes are propagated. As with Git, when submitting changes to the master stream/branch, you can still get conflicts. These are generally easily managed. The advantage with Helix Core is the visibility into work in progress, and the advanced notice for potential merge conflicts.
In addition, the scalability of Helix Core allows developers to submit a potentially large changelist, affecting multiple components, in a single action. This can significantly reduce issues with code dependencies. These could potentially be cross repository dependencies in Git. Also, these changes can be easily tracked and managed.
Back to topWhy Use Git?
There are many good reasons why so many teams use Git.
As we described, it solves the most basic version control problem. It allows developers to simultaneously work on the same code, without duplicating effort.
It’s fast for local operations. And Git is often first version control system (VCS) developers use in universities. Most developers know frequently-used Git commands, such as clone, commit, and push. Plus, it’s free!
The Rise of Git for Large Enterprises
Over the last few years, numerous commercial companies have sprung to life with the mission of monetizing open source software. GitHub, GitLab, and Atlassian have done this with Git. They’ve added nice user interfaces, code review workflows, management capabilities for multiple repositories, and pipeline integrations to Git.
Each of these Git providers are far more popular with individual, free users than paying enterprise customers.
GitHub, GitLab, and Atlassian don’t always work for enterprise software development teams. Git’s architecture has proven difficult to scale in that environment.
Back to topWhen to Use Perforce (Helix Core)
Perforce is the right version control system when you have:
- Large codebases.
- Non-code assets, like binaries or graphics.
- Code dependencies, particularly across components.
- Extensive code reuse, such as artifacts.
- Large, geographically diverse teams.
This is where Perforce excels. This is because our version control was designed for large teams with large codebases, multiple branches, and complex development environments.
Other Comparisons:
Back to topGit vs. Perforce: No Choice Required
So which do you choose when it comes to Perforce vs. Git? Companies need the scalable benefits Perforce provides. Now you can get those benefits — and use Git, too.
The solution to this complex issue is not deciding on Perforce vs. Git. It’s using both together with Helix4Git.
Helix4Git natively stores Git repos, with the speed and reliability of the Perforce Helix Core server. This solution is unique in the industry and supports your DevOps evolution.
Perforce for Git Users: Helix4Git
Your developers can still use Git commands like merge and rebase, create submodules, you name it! This is because they have access to either solution — without any changes to their workflow or environment.
In fact, you can add Helix4Git even if you are in the middle of a project. It’s that seamless. You can store your Git repos natively in Helix Core, which also supports Git LFS artifacts.
A central, single source of truth streamlines Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD).
Helix4Git makes Git faster — 80% faster with 18% less storage.
This means teams get the feedback they need, quicker. Developers, release managers, and CI/CD teams get more hours back in their lives.
Git vs. Perforce for Game Development
When it comes to game development, Git doesn't really cut it. Because although it is great for code, it falls short of being able to manage the large amount of files, extremely large files, and diverse asset types associated with game development. This is why game dev teams choose Perforce to manage it all, while still providing access to Git code.
"At Microsoft, we're on a mission to help unlock technical, creative and economic opportunities for game developers everywhere through our tools and services. By providing best-in-class DevOps solutions for game studios of all sizes, Perforce is an important partner on that journey. With Perforce's Enhanced Studio Packs now running on Microsoft Azure, we are expanding our solutions for the specific development needs of game creators with battle-tested gaming services, backed by the most trusted and secure enterprise cloud." - James Gwertzman, GM Gaming Vertical
The Enhanced Studio Pack contains all the tools you need to do world-class development in a single, pre-configured environment. In a few clicks, you can deploy everything you need with the infrastructure required to support large projects, big files, and all your team members. No expertise required. Plus, teams can still use Git to get the job done.
Get Started with Perforce Helix Core
See for yourself why Helix Core is a smart choice when it comes to the Perforce vs. Git debate.
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