GitHub CLI

ApplicationGitHub

Also called gh, gh cli, hub cli

GitHubProductivity

GitHub's official command-line tool. The process is gh.exe. It is not GitHub Desktop and not git.exe.

What you need to know

gh.exe is GitHub CLI. GitHub Desktop is a different app.

GitHub CLI is the official gh command. GitHub Desktop is GitHubDesktop.exe. Git for Windows is git.exe. Uninstalling Desktop does not remove gh. Installing gh does not install Git Bash.

What is it?: gh command for GitHub
Same as Desktop?: No. This is a CLI
Replaces git?: No. You still need git.exe

Feex says

If gh is not recognized, I would install GitHub CLI from cli.github.com. I would not repair GitHub Desktop first. Desktop is a GUI. This is gh.exe.

What is GitHub CLI?

GitHub CLI is gh.exe. It wraps GitHub.com features. It is not Git for Windows and not GitHub Desktop.

If you have never used it

If a guide said install gh, this is GitHub CLI from cli.github.com. gh.exe creates pull requests and talks to GitHub's API. git.exe is still the VCS. GitHub Desktop is the GUI. You can use git without gh. You cannot replace git with gh for every local commit.

What is it used for?

Pull requests and issues

gh pr create and gh issue. Desktop can do this with a mouse. git.exe alone cannot open a GitHub PR without extra steps.

gh auth login

Device or browser auth to GitHub. Git Credential Manager is a different helper used by git.exe.

Repo create and clone helpers

GitHub-specific shortcuts. git clone still works without this tool.

Who is it for?

People who live in a terminal and GitHub.com
Users who do not want GitHub Desktop
Anyone who typed gh and thought Git was missing

Current status

GitHub CLI (2020) is a current github command line from GitHub. The vendor still points Windows users at https://cli.github.com/.

How old is it?

GitHub released gh in 2020 as the supported CLI, after the older hub tool. It is newer than GitHub Desktop (2015) and much newer than Git (2005). Current Windows MSI and winget packages are the product.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

gh MSI

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per GitHub CLI
RAM	The CLI is tiny

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
gh.exe	GitHub CLI

Startup components

gh.exe does not start with Windows. You run it in a terminal.

File locations

Common GitHub CLI locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\GitHub CLI\

File formats

JSON from --json flags

Common problems

gh works, git is missing

Install Git for Windows from git-scm.com. gh talks to GitHub. git talks to the repo.

Auth in Desktop, not in gh

gh auth login is a separate login. Desktop credentials do not automatically become gh tokens.

Getting unstuck

where.exe gh

Expect Program Files\GitHub CLI\gh.exe. GitHubDesktop.exe is the GUI path.

Install from cli.github.com or winget GitHub.cli

A random gh.exe in Downloads is the case to ignore.

gh auth status

Shows this CLI's login. It will not list Sourcetree accounts.

Alternatives

GitHub Desktop for a GUI. git.exe for local version control. The old hub binary is not this supported CLI.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	cli.github.com/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	cli.github.com/manual/ Vendor support
Official site	cli.github.com/ Start here, not a random exe host
Manual	cli.github.com/manual/ gh pr, gh repo, and auth

Related hardware

The CLI is tiny. Network to GitHub is the usual limit.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

GitHub CLI official site · Vendor product page
GitHub CLI help · Vendor support
GitHub CLI manual · Official command reference
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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