Mercurial

A free, distributed version control system known for its simple, consistent commands.

Open sourceVersion control systems

Updated Oct 30, 2026 · AppBreakup editorial · Windows, macOS, Linux

Visit Mercurial See 6 alternatives

Is Mercurial free?

Yes, free and open source

License:: GPLv2 or later

Checked on Mercurial's site Nov 8, 2026

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All 6

Fo
Fossil
Open source
Perforce P4
Starting price: $39 per user/month (Cloud, billed monthly)
Jujutsu (jj)
Open source

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 6
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Mercurial

Mercurial (the hg command) is a distributed version control system in the same family as Git: every clone holds the full history, so committing, branching and diffing are local and fast. Its main draw is a smaller, more predictable command set, with advanced features such as history rewriting switched on through extensions rather than exposed by default. That makes it easier to learn and harder to break, which is why some large companies have run very big monorepos on it. It is free software under the GPLv2 or later, written mostly in Python with Rust parts, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The catch is ecosystem: GitHub and GitLab.com don't host Mercurial repositories, so you need a host such as Heptapod or your own server, and far fewer tools and tutorials target it than target Git.

Best for: Teams that want distributed version control with a simpler, safer command line than Git.

What works

Consistent, smaller command set that is easier to learn
Powerful features stay opt-in through extensions
Full local history makes most operations fast and offline
Free software under the GPLv2 or later

Why people leave

GitHub and GitLab.com don't host Mercurial repositories
Far smaller ecosystem of GUIs, integrations and tutorials than Git
Fewer developers already know it, so onboarding takes more effort

Mercurial vs Fossil, Perforce P4 and Jujutsu (jj)

From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.

Attribute	Mercurial	Fossil	Perforce P4	Jujutsu (jj)
Pricing	Open source	Open source	Free plan + paid	Open source
Verified price	—	—	$39 per user/month (Cloud, billed monthly)	—
Free plan	Free app	Free app	Yes, up to 5 users	Free app
Open source	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Self-hostable	No	Yes	No	No
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted	Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted	Windows, macOS, Linux

Top Mercurial alternatives

See all 6

1Fo
Fossil
Also distributed and simple, plus a built-in bug tracker, wiki and web interface in one binary.
79.8
2
Perforce P4
Centralised version control built for huge monorepos and binary assets, with file locking, for teams that outgrew Mercurial at scale.
61.8
3
Jujutsu (jj)
Brings Mercurial-style ideas like revsets and easy history editing to Git-backed repos you can push anywhere.
42.3
4Pi
Pijul
Patch-based alternative with commuting changes and more predictable merges.
42.3
5
Sapling SCM
Grew out of Mercurial and adds stacked commits, smartlog and Git interop.
42.3

Why people left Mercurial

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Mercurial: common questions

What is Mercurial?

Mercurial: A free, distributed version control system known for its simple, consistent commands. Best for teams that want distributed version control with a simpler, safer command line than Git. Available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Is Mercurial free?

Yes. Mercurial is free, open-source software.

Is Mercurial open source?

Yes.

What platforms does Mercurial run on?

Mercurial is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Mercurial?

The highest-ranked Mercurial alternatives right now are Fossil, Perforce P4 and Jujutsu (jj). See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

Mercurial vs Fossil: what's the difference?

Both Mercurial and Fossil are free and open source. Both run on Windows, macOS and Linux.

See all 6 Mercurial alternatives

Mercurial facts

4 of 4 verified

License: GPLv2 or later; Checked Nov 8, 2026mercurial-scm.org(opens source in a new tab); “Open source # Mercurial is free software licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License Version 2 or any later version.”
Type: Distributed source control; Checked Nov 8, 2026mercurial-scm.org(opens source in a new tab); “Mercurial is a free, distributed source control management tool.”
Local history: Every clone has full history; Checked Nov 8, 2026mercurial-scm.org(opens source in a new tab); “Every clone contains the whole project history, so most actions are local, fast and convenient.”
Extensions: Yes; Checked Nov 8, 2026mercurial-scm.org(opens source in a new tab); “Mercurial supports a multitude of workflows and you can easily enhance its functionality with extensions .”