Skip to content
Latest: JSX in React explained clearly without any framework

Git vs Working Directory – Learn the difference

Working Directory and Git Directory are repositories (folders) for storing files. But they work in different ways. Here are the main distinctions between them.

Creator of a Git vs. Working Directory

  • A working directory is a folder you create to store all your project’s files.
  • A Git directory is a folder Git creates in the working directory you instructed it to monitor.

Visibility

  • A Git directory is a hidden folder.
  • A working directory is a regular folder.

Usage of a Git vs. Working Directory

  • A Git directory records the file versions you authorized Git to track.
  • A working repository can store any file type. It can store files (or folders) that are under version control and those that are not.

Location

  • You can create a working directory anywhere in your system.
  • Git creates the Git directory inside a working repository.

Content of a Git vs. Working Directory

  • A working directory contains both tracked and untracked files.
  • A Git directory contains only tracked files.