Comparison

Git Flow vs GitHub Flow vs Trunk-Based Development

Topic	Git Flow	GitHub Flow	Trunk-Based Development
Overview	Multi-branch model for structured release and hotfix cycles.	Lightweight model focused on CI/CD with short-lived feature branches.	Developers work directly on main (trunk), with minimal branching.
Best Used For	Large teams, enterprise apps, scheduled releases.	Web apps, microservices, fast-paced environments.	High-performance teams aiming for continuous integration/delivery.
Main Branches	main, develop, feature/*, release/*, hotfix/*	main, feature/*	Primarily main or trunk, optional short-lived branches.
Branch Lifetime	Long-lived branches (develop, release).	Short-lived branches merged via pull requests.	Very short-lived or no branches; commits go directly to trunk.
Release Management	Structured: release and hotfix branches control releases.	No separate release branches; deploy from main.	Frequent, even daily releases from main.
CI/CD Compatibility	Works, but may require coordination for release branches.	Highly compatible with CI/CD.	Designed for CI/CD.
Deployment Frequency	Low to moderate (weekly, bi-weekly).	High (daily or multiple times a day).	Very high (continuous delivery/deployment).
Complexity	High — multiple branch types, strict workflows.	Low — simple and flexible.	Medium — simpler model but requires discipline and test automation.
Learning Curve	Steep, due to number of branches and policies.	Easy to learn for small teams.	Medium — requires cultural shift toward frequent integration.
Hotfixes	Managed through dedicated hotfix/* branches.	Hotfixes pushed directly to main.	Hotfixes integrated directly in trunk (with high testing confidence).
Parallel Development	Excellent — many teams can work in parallel safely.	Moderate — few active branches preferred.	Requires tight coordination; feature flags help manage changes.
Release Stability	High — stabilization happens in release branches.	Depends on automation and discipline.	Very high with good automated testing and trunk discipline.
Tooling Support	Supported by most Git tools, but complex.	Native to GitHub and supported in others.	Supported in CI tools; less formal in Git tools.
Code Review	Pull request review process varies, sometimes delayed.	Integral via pull requests.	Encouraged through short-lived branches or direct commits.
Rollback Strategy	Rollback via hotfix or reverting release branches.	Rollback by reverting from main.	Rollback through trunk commits; feature flags help control exposure.
Real-World Use Cases	Banks, enterprise software, apps with long QA cycles.	SaaS products, startups, DevOps-first teams.	Google, Meta, Netflix, high-scale engineering organizations.
Drawbacks	Complex, slow for fast delivery, high merging overhead.	Risky without automation, lacks formal release cycle.	Can be risky if not supported by mature CI/CD/testing practices.