What is Git, and what is GitHub? Git is a program that saves every state of your files as a traceable version, with date, author and a short reason. GitHub is a platform on the internet that stores Git projects and lets people work on them together. In short: Git remembers the versions, GitHub puts them online and adds tools for reviewing and collaborating. For beginners, GitHub's free plan is enough.
You don't need to be a developer for this. My own AI workforce lives in a Git repository: one folder per employee with personnel file, working instructions, skills, knowledge, and job folders. How that runs on a server is in Claude Code on a Server: tmux, Remote Control. More basics on AI in day-to-day business are collected on my AI Basics page.
What is Git, and how is it different from GitHub?
The two names sound alike but mean two different things.
Git is a version control system. GitHub's documentation describes it like this: such a system tracks the history of changes, and any earlier version of a project can be recovered at any time. You can see which changes were made, who made them, when, and why. According to GitHub, Git is the most popular distributed version control system. It runs on your own computer, and every copy of a project contains its full history.
GitHub is a service that stores Git projects. On top of that it adds tools for working together: discussions about tasks, proposed changes, and reviews of those proposals by others.
So Git also works without GitHub. My own Git sync on the server, for example, pushes to our own Git server. For getting started, though, GitHub is the easiest route because you don't have to run anything yourself.
The five terms you need to know
If you work with Git for the first time, the jargon is what trips you up. These five terms are enough to start. Git for beginners really comes down to understanding them and turning them into a habit.
Repository
A repository, or repo, is a project folder with a memory. According to GitHub, it holds all the files and folders of a project along with the revision history of every single file. You can make a repository public or private. Public ones are visible to everyone on the internet, private ones only to you and the people you explicitly give access.
Commit
A commit is a saved state. GitHub compares it to saving an edited file, except that Git records for every commit which changes were made, when, and by whom. Every commit comes with a short message describing what changed. Those messages are what make the difference later: you find last week's version without collecting files named "quote_final_new2".
Branch
A branch is a side line of your project. GitHub describes it as a parallel version inside the repository that does not affect the main branch. You try something out there, and if it doesn't work, the main version stays untouched.
Merge
A merge brings one branch back together with another. The changes from the side line then end up in the main branch.
Pull request
A pull request is a proposed change: a request to take the changes from one branch into another. GitHub calls it its key collaboration feature. In a pull request you see which lines changed, can comment, and then decide whether to merge.
You'll hear two more words all the time: push uploads your local commits to GitHub, pull brings new commits from there onto your computer.
Why Git matters for business owners
Git comes from software development. But now that AI tools change files on their own, it's useful for business owners without a developer background too.
Working with Claude Code. Claude Code can change files and run commands. That's why in Claude Code: A Guide for Beginners I recommend keeping version control like Git on any folder that matters. If something goes wrong, you restore the last good state. For Claude Code on the web, GitHub is even a requirement: Claude clones your repository, works in the cloud, and pushes a branch back that you review in the browser and open as a pull request.
Versions of texts and instructions. Git doesn't only store program code. Any text file can be versioned, including working instructions for AI employees, templates, or knowledge files. An example: you adjust the instruction your AI uses to write quotes, and two weeks later you notice the old version was better. With Git you see exactly what you changed and restore the old version in one step.
Several computers, one state. Five of my AI employees work on a server, I work on my Mac. Every 15 minutes a timer commits the employees' folders on the server, pulls changes, and pushes them. That keeps the Mac and the server identical in the repository. On a conflict the sync aborts and writes a letter instead of overwriting anything. How such an employee folder is structured is in Creating an AI Employee: How to Start.
One rule always applies: passwords and API keys never go into a repository unencrypted. What an API key is and why it stays secret is in What Is an API? Explained for Beginners.
What GitHub costs
According to its documentation, GitHub offers free and paid plans. With GitHub Free for personal accounts, you work with unlimited collaborators on unlimited public repositories with a full feature set, and on unlimited private repositories with a limited feature set.
The paid plans Pro (for individuals) and Team (for organizations) add, among other things, email support and, in private repositories, features such as protected branches and required pull request reviewers. You don't need that for your first steps with working instructions, texts and Claude Code. GitHub lists current prices on its pricing page, which the documentation links to.
How to get started
- Create an account. Sign up at github.com on the free plan.
- Create a private repository. According to the docs, you create new repositories at github.com/new. Choose "Private" if only you should see it.
- Pick a tool. According to GitHub, GitHub Desktop is a free, open source app with a graphical interface. For beginners it's often easier than the command line.
- Make your first commit. Create a text file, for example the instruction for an AI employee, and save it as a commit with a short message.
- Turn it into a habit. After every meaningful change, one commit with one sentence on what and why. That's all you need at first.
Frequently asked questions
Is GitHub free?
Yes, there is GitHub Free. It lets you create unlimited public and private repositories, the private ones with a limited feature set. Paid plans mainly extend features for teams and private repositories.
Do I need GitHub to use Git?
No. Git runs on your computer and works without any online service. GitHub is one of several places where you can keep a repository online.
Are my files on GitHub public?
Only if you create the repository as public. A private repository is visible only to you and the people you explicitly give access.
What is the difference between commit and push?
A commit saves a state in your project's history on your computer. A push uploads those commits to GitHub. Only then are they online.
Do I need to know how to code to use Git?
No. With GitHub Desktop you click through a graphical interface, and for texts and instructions the five terms above are enough. In Claude Code on the web, Claude handles the branch and the push itself, and you review the result.
Is GitHub the same as GitHub Copilot?
No. GitHub is the platform for repositories, Copilot is an AI coding assistant. How it compares with Claude Code is in Claude vs Copilot for Coding: Which One?.
What to do next
Create a private repository and put a single file in it that you change regularly, for example your most important working instruction. After a week you'll see in the history how it evolved. If you then want to work with AI directly in your files, start with Claude Code: A Guide for Beginners. What's behind programs built from plain instructions is in What Is Vibe Coding? A Plain Guide. How others organize their folders and repositories is what I show in my community AI Employee Framework.
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