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Open-Source DevOps · lindell

multi-gitter

multi-gitter is a CLI tool that automates bulk repository updates across multiple Git platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Bitbucket) by running a single script or command in parallel across selected repositories and automatically creating pull requests with results.

Source: GitHub — github.com/lindell/multi-gitter
1.2k
GitHub stars
90
Forks
Go
Primary language
Apache-2.0
License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

FieldValue
Repositorylindell/multi-gitter
Ownerlindell
Primary languageGo
LicenseApache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars1.2k
Forks90
Open issues56
Latest releasev0.63.1 (2026-05-10)
Last updated2026-07-01
Sourcehttps://github.com/lindell/multi-gitter

What multi-gitter is

Written in Go, multi-gitter clones multiple repositories, executes user-provided scripts in each repository context, detects changes, and manages pull request creation/merging via API. Supports dry-run, conflict strategies, concurrent execution, and configuration via YAML or CLI flags.

Quickstart

Get the multi-gitter source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash
git clone https://github.com/lindell/multi-gitter.gitcd multi-gitter# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Dependency updates across repositories

Update a library version, patch a CVE, or bump a dependency uniformly across dozens of repositories in one command without manual per-repo work.

Bulk file synchronization

Distribute shared files (PR templates, CI configurations, linting rules) to all repositories in an organization and keep them in sync.

Programmatic refactoring and code generation

Run automated code migrations, search-and-replace operations, or code generation scripts across the entire codebase portfolio and gather PRs for review.

Implementation considerations

  • Requires a valid personal access token (GitHub repo, GitLab api, Gitea, or Bitbucket app-password) with appropriate scopes before any operation.
  • Scripts must be executable or invoked via interpreter with absolute paths (e.g., `python $PWD/script.py`); relative paths will fail in cloned repo contexts.
  • Use --dry-run --log-level=debug to test script behavior before committing across hundreds of repositories; mistakes can create mass PRs.
  • Concurrent execution (--concurrent flag) defaults to 1; increasing parallelism can hit API rate limits; tune based on platform quotas.
  • Clone directory management: temporary directories can grow large; consider cleanup scripts or persistent clone-dir configuration for iterative runs.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

  • Requires complex merge conflict resolution — Conflict strategy options (skip/replace) are basic; repositories with semantic conflicts requiring human judgment are better handled manually.
  • Scripts require interactive user input — multi-gitter runs scripts non-interactively by default (though --interactive flag exists); complex branching logic based on per-repo state may be difficult.
  • Need for secrets management at scale — Token handling is environment variable or CLI flag based; no built-in secret rotation, audit logging, or fine-grained permission models for large enterprise teams.
  • Large-scale binary or media file changes — API-push mode (GitHub only) is slower; git clone + push can be bandwidth-intensive for large files across many repos.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (SPDX: Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with liability and trademark disclaimers.

Apache 2.0 explicitly permits commercial use without royalty. No commercial restrictions identified in the license. No proprietary license or SLA offerings mentioned in available data; verify with maintainer if enterprise support or warranties are needed.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

SignalAssessment
MaintenanceActive
DocumentationAdequate
License clarityClear
Deployment complexityLow
DEV.co fitGood
Assessment confidenceHigh
Security considerations

Token handling: PAT stored in environment variables or CLI flags; no encryption at rest in process memory. Consider running in isolated CI/CD environments. Script execution: arbitrary shell/program execution in cloned repos—validate scripts for injection risks or malicious payloads if accepting user input. API calls: HTTPS implied; verify certificate validation when using self-hosted instances (--insecure flag available but not recommended). Dependency supply chain: Go binary includes all dependencies; review go.mod for known CVEs before production use. No mention of signed releases or checksum verification in README.

Alternatives to consider

GitHub CLI (gh) + scripting

GitHub-only; requires manual scripting to orchestrate clones, runs, and PR creation; verbose but fine-grained control for smaller operations.

Renovate or Dependabot

Specialized for dependency updates and vulnerability scanning; not general-purpose; better for automated dependency workflows but lacks custom script support.

GitLab API + custom orchestration

Platform-specific; requires in-house scripting to manage concurrency, conflict handling, and PR lifecycle; works well if already committed to GitLab ecosystem.

Software development agency

Build on multi-gitter with DEV.co software developers

Replace repetitive manual repository updates with a single command. multi-gitter handles scaling, concurrency, and PR management—letting your team focus on policy, not grunt work.

Talk to DEV.co

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multi-gitter FAQ

Can multi-gitter run against private repositories?
Yes, provided the token has access to the repository. Authentication is per-platform (GitHub token, GitLab token, etc.); scopes must permit repo listing and PR creation.
What happens if a script fails in one repository?
Execution continues for other repositories; --log-level=debug shows which repos failed. Failed repos do not produce commits or PRs unless --manual-commit is used.
Can multi-gitter automatically merge pull requests?
Yes, if CI/CD passes and auto-merge is configured. Requires branch protection rules and status checks to be set up on the target platform; multi-gitter monitors and merges when conditions are met.
Is multi-gitter suitable for hundreds of repositories?
Functionally yes, but API rate limits and concurrent execution tuning matter. GitHub (free tier ~5000 req/hr) can handle bulk runs if --concurrent is low; enterprise plans have higher limits. Test on a subset first.

Custom software development services

DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like multi-gitter into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source devops stack.

Automate updates across your entire repository portfolio

Replace repetitive manual repository updates with a single command. multi-gitter handles scaling, concurrency, and PR management—letting your team focus on policy, not grunt work.