How to handle merge vs rebase for integrating changes

Short answer

Merge preserves history and context; rebase rewrites history for a cleaner, linear commit log.

Key differences

• Merge: Creates a merge commit; keeps full branch history; safer for shared branches.
• Rebase: Replays commits onto the target branch; no merge commits; rewrites commit hashes.

When to use each

• Merge: Team collaboration, release branches, preserving exact history.
• Rebase: Feature branches before merging, personal branches, maintaining linear history.

Tips

• Never rebase shared/public branches.
• Use --force-with-lease if you must push rebased branches.
• Squash merging combines both approaches.