Git (reference) vs Serena
Both are code understanding MCP servers, and we ran both through the same test (find definition) in each app. Git (reference) passed 4 of 4 apps we tested it in; Serena passed 4 of 4.
Test results side by side
| Git (reference) | Serena | |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Passed 2026-10-20 | Passed 2026-10-21 |
| Cursor | Passed 2026-10-20 | Passed 2026-10-21 |
| Claude Desktop | Passed 2026-10-14 | Passed 2026-10-21 |
| ChatGPT (Codex) | Passed 2026-10-21 | Passed 2026-10-21 |
| Tools exposed (protocol check) | 12 tools | 3 tools |
| GitHub stars | 91,266 (shared repo) | 30,268 |
| License | NOASSERTION | NOASSERTION |
| Last push | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-14 |
Results from our own harness runs, dated per cell. Stars and last push from GitHub at our last data refresh. We don’t pick a winner here: which one fits depends on your app and setup.
What each does
Git (reference): Gives the agent git status, diff, log, commit and branch tools for one local repository.
Serena: Semantic code tools (find symbol, references, edit by symbol) backed by language servers.
