Git records the lines. Aura records the meaning.
Git is not a competitor and Aura does not replace it. Aura is a layer on top of Git: the same repository, the same commits, the same remotes. What it adds is a second index — one that tracks functions and call edges rather than lines, records why each commit was made, and checks that the two agree.
What each one is for
What Git is great at
- Being the substrate
Git won for good reasons. Content-addressed, distributed, offline-first, and universal. Aura is built on it, not against it.
- Text diffs
For a human writing code by hand, a line diff is usually the right resolution.
- Nothing to trust
It is plain files and a hash chain. That is why Aura keeps everything recoverable to plain Git.
What Aura adds on top
- A semantic index
Aura parses each commit with tree-sitter and stores a Merkle graph of functions and their call edges. A rename is one node updated, not 200 lines gone and 198 added.
- Intent, checked
Every commit carries a recorded reason, and Aura compares it against what the AST actually changed. A mismatch is flagged before the commit lands.
- A deletion guard
An export that disappears without an explanation stops the commit and names its callers.
- Proof against a goal
A commit can be checked against the goal it was meant to deliver, and the verdict is sealed into a portable record.
- Surgical rewind
Revert one function to its last working state without touching the rest of the commit. No merge conflict, because it operates on AST nodes.
Dimension by dimension
Side by side
When to pick which
Pick Git if…
- You write the code yourself and a line diff tells you everything you need.
- You want zero additional tooling.
Pick Aura if…
- Most of the diffs you review were written by an agent.
- You have been surprised by something an agent removed.
- You need to explain or prove a change to someone who was not there.
Keep Git. Add the control layer.
This is not either/or, and it never has been. Aura is a Git repository with an index beside it. Uninstall Aura and every commit, branch and remote is exactly where it was — the semantic layer is additive, and the exit is a delete of one directory.
Aura & Git
Does Aura replace Git?
No. Aura writes to the same Git repository and uses the same commits, branches and remotes. Remove Aura and you have a normal Git repo with nothing missing.
Do my teammates need Aura?
No. The repository stays a plain Git repository, so anyone can clone, pull and push without it. They just do not see the semantic layer.
What does Aura store, and where?
A sidecar index under .aura/ — the AST graph, the intent log and the proof records. It is files, in your repository, on your machine.
Is a semantic diff slower than git diff?
It parses the changed files with tree-sitter rather than comparing bytes, so it costs more than git diff and far less than reading the diff yourself.
Ship with proof, not hope
Free public beta for macOS and Linux. Point it at a repo and keep driving Git, now with a semantic diff, a verdict and a record on every change.