# Apache Subversion Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Is Apache Subversion the right Source Code Management solution for you? Explore 49 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/177270/Apache-Subversion/reviews

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Apache Subversion

4.1 (49)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Reviews of Apache Subversion

Ease of use

4.0

Customer Service

3.5

## Pros and Cons in Reviews

BC

Bogdan C

Tech LeadComputer Software, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Personally I consider SVN to be the perfect balance between functionality and control. When working in a mixed team environment repository security and locking are paramount and SVN makes everything simple.“

October 17, 2022

DX

Derrick X

Senior staff engineerInternational Trade and Development, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years.

“Unlike Git, it doesn't handle distributed workflows as smoothly.“

May 16, 2024

KŻ

Karol Ż

OwnerComputer Software, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Simple and working solution to manage codebase in small projects.“

October 13, 2022

SD

Simon D

Technical DirectorInformation Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“It is more difficult, if using an 'internal' server, to access remotely. “

October 31, 2023

LS

Lloyd S

OwnerComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“A must for single-user code development, and ok for multiple users.“

July 1, 2022

Jerome R

Software DeveloperInformation Technology and Services, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“We changed our process to match Subversion due to this which is never a good feeling when you are using a tool.“

November 7, 2022

JB

Jens B

Senior ArchitectComputer Software, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“The centralized versioning model is fairly easy to understand for most people, developers as well as others that are less tech-savvy.“

July 25, 2022

AA

Alan Henrique A

Application Development SpecialistComputer Software, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Also, it is not possible to reset the version of the current branch to an existing hash to troubleshoot some possible problem, and the list go on.“

December 9, 2021

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 1-25 of 49 Reviews

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Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

Jayesh S.  
Senior Software Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Best software for versioning of files or documents"

May 16, 2019

4.0

Easy to use this software. I would like to highlight some of its features in short note as following. Create Repository, Checkout, Update, Perform Changes, Review Changes, Fix Mistakes, Resolve Conflicts,Commit Changes and many more. After all these about features i would like to say that there should be one feature in it and that is while we are working on any file and meanwhile if any other is trying to edit that file then it should alert that someone else is working in this file. It will be help the both person that who is working on this file so they can work in that way which will reduce the conflicts of files.

Pros

easy to maintain the current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentations.

Cons

according to my experience, there is no any features that i don't like about this software.

Review Source

SD

Simon D.  
Technical Director  
Information Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Subversion: Code storage another way."

October 31, 2023

5.0

Having come from Visual Source Safe in the early 2000s, Subversion was great in that it enabled more than one person to access and edit a file. Committing and merging those files is pretty straightforward and the flexibility it offers it good. In addition, if there are secure areas of a project that only a few should see, the granular access features enable that to happen.

Pros

Ease of use and having the master (centralised) copy on site. Subversion maintains a master copy - the main source - and copies are made from that. Also having the ability to properly store binary, rather than textual files, is a bonus when wanting to version images or PDFs. Like GIT, but not Visual Source Safe (when we migrated), SVN gives the ability for many people to edit and change files and to merge the changes.

Cons

It is more difficult, if using an 'internal' server, to access remotely. You have to ensure that SSH tunnels etc are in place to grant remote access.

Reason for choosing Apache Subversion

We looked at a few other products/projects but none of them could compete with functionality and price ($0)......this was in the days before GIT.

Switched from

[Zoom Workplace](https://www.capterra.com/p/144037/Zoom-Video-Conferencing/)

The products we switched from and aren't in the list above were PVCS and MS Visual SourceSafe. We made the switch in the early 2000s - primarily as we were moving away from Microsoft products because in those days Open Source was poison according to Microsoft - and we moved to be entirely Linux based. Therefore SVN suited our needs perfectly.

Review Source

DX

Derrick X.  
Senior staff engineer  
International Trade and Development  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Managing Code Changes"

May 16, 2024

3.0

Pros

When I update a file, I just use "svn commit" to save the changes, and if needed, I can revert back easily with "svn revert". It's simple and keeps my workflow smooth.

Cons

Unlike Git, it doesn't handle distributed workflows as smoothly. Also, its branching and merging features are not as advanced, making it more challenging for complex projects.

Review Source

BC

Bogdan C.  
Tech Lead  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Version control"

October 17, 2022

5.0

I've been using SVN ever since I've migrated from Microsoft VSS and I still find it as powerful as ever and still relevant in 2022. We now use much better visual tools and online hosting services integrated with testing and CI/CD tools but the core SVN experience is still as good as it was

Pros

Personally I consider SVN to be the perfect balance between functionality and control. When working in a mixed team environment repository security and locking are paramount and SVN makes everything simple. Post commit hooks are also very useful and easy to implement.

Cons

I like the git ability to perform local commits and I'd love to have it in SVN but it I find the benefits of a centralised repository much more important.

Alternatives considered

[Git](https://www.capterra.com/p/177211/Git/)

Reason for choosing Apache Subversion

Centralisation is still needed for a lot of use cases, especially regarding governance of closed source projects.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Integration Architect  
Automotive  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Simple yet powerful source repository"

April 28, 2021

5.0

Speed! As developers we like to spend the least amount of time getting the latest code, creating tickets, and start working. Subversion never fails in getting you started within a few seconds. Its one of those products that you never even think about.

Pros

The main power of this tool is its simplicity. It does what it's supposed to do, and does not offer countless options that you need to learn before using it. When used in conjunction with tortoise, you get an easy integration with visual studio and MS file explorer. Unlike other products, committing and checkout code is just a matter of right click and choose commit or checkout... that's it, and that's how it's supposed to be.

Cons

Its simplicity can be a small nuisance here. The power you get to implement any branching strategy you like for instance, can turn out to be a little chaotic after a while if multiple teams use different strategies. There is no release management and automated build option and no option to add some kind of ticketing mechanism, you're going to need integration with other products for that. Again, simplicity is great, but you'll need other products in conjunction to subversion...

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Software Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Subversion Exists"

November 7, 2022

2.0

Subversion works, it is just not a flashy tool or great experience. We never had a failure or issue with the tool not working, it was just not a flexible tool that grew with us.

Pros

When there is no other option, Subversion is there. We were stuck with Subversion due to company policy and it serviced the need well enough. It did what it set out to do, with no bells or whistles.

Cons

The toolset has a use case and if you venture to far away from what they envisioned, it is difficult to work with. We changed our process to match Subversion due to this which is never a good feeling when you are using a tool.

Review Source

Nigel Masimba R.  
WordPress Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "I Only Use It to Upload to a Public repository"

April 10, 2019

4.0

I've been using Apache Subversion for almost a year, but not as my main version control software. Work on my projects using another version control software, then when projects are ready to ship to the public repository I simply paste in the folder of the latest version into my Subversion folder, so I don't use it for version control per se. I just use Subversion because the public repository I upload to uses it. That said, there's nothing outright bad about Subversion. Other version control software fits better into my normal build workflow.

Pros

It works well for version control, and I am yet to have any merge conflicts. It allows users to determine the version numbers using built-in features. Version numbering is not straight forward, at least in my case. I only manage one application which needs to have the version number updated in 3 separate files, which is not quite straightforward at first. The public repository is much more easier to navigate and download software than the private version

Cons

It's not as easy to use as other version control software. With Apache Subversion it feels like I am manually creating files and then adding version tags or metadata to them, Whereas with my preferred version control system, I select which files I'm tracking, and whenever I need I commit the files to create new versions without having to manually separate the different versions.

Review Source

Ernesto Enrique F.  
Web Operations Manager & Co-Founder  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "The simplest code VCS"

October 22, 2019

4.0

Pros

In the company we were using SVN for a long time. What we liked most was its simplicity, in fewer steps than other alternatives today you can have the updated code. Another feature that we love: using the right client, the files have colored marks indicating which file is updated, which has conflict and which could not be updated, is simply great. But without a doubt, the feature that we like most is the ease of having your own SVN server in simple steps with the official tools without headaches

Cons

Subversion was my first approach to version controller and I owe a lot of my learning in the world of software development. While using it I had no complaints, but today, I have used other tools and could add something, I would like them to implement improvements in file transfer speed.

Review Source

Arnaldo C.  
Software Engineer  
Oil & Energy  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Good for small not experienced teams"

March 12, 2020

5.0

For my starting job positions in small companies with 3-5 developers, most of us juniors starting to know the tech world and the full variety of development tools it was the best decision to use Subversion as a control version. You are not thinking of using Devops portals with git repos like azure Devops, you are not thinking of git flow methodology, you are not thinking about feature, dev, master and release branches. You only need a safe and stable place to store your code, and Subversion is great for just that.

Pros

t's easy to learn and really easy to use. Very intuitive and no confusing commands and history lines every day like GIT. It's incredibly good for new developers or designers that need a repository, but are not ready to enter into the GIT universe just yet.

Cons

With easiness comes a lot of impediments. You don't have the freedom that GIT offers. You cannot follow modern methodologies concerning code version control. You don't have the flexibility to work on big development teams working on the same code. You don't have the features to archive agile delivery standards.

Review Source

Mohd Kasif S.  
Systems Analyst  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great for version control"

June 1, 2019

5.0

Pros

Easy to learn and use. Maintains different revisions of source code based within branches so it helps in reverting to previous versions if needed. Committing and merging the code is also pretty straightforward.

Cons

Sometimes conflicts when merging different branches together into another branch.

Review Source

KB

Kevin B.  
Software Developer  
Building Materials  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great Version Control Tool"

November 7, 2018

5.0

This was an upgrade from using Visual Source Safe but I needed to do so training on it before jumping in to set things up.

Pros

It had the option to rollback to a previous version if you wanted to undo a check in. It provided options to require locking certain files before modification while allowing the other files to be merged with any new revisions that happened during their modification. This gave the best answer for 2 scenarios where you have text files that are easy to merge and database files that you never want to automate a merge on. You can get plugins to add a GUI interface to work with Subversion and to integrate it with Visual Studio.

Cons

The terminology such as check out means something completely different than check out in Source Safe. So the need to get educated on what each term means is important when using this software, especially when coming from something similar to Source Safe.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Founder  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "It was a stepping stone between CVS and Git"

September 20, 2021

4.0

In the past the tool was good, but it was superseded by Git. Now it's only used by legacy projects.

Pros

It gained popularity because it was more featureful than CVS, and less weird than Mercurial.

Cons

After Git became popular, Subversion became obsolete.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Senior Software Developer  
Printing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "A Simple to use version control tool"

October 31, 2019

5.0

Experience was great, easy to get started. Integrates well with deployment tools.

Pros

Much simpler than git, since it is completely centralised. It gets the job done really well and is free to use.

Cons

Merging code conflicts can be a bit of a pain compared to git. Most of the time your client software takes care of it, but for more advanced users or larger teams I'd recommend git.

Review Source

SS

Sandeep S.  
software engineer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Nice product for working and code management"

February 4, 2022

4.0

Pros

Easy code management with open source support and features.

Cons

User experience and customer support can be improved

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Member of Technical Staff  
Computer Hardware  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Solid Command Line Based Version Control Solution"

October 10, 2019

5.0

Pros

Full featured and versatile for those familiar with command line interfaces.

Cons

While it does have learning curve as with most open source solutions, there are add on software components which add on even a graphical user interface and right click menu integration.

Review Source

PR

Pavol R.  
Java Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Thing of a past"

May 19, 2021

2.0

It is nowhere near to user experience of Git and similar. I've made the switch years ago and don't ever look back.

Pros

It is better than TFS but that's also thing of the past. It is also better than handling files over floppy disks.

Cons

Slow, when server connection is poor. If SVN server is down you are out of luck and cannot even view history. Conflict resolving is quite a challenge.

Review Source

LP

Loïc P.  
Ingénieur Lead Système adjoint  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Superbe logiciel de versionning"

May 7, 2024

5.0

Pros

\- Versionning des fichiers - OpenSource - Idéal contre les fichiers corrompus. Les fichiers sont rappelés en une seconde - Facile à installer - Gestion des utilisateurs & groupes assez complètes

Cons

Le produit est fortement concurrencé par Git/Gitlab par exemple qui offre des fonctionnalités en plus.

Alternatives considered

[GitLab](https://www.capterra.com/p/159806/GitLab/)

Review Source

AHA

Alan Henrique A.  
Application Development Specialist  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Easy to use"

December 9, 2021

4.0

Pros

Apache Subversion is one of the cornerstones of versioning in software development. When it was launch, it was one of the best tools for developers, because we finally had the chance to step out of versioning softwares using hard disks and put things physically in a computer or server. This software changed the way we view versioning.

Cons

Subversion had minor flaws back in early 2000s when it started to become a thing among developers. However, if we compare Subversion with more modern tools like GIT nowadays, it is outdated and does not have the same advantages as the same. For example, we cannot create branches easily like we do with GIT. Also, it is not possible to reset the version of the current branch to an existing hash to troubleshoot some possible problem, and the list go on. Of course, there could be changes in Subversion that would improve its mechanism, however, those changes would require a lot of effort and would make the software lose its identity.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Web Designer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Like Git but Different"

September 25, 2019

4.0

I've been using it since last year for work purposes and overall, I'm really satisfied with it. But unfortunately, it being overtaken by Git.

Pros

Been using this since last year (for work purposes) and there are several advantages when compare to Git. These advantages include: 1. Easier to find very old code by providing the version number. 2. It points out changes between working base (uploaded code) and working copy (existing code). 3. Prevents accidental committing of conflicted files. 4. Free and open source.

Cons

The thing I don't like SVN is that: 1. Clean up command takes quite some time. 2. Sometimes, it takes really long time to load changes.

Review Source

AG

Andrew G.  
Software Engineer  
Insurance  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "SVN user forced into GIT"

September 6, 2022

5.0

Used this daily across many projects for version control.

Pros

Easy to use and follow. Not a huge learning curve compared to GIT / Bitbucket

Cons

Tracking the merges is a pain compared to GIT

Switched from

[CVS](https://www.capterra.com/p/235531/CVS/)

Organization wide change

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Software Engineer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great Version Control"

June 14, 2022

4.0

Overall, I have zero major complaints about SVN. Just wish it was used more widely.

Pros

Pretty simple to use! Compared to Git, which is also pretty awesome, SVN is pretty simple. I've used both systems heavily for many years now, and I lean towards Git because my industry heavily uses it, but SVN is so straightforward and easy to use, and it easily gets the job done -- if you haven't used a version control system before, I'd start with SVN to get the basics and value-add down, then branch out/explore as needed. You may find that SVN is fantastic enough to get the job done!

Cons

It's more involved to manage cross team dependencies where multiple people are working on various projects simultaneously. I also wish this offered features that Git didn't have so there was a reason to use this -- as-is, it always comes down to SVN vs Git and SVN just isn't widely used in my industry anymore (seems more esoteric, and for our older projects, sadly, and wish we used it more).

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Software Engineer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "A good reversion control system"

November 28, 2018

5.0

We are using this tool for source code revision control, as a team we found its a good tool for source code version control, It makes easy to know what was there in the previous versions of a file, what changes we made in past in a particular file, it keeps tracks the changes made in past and who made those changes and when the changes were made.

Pros

I like this software becase its Open source, Easy to use,and can be setup easily.

Cons

Working with svn commands is a bit difficult, as compared with working with User interface

Review Source

LS

Lloyd S.  
Owner  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Subversion (SVN) has saved my bacon many times"

July 1, 2022

5.0

Pros

Lets me back out my software in a structured way until I find a previous rev that works, and then lets me see the differences in the broken and working versions. Also lets me find out what date each line of code was modified on, and who made the changes, and what rev of the code it was. A must for single-user code development, and ok for multiple users.

Cons

Gets complicated if the repository has to move to a different computer. If you will have a lot of developers working on the same project, use Git and host it at Github.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
R&D Director  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Easy to use"

April 7, 2022

4.0

Pros

version tracking in projects and user collaboration are key features

Cons

I travel a lot, it is part of the pros of being a developer, during my trips to other cities, forrests, etc.. I like to take out my laptop and work a while.. sometimes I do not have internet connection available and cannoy use the software

Review Source

OS

Olivier S.  
Software Architect  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A good solution when every one is on site"

December 20, 2022

4.0

Pros

It's the historical replacement for Visual Source Safe, with a central server that makes upper management feel safe.

Cons

Nothing can be done offline, and branch management is not optimal at all

Reason for choosing Apache Subversion

Back at that time, there were no viable alternatives, GIT was still in its too early stages.

Review Source

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