Why Your GitHub Repository Size Keeps Increasing (And How to Fix It)

Many developers get confused when their GitHub repository size becomes much larger than the actual project folder. A project may only be 1 GB locally, but the GitHub repository size can grow to 4–5 GB.

This can feel like a mistake but it’s actually how Git is designed to work.

In this blog, we’ll break down why this happens and how to clean up your repository to reduce space.

Why Git Repositories Grow Over Time

Git doesn’t just store your current files; it stores the entire history of your project.

1. Git Stores Everything (Even Deleted Files)

Every time you:

• Add a file
• Modify a file
• Delete a file

Git keeps a record of it.

Even if you delete a large file later, it still exists in older commits.

2. Large Files Cause Major Growth

If you’ve committed files like:

• .zip, .tar
• Images/videos
• Build files (.apk, .exe)
• Logs or backups

These files stay in the repository history forever unless explicitly removed.

3. Repeated Changes Increase Size

If a large file is updated multiple times:

• Git stores multiple versions internally
• This significantly increases repository size over time

Real-World Example

This difference is caused by historical data accumulation.

How to Reduce Git Repository Size

Cleaning a Git repository requires removing unnecessary files from both:

1. Current tracking
2. Repository history

Step 1: Stop Tracking Unnecessary Files

Remove files from Git tracking:

git rm -r --cached node_modules
git rm -r --cached storage/logs

Then update your .gitignore:

node_modules/
storage/logs/
*.zip
*.tar
.env

Step 2: Remove Files from Git History

Just deleting files is not enough; you must remove them from history.

Option 1: Using git-filter-repo (Recommended)

pip install git-filter-repo
git filter-repo --path path/to/large-file --invert-paths

Option 2: Using BFG Repo Cleaner

java -jar bfg.jar --delete-files '*.zip'

This is faster and easier for large repositories.

Step 3: Run Git Garbage Collection

git gc --prune=now --aggressive

This permanently removes unused data.

Step 4: Force Push Clean Repository

Warning: This rewrites Git history

git push origin --force --all

Make sure your team is aware before doing this.

Best Practices to Prevent Future Issues

• Always configure .gitignore properly
• Avoid committing:
  • node_modules/
  • logs
  • compiled files
• Use Git Large File Storage for large files
• Regularly check repo size:

git count-objects -vH

Pro Tip

If your repository is already too large:

• Create a new clean repository
• Push only the latest code
• Archive the old repository

Conclusion

Git repositories grow because they preserve history, not just your current code.

That’s why:

A 1 GB project can become a 5 GB repository

The only way to truly reduce size is by:

• Removing unnecessary files
• Cleaning history
• Following best practices going forward

Keeping your repository clean ensures:

• Faster cloning
• Better performance
• Easier collaboration