Rift creates fast, lightweight copies of git repositories using filesystem-level copy-on-write technology (btrfs snapshots on Linux, APFS clonefile on macOS). It manages these workspaces through a CLI or JavaScript/TypeScript API, allowing developers to maintain multiple working directories from a single codebase with minimal disk usage.
Use Rift when you need to work on multiple branches or features in parallel without the overhead of full git worktrees, when disk space is limited, or when you need near-instant workspace creation for large repositories. It's especially useful for CI/CD pipelines, automated testing across branches, or development workflows requiring quick context switching.