What is the difference between git fetch --prune and git remote prune?

Both commands remove stale remote-tracking references (like origin/deleted-branch) that no longer exist on the remote, but they operate differently: git fetch --prune (or git fetch -p) fetches all updates from the remote AND simultaneously removes any remote-tracking references that no longer exist on the remote. One command does both. Set as default: git config --global fetch.prune true — prune automatically on every fetch. git pull --prune — same but also merges. git remote prune origin only prunes stale remote-tracking refs for the specified remote — it does NOT fetch new changes. Use it when you want to clean up without pulling. Why pruning is needed: when a remote branch is deleted (after merging a PR), your local origin/feature-x reference remains. Over time, you accumulate many stale references. git branch -a shows them all. Check what would be pruned: git remote prune origin --dry-run. After pruning, git branch -vv shows local branches whose tracking is gone: [origin/feature: gone] — these can be safely deleted: git branch -d feature. Automate: git config --global fetch.prune true in your global gitconfig.