Match the strategy to deployment frequency. Trunk-based development suits teams deploying continuously. GitFlow suits teams with scheduled releases and multiple supported versions.

Trunk-based development keeps branches short-lived (hours, not days), uses feature flags for incomplete work, and integrates constantly. GitFlow uses develop, release, and hotfix branches, which adds process overhead but provides clear release control. Most modern teams with CI/CD prefer trunk-based or GitHub Flow (one long-lived main + short feature branches).