---
{"title": "GitHub Desktop alternatives in 2026", "description": "Compare GitHub Desktop alternatives for 2026: Fork, Tower, Sourcetree, GitKraken, and RepoYeti, with platforms, costs, and what each one does.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/github-desktop-alternatives/", "date": "2026-10-16"}
---
Compare GitHub Desktop alternatives for 2026: Fork, Tower, Sourcetree, GitKraken, and RepoYeti, with platforms, costs, and what each one does.

Fork, Tower, Sourcetree, GitKraken, and RepoYeti are the GitHub Desktop alternatives covered on this page, and each section says only what its listed facts support. The right choice depends on the job you have in mind, and the last section matches common jobs to options.

| Option | What it does | Platforms | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| RepoYeti | Shows many local repos on one dashboard. [^1] | Windows x64, Linux x64, and macOS on Apple Silicon. [^1] | Free for noncommercial use; commercial use costs US$79 per installation. [^1] |
| Fork | Git client with file history and blame views. [^2] [^2] | Mac and Windows. [^2] | $59.99 for Mac and $59.99 for Windows, each with a free evaluation. [^2] [^2] |
| Tower | Git client with pull requests, file history, and automatic branch management. [^3] [^3] | macOS and Windows. [^3] | A free way to get started, and a 30-day Pro trial without limitations. [^3] [^3] |
| Sourcetree | Visual client for managing repositories, with branching diagrams. [^4] [^4] | Windows and Mac. [^4] | Free. [^4] |
| GitKraken | Shows pull requests, issues, and tasks in one view, with an AI assistant connection. [^5] [^5] | Windows, Mac, or Linux, for the Kepler ADE download. [^5] | The Kepler ADE download is free. [^5] A free trial of GitKraken Pro is offered. [^5] Pro price: not published. |

## Why developers look past GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop lets you drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits. [^6] You can also stash changes without committing them to a branch. [^6] Its compare feature helps you review code changes between versions. [^6] A beta program lets you try features before they are released. [^6]

Some developers look for a different mix of these things: another set of history tools, another platform, a way to see many repositories at once, or another price structure. The sections below describe each option from its own published facts, so you can match it to the work in front of you.

## Fork: a Git client for Mac and Windows

It can create, clone, or add existing repositories. [^2] Its history view finds every commit where a particular file or directory changed. Its blame view finds the last commit that changed a particular line of a file. You can edit, reorder, and squash commits with its visual tool. [^2] A merge-conflict helper and a built-in resolver help with conflicts. [^2] Fork also supports fetching, pulling, pushing, committing, branching, tagging, stashes, and submodules. [^2] It shows GitHub notifications in a low-key way. [^2]

## Tower: a Git client for Mac and Windows

Tower is a Git client for Mac and Windows. [^3] It also offers quick actions such as single-click cloning, opening often used repositories, and worktrees. [^3] Tower supports undoing anything with Command+Z. [^3] Tower 18.0 was released on October 6, 2026. [^3] Tower's page says more than 100,000 developers and designers use Tower. [^3]

## Sourcetree: a Git client for Windows and Mac

Sourcetree is a free Git client for Windows and Mac. [^4] It is available for Mac OS X and Windows. [^4]

## GitKraken: a Git client that gathers pull requests, issues, and tasks

GitKraken offers a view of all pull requests, issues, and tasks in one place. Its Security and Admin tools let teams set up single sign-on and manage access. [^5] GitLens for VS Code has more than 40 million installs. [^5]

## RepoYeti: a dashboard for many local repositories

RepoYeti is made by the team that publishes this site. It shows the branch, the number of changed files, and the ahead or behind count for every repo under the folders you add, and it updates when files change on disk. [^1] It draws a commit graph with branch lines, merges, and tags, and loads it in pages so large repos open quickly. [^1] Before you pull, it shows the incoming commits, the files they touch, and any conflicts they would cause. [^1] Diffs can be shown side by side or inline in the editor used in VS Code, and you can edit and save files there. [^1]

You can select many repos and pin, star, hide, remove, pull, or push them all at once. [^1] Each repo can use its own commit name and email, chosen by folder path rules, and can be tied to a GitHub account for pushes. [^1] It can undo or redo the last git action, such as a commit, pull, or branch switch. [^1] You supply an API key for the services the source lists: Groq, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter, or DeepSeek. [^1] The tool splits working-tree changes into scoped commits with messages, which you approve, edit, or discard. [^1]

The dashboard can be installed to a phone's home screen as a web app, and it reconnects after the phone wakes from sleep. [^1] A tunnel option opens a Cloudflare tunnel and prints a QR code so you can open the dashboard on your phone; the cloudflared program must be installed separately. [^1] AI agents can reach your repos through an MCP server. [^1] Any change to a repo must be approved first, by you or by a web address a program calls when something happens. [^1]

You can install it by downloading a single program file from GitHub Releases, or by copying the source and running it with Bun, a JavaScript runtime, version 1.1 or newer. [^1] You open the dashboard in any browser, including on Android or iPhone. [^1]

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use. Commercial use costs US$79 per machine running it, as a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. [^1] Its licence is the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction. [^1] No features are locked or time-limited under either licence. [^1]

## How to pick the right GitHub Desktop alternative

Fork's blame view identifies the last commit that changed a particular file line.

Tower supports undoing anything with Command+Z. [^3] Tower's page says its Pro trial lasts 30 days without limitations. [^3]

Choose Sourcetree when you want to check a free client for Windows or Mac. [^4]

Check GitKraken's available trial and plan details before choosing it.

Choose RepoYeti when you keep many local repos in folders and want one dashboard that shows their status, shows what a pull would bring in, and undoes the last git action. [^1] [^1] [^1] Check the licence before using it for commercial work, because commercial use costs US$79 per machine running it. [^1]

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fork free to use?

Fork has a free evaluation for both Mac and Windows. [^2] [^2] The Mac version costs $59.99, and the Windows version also costs $59.99. [^2] [^2] The published facts do not say how long the evaluation lasts, so check the Fork download page before you decide.

### Is Sourcetree free for Windows and Mac?

Sourcetree is a free Git client for Windows and Mac. [^4] It is available for Mac OS X and Windows. [^4] It works with Git and Mercurial. [^4] The facts available here do not mention any paid version, so check the Sourcetree page for current terms before you install.

### Which GitHub Desktop alternative shows pull requests?

The facts here do not cover pull requests for Fork or Sourcetree, so check their pages for that feature before you choose.

### Can RepoYeti run on an iPhone?

You open the RepoYeti dashboard in any browser, including on Android or iPhone. [^1] The dashboard can also be installed to a phone's home screen as a web app, and it reconnects after the phone wakes from sleep. [^1] The program itself runs on Windows x64, Linux x64, or macOS on Apple Silicon. [^1]

### What does RepoYeti cost for business use?

Commercial use costs US$79 per installation, counted per computer running the program, and the licence is perpetual with 12 months of updates. [^1] Noncommercial use is free. [^1] No features are locked or time-limited under either licence. [^1] The licence is the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction. [^1]

Free for noncommercial use; commercial use costs US$79 per installation (per machine running the daemon), a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. [^1] - [Visit RepoYeti](/go/github-desktop-alternatives)

## Sources

[^1]: RepoYeti's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/github-desktop-alternatives)
[^2]: Fork, git-fork.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://git-fork.com/)
[^3]: Tower, git-tower.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.git-tower.com/)
[^4]: Sourcetree, sourcetreeapp.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/)
[^5]: GitKraken, gitkraken.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.gitkraken.com/)
[^6]: GitHub Desktop, desktop.github.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://desktop.github.com/)