---
{"title": "GitHub Desktop vs lazygit in 2026", "description": "GitHub Desktop and lazygit compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed, and what to check before you pick one for your git work.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/github-desktop-vs-lazygit/", "date": "2026-10-30"}
---
GitHub Desktop and lazygit compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed, and what to check before you pick one for your git work.

GitHub Desktop is a desktop app that shows your changes and lets you drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits [^1]. lazygit is a terminal UI for git commands, free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2]. RepoYeti is a dashboard for many repos at once, made by the team that publishes this site.

| Option | Free to use | Paid plan | Install |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Desktop | Price not published in the facts cited here | Price not published in the facts cited here | Not stated in the facts cited here |
| lazygit | Free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2] | No paid plan is stated in the facts cited here | Binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2], or Homebrew which works on Linux as well [^2] |
| RepoYeti | Free for noncommercial use [^3] | US$79 per installation, a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates [^3] | A single binary from GitHub Releases, or clone the repo and run it with Bun 1.1 or newer [^3] |

## The short answer

GitHub Desktop is a desktop app that shows your changes and lets you drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits [^1]. lazygit is a simple terminal UI for git commands, free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2].

On needs, GitHub Desktop's page speaks of drag and drop commit work [^1]. lazygit's page speaks of a terminal UI for git commands [^2], commit colors that show branch and push state [^2], and creating worktrees from a selected branch [^2]. RepoYeti's claims speak of a dashboard for many repos at once, with a commit graph, diffs and bulk actions.

## What GitHub Desktop and lazygit are built for

GitHub Desktop's page says you can drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits [^1].

lazygit is a simple terminal UI for git commands, free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2]. Its commit colors show whether a commit is in the master branch or not, or has not been pushed upstream [^2]. You can create a worktree from a selected branch by pressing w in the branches view [^2].

lazygit is released under the MIT license [^2].

## What RepoYeti is built for

RepoYeti is made by the team that publishes this site.

It shows the branch, number of changed files and ahead/behind count for every repo under the folders you add, and updates when files change on disk [^3]. It draws a commit graph with lanes, merges and tags, and loads it in pages so large repos open quickly [^3].

It shows diffs between HEAD and the working tree in the Monaco editor, the editor used in VS Code, side by side or inline, and lets you edit and save files [^3]. Before you pull, it shows the incoming commits, the files they touch and any conflicts they would cause [^3].

It lets you select many repos and pin, star, hide, remove, pull or push them all at once [^3]. It applies a different commit name and email to each repo using path rules, and can pin a GitHub account to each repo for pushes [^3].

## Pricing and fees

The facts here do not state a price for GitHub Desktop, so it is not published here. lazygit is free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2], and is released under the MIT license [^2].

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use; commercial use costs US$79 per installation, a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates [^3]. No features are locked or time-limited, whether you use it under the free licence or a paid one [^3]. It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction [^3].

## Setting it up and daily use

The facts here do not state how GitHub Desktop is installed, so check its own pages for that. lazygit is free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2]. It can also be installed with Homebrew, which works on Linux as well [^2].

RepoYeti is installed by downloading a single binary from GitHub Releases, or by cloning the repo and running it with Bun 1.1 or newer [^3]. Prebuilt binaries are available for Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon; you open the dashboard in any browser, including on Android or iPhone [^3].

Daily, you work with the live repo grid, the commit graph and the diffs in the dashboard [^3] [^3] [^3]. You can undo or redo the last git action such as a commit, pull or branch switch [^3].

## Things to check before you choose

Ask what you need the tool to do: work on one repo in a desktop app, work in a terminal, or manage many repos from one dashboard. GitHub Desktop's page speaks of drag and drop commit work [^1], lazygit's page speaks of a terminal UI for git commands [^2], and RepoYeti's claims speak of a dashboard for many repos at once [^3].

Check your operating system. lazygit has binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2]. RepoYeti has prebuilt binaries for Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon [^3].

Check cost. lazygit is free to install [^2]. RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use, and commercial use costs US$79 per installation [^3]. The facts here do not state a price for GitHub Desktop, so check its own pages.

## How to choose

If you want a desktop app where you drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits, GitHub Desktop's page describes that [^1].

If you want a terminal UI for git commands, lazygit's page describes that [^2]. If you want commit colors that show branch and push state, lazygit's page describes that [^2]. If you want to create a worktree from a selected branch, lazygit's page describes that [^2].

If you want a dashboard that shows every repo under the folders you add, with a commit graph, diffs and bulk actions, RepoYeti's claims describe that [^3] [^3] [^3] [^3].

If you want a free tool to install from binary releases, lazygit's page says that [^2]. If you want a tool that is free for noncommercial use with a paid commercial licence, RepoYeti's claims say that [^3].

## Frequently asked questions

### Is GitHub Desktop free to use?

The facts cited here do not state a price for GitHub Desktop, so it is not published here. Check GitHub Desktop's own pages for its pricing. lazygit is free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2], and is released under the MIT license [^2]. RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use; commercial use costs US$79 per installation, a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates [^3].

### Is lazygit free and open source?

lazygit is free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2]. It is released under the MIT license [^2]. The facts cited here do not state any paid plan for lazygit, so the only price they give is free. Check lazygit's own pages if you need more detail on future plans.

### How do you install GitHub Desktop and lazygit?

The facts cited here do not state how GitHub Desktop is installed, so check its own pages for that. lazygit is free to install from its binary releases for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux [^2], and can also be installed with Homebrew, which works on Linux as well [^2]. RepoYeti is installed by downloading a single binary from GitHub Releases, or by cloning the repo and running it with Bun 1.1 or newer [^3].

### Can GitHub Desktop or lazygit work with AI assistants like Claude?

The facts cited here do not describe AI assistant support for GitHub Desktop or lazygit, so check their own pages for that. RepoYeti gives AI agents access to your repos through a command, and any action that changes a repo must be approved first, by you or by a webhook you run [^3]. It also uses your own API key for Groq, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter or DeepSeek to split working-tree changes into scoped commits with messages, which you approve, edit or discard [^3].

### Does RepoYeti send any data about the machine?

The facts cited here do not cover data handling for GitHub Desktop or lazygit, so check their own pages before relying on either in a sensitive setting. RepoYeti's claims here do not state a telemetry setting, so check its own pages for that. RepoYeti is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction [^3], and no features are locked or time-limited, whether you use it under the free licence or a paid one [^3].

Free for noncommercial use; commercial use costs US$79 per installation (per machine running the daemon), a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. [^3] - [Visit RepoYeti](/go/start-repoyeti)

## Sources

[^1]: GitHub Desktop, desktop.github.com, read 2026-10-07 (https://desktop.github.com/)
[^2]: lazygit, github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit, read 2026-10-20 (https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit)
[^3]: RepoYeti's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-repoyeti)