GitHub Desktop vs SmartGit in 2026

Q: How much does RepoYeti cost?

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use . Commercial use costs US$79 per machine running the daemon, paid once, and includes 12 months of updates . It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction . No features are locked or time-limited under either licence .

GitHub Desktop and SmartGit compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is set up and what to check before picking a Git client.

By SayDeploy · 2026-10-21

SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

RepoYeti shows the branch, number of changed files and ahead/behind count for every repo under the folders you add ^[1]. GitHub Desktop's sources do not state a price, so it is not published here. SmartGit's sources do not state a price, so it is not published here. RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use, and commercial use costs US$79 per installation, meaning per machine running the daemon, as a one-time licence with 12 months of updates ^[1].

Option	Price	Platforms	Key features	Remote access
GitHub Desktop	Not published ^[2]	Not stated in facts ^[2]	Drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits; stash changes; compare versions ^[2] ^[2] ^[2]	Not stated in facts ^[2]
SmartGit	SmartGit is a visual Git client ^[3].	SmartGit runs on Windows, macOS and Linux ^[3].	Conflict resolution, pull requests, Git Flow, LFS; clone from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps ^[3] ^[3] ^[3]	Not stated in facts ^[3]
RepoYeti	Free for noncommercial use; commercial use US$79 per installation, perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[1]	Windows x64, Linux x64, macOS Apple Silicon; dashboard in any browser including Android or iPhone ^[1]	Live repo grid, commit graph, Monaco diffs, pull preview, bulk actions, per-repo identities, AI scoped commits ^[1] ^[1] ^[1] ^[1] ^[1]	`repoyeti start --tunnel` opens a Cloudflare tunnel and prints a QR code; cloudflared required separately ^[1]
RepoYeti	Free for noncommercial use; commercial use US$79 per installation, perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[1]	Windows x64, Linux x64, macOS Apple Silicon; dashboard in any browser including Android or iPhone ^[1]	Live repo grid, commit graph, Monaco diffs, pull preview, bulk actions, per-repo identities, AI scoped commits ^[1] ^[1] ^[1] ^[1] ^[1]	`repoyeti start --tunnel` opens a Cloudflare tunnel and prints a QR code; cloudflared required separately ^[1]

The short answer

RepoYeti shows the branch, number of changed files and ahead/behind count for every repo under the folders you add ^[1].

RepoYeti's claims cover a view of the branch, number of changed files and ahead/behind count for every repo under the folders you add ^[1], commit graphs with lanes, merges and tags ^[1], diffs between HEAD and the working tree in the editor ^[1], incoming commits and conflicts before a pull ^[1], and actions across many repos at once ^[1].

What GitHub Desktop and SmartGit are built for

GitHub Desktop offers a beta program to try features before release ^[2].

SmartGit's page says it is available for Windows, macOS, or Linux ^[3].

What RepoYeti is built for

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 ^[1]. It draws a commit graph with lanes, merges and tags ^[1]. Diffs between HEAD and the working tree are shown in the editor, side by side or inline, and you can edit and save files ^[1].

Before you pull, it shows the incoming commits, the files they touch and any conflicts they would cause ^[1]. You can select many repos and pin, star, hide, remove, pull or push them all at once ^[1].

Pricing and fees

The GitHub Desktop facts given here do not state a price, so it is not published here ^[2]. The SmartGit facts given here do not state a price, so it is not published here ^[3].

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use ^[1]. Commercial use costs US$79 per machine running the daemon, paid once, and includes 12 months of updates ^[1]. It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, a source-available license with a noncommercial restriction ^[1]. RepoYeti has no locked or time-limited features, whether free or paid ^[1].

Check GitHub Desktop's and SmartGit's own pages for their current prices, since the facts here do not cover them.

Setting it up and daily use

The GitHub Desktop facts given here say nothing about installation or daily setup, so check its own pages for that detail ^[2].

The SmartGit facts given here say nothing about installation steps, so check its own pages for that detail ^[3]. SmartGit is available for Windows, macOS, or Linux ^[3].

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 ^[1]. RepoYeti runs on Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon, and the dashboard opens in any browser, including on Android or iPhone ^[1]. Daily, the live repo grid shows branch, changed file count and ahead/behind count for every repo ^[1]. You can run `repoyeti undo|redo` to undo or redo the last git action such as a commit, pull or branch switch ^[1].

Things to check before you choose

Ask what you need the tool to manage. RepoYeti's claims speak of a view across many repos at once ^[1].

Check your operating system. SmartGit supports Windows, macOS, and Linux ^[3]. RepoYeti runs on Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon ^[1]. Check GitHub Desktop's own pages for supported systems, since the facts here do not list them.

Check cost and licensing. GitHub Desktop's and SmartGit's prices are not stated in the facts here ^[2] ^[3]. RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use and commercial use costs US$79 per installation ^[1].

Check remote access if you need it. RepoYeti can open a Cloudflare tunnel with `repoyeti start --tunnel` and print a QR code so you can open the dashboard on your phone, but cloudflared must be installed separately ^[1].

How to choose

If you need Git Flow and Git LFS, SmartGit's page describes that ^[3].

If you need to see branch, changed files and ahead/behind counts for every repo under your folders in one grid, RepoYeti's claims describe that ^[1].

If you need a pull preview showing incoming commits, touched files and conflicts before you pull, RepoYeti's claims describe that ^[1].

If you need bulk pull or push across many repos at once, RepoYeti's claims describe that ^[1].

If you need a tool on all three desktop systems, SmartGit supports Windows, macOS, and Linux ^[3].

Frequently asked questions

Is GitHub Desktop free to use?

The GitHub Desktop facts given here do not state a price, so it is not published here ^[2]. Its page describes features such as drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash, or reorder commits ^[2] and stashing changes without committing them to a branch ^[2]. Check GitHub Desktop's own pages for its current price and licence terms.

Is SmartGit free to use?

The SmartGit facts given here do not state a price, so it is not published here ^[3]. SmartGit is a visual Git client that works on your desktop ^[3] and is available for Windows, macOS, or Linux ^[3]. Check SmartGit's own pages for current pricing information.

How much does RepoYeti cost?

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use ^[1]. Commercial use costs US$79 per machine running the daemon, paid once, and includes 12 months of updates ^[1]. It is licensed under 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 do you install RepoYeti and SmartGit?

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 ^[1]. RepoYeti runs on Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon ^[1]. The SmartGit facts given here say nothing about installation steps ^[3]. SmartGit runs on Windows, macOS and Linux ^[3].

Can RepoYeti work with AI assistants like Claude?

RepoYeti lets AI agents access your repos through `repoyeti mcp`, and any action that changes a repo must be approved first, by you or by a webhook you run ^[1]. RepoYeti 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 ^[1]. The facts here do not cover AI support in GitHub Desktop or SmartGit.

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]

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