GitHub Desktop vs Working Copy in 2026

Q: Is RepoYeti free for work use?

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use . Commercial use costs US$79 per installation, meaning per machine running the daemon, as a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates . No features are locked or time-limited under either licence . It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 .

GitHub Desktop and Working Copy side by side: what each does, what each costs, how to set up and use each, and what to check before choosing a Git client.

By SayDeploy · 2026-10-21

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

GitHub Desktop lets you drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash or reorder commits ^[1]. Working Copy is a Git client for iOS that clones, edits, commits and pushes ^[2]. Neither price is published in the facts here. RepoYeti is a third option for watching many repos at once ^[3].

Option	Price	Platform	Install
GitHub Desktop	Not published	Not published	Not published
Working Copy	Not published	Git client for iOS ^[2]; iOS 16 capable ^[2]	Not published
RepoYeti	Free for noncommercial use; commercial use US$79 per installation, perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[3]	Windows x64, Linux x64, macOS on Apple Silicon; dashboard in any browser ^[3]	Single binary from GitHub Releases, or clone and run with Bun 1.1 or newer ^[3]

The short answer

GitHub Desktop lets a developer stash changes without committing them to a branch ^[1] and drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash or reorder commits ^[1]. Working Copy is a Git client for iOS that can clone, edit, commit and push repositories ^[2].

If you need to stash changes, GitHub Desktop's page covers that ^[1]. Working Copy's page covers automation with Shortcuts and x-callback-url ^[2], commit signing ^[2] and Git LFS for large assets ^[2].

What GitHub Desktop and Working Copy are built for

GitHub Desktop. Its page says you can drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash or reorder commits ^[1]. You can stash your changes without committing them to a branch ^[1]. The facts here say nothing more about it, so check GitHub Desktop's own page for other features.

Working Copy. Its page calls it a Git client for iOS that clones, edits, commits and pushes ^[2]. A cloned repository can be edited with Textastic, previewed and committed ^[2]. It lists your repositories on GitHub and many other services ^[2], and you can search by filenames, symbols or text occurrences ^[2]. It has a tool for fixing merge and rebase conflicts ^[2], and it supports GPG signing of commits ^[2]. It also offers GPT assistance for a code agent and commit suggestions ^[2], which is opt-in ^[2]. Shortcuts and x-callback-url handle automation ^[2]. It is capable of running on iOS 16 ^[2].

What RepoYeti is built for

RepoYeti is made by the team that publishes this site.

It shows the branch, the number of changed files and the ahead and behind count for every repo under the folders you add, and it 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]. Diffs between HEAD and your working tree appear in the Monaco editor, the editor used in VS Code, side by side or inline, and you can edit and save files there ^[3].

Before you pull, it shows the incoming commits, the files they touch and any conflicts they would cause ^[3]. You can select many repos and pin, star, hide, remove, pull or push them all at once ^[3]. A different commit name and email can apply to each repo through path rules ^[3]. A command can undo or redo the last git action, such as a commit, pull or branch switch ^[3].

With your own API key for Groq, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter or DeepSeek, it splits changes into scoped commits with messages, which you approve, edit or discard ^[3]. AI agents can reach your repos, and any action that changes a repo must be approved first ^[3].

Pricing and fees

GitHub Desktop: the facts here give no price, so its price is not published here.

Working Copy: the facts here give no price either, so its price is not published here. Check the App Store listing for current terms.

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use, and commercial use costs US$79 per installation, meaning per machine running the daemon, as a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[3]. No features are locked or time-limited, whether you use 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

GitHub Desktop: the facts here do not describe its installation or setup, so check GitHub Desktop's own install page. Its page describes day to day actions such as stashing ^[1] and reordering commits by drag and drop ^[1].

Working Copy: it is a Git client for iOS ^[2], and the page says it is capable of running on iOS 16 ^[2]. Day to day, you clone a repository, edit it, preview it and commit ^[2]. You can automate steps with Shortcuts and x-callback-url ^[2].

RepoYeti: you install it 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 exist for Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon, and you open the dashboard in any browser, including on Android or iPhone ^[3]. The dashboard can be installed to a phone's home screen as a PWA, and it reconnects after the phone wakes from sleep ^[3]. A start command with a tunnel option opens a Cloudflare tunnel and prints a QR code so you can open the dashboard on your phone, and it needs cloudflared installed separately ^[3]. Its HTTP API is described in an OpenAPI document ^[3].

Things to check before you choose

Check where you work. Working Copy's page names iOS ^[2]. RepoYeti lists Windows x64, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon binaries ^[3]. For GitHub Desktop, the facts here do not name platforms, so check its own pages.

Check cost. Neither GitHub Desktop nor Working Copy has a price in these facts, so confirm current terms. RepoYeti's commercial use is priced per machine ^[3].

Check how many repos you watch at once and whether you need one view across them.

Check how you want AI help handled. Working Copy's GPT assistance is opt-in ^[2], and RepoYeti's AI commit splitting uses your own API key ^[3].

Check whether you need signed commits. Working Copy's page mentions them ^[2].

How to choose

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

If you want to stash changes without committing them to a branch, GitHub Desktop's page describes that ^[1].

If you want a Git client on iOS, Working Copy's page describes one ^[2]. If you want Git LFS for large assets, its page says it supports that ^[2].

If you want automation, Working Copy's page names Shortcuts and x-callback-url ^[2].

If you want one grid showing branch, changes and ahead/behind for every repo, RepoYeti's page describes that ^[3]. If you want to preview incoming commits and conflicts before pulling, they describe that too ^[3].

Frequently asked questions

Is GitHub Desktop free?

The facts gathered here do not state a price for GitHub Desktop, so its price is not published here. Its page describes stashing changes without committing them to a branch ^[1] and drag and drop to cherry-pick, squash or reorder commits ^[1]. Check its own pages for current terms before you decide.

How much does Working Copy cost?

The facts here give no price for Working Copy, so its price is not published here. Its page describes a Git client for iOS that clones, edits, commits and pushes ^[2]. Check the App Store listing or its own site for current pricing, and for whether any features sit behind a paid plan.

Can Working Copy edit files on an iPhone or iPad?

Its page says it is a Git client for iOS that clones, edits, commits and pushes repositories ^[2]. A cloned repository can be edited with Textastic, previewed and committed ^[2]. The page also says it is capable of running on iOS 16 ^[2].

Does GitHub Desktop or Working Copy help with AI commit messages?

Working Copy's page lists GPT assistance for a code agent and commit suggestions ^[2], and says it is opt-in and respects your data ^[2]. The GitHub Desktop facts here say nothing about AI, so check its pages. RepoYeti uses your own API key for scoped commits with messages ^[3].

Is RepoYeti free for work use?

RepoYeti is free for noncommercial use ^[3]. Commercial use costs US$79 per installation, meaning per machine running the daemon, as a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates ^[3]. No features are locked or time-limited under either licence ^[3]. It is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 ^[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]

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