What is GitHub Desktop used for?

GitHub Desktop is an open-source Electron app that gives a graphical interface for working with Git and GitHub on macOS and Windows. It is a good fit for committing and syncing code without the command line, and teaching newcomers Git through a visual client.

Is GitHub Desktop open source?

Yes. GitHub Desktop is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at desktop/desktop and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Is GitHub Desktop free?

Yes. GitHub Desktop is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

What is GitHub Desktop an alternative to?

GitHub Desktop is an open-source alternative to GitKraken, Sourcetree, Tower and GitHub. Other open-source alternatives to GitHub include Assemble, Tabby and Gogs.

Is GitHub Desktop actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to GitHub Desktop was on 2 October 2026. The project has 22k stars on GitHub.

GitHub Desktop: open-source alternative to GitKraken

About GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is an open-source application for working with Git repositories and GitHub through a graphical interface, so you spend less time fighting command-line details. It is built with Electron and React and is written in TypeScript. The code is released under the MIT license, and the repository includes a document describing the focus of the product and who benefits most from it.

Official installers are provided for macOS, including Apple silicon, and Windows, including a machine-wide installer. A beta channel offers early builds, with an ARM64 Windows option. Linux is not officially supported, but community installers from a fork are listed. Community-supported package managers cover winget and Chocolatey on Windows and Homebrew on macOS. Past releases are archived online, and installed versions update themselves automatically. The contributing guidelines ask users to search open and closed issues and check known issues before reporting a problem.

Key features

Graphical Git client for GitHub workflows
Installers for macOS and Windows
Beta channel with early builds
Built with Electron, React and TypeScript
Package manager installs via winget and Homebrew
Automatic updates from installed versions

Good fit for

→Committing and syncing code without the command line
→Teaching newcomers Git through a visual client

Built with: TypeScript; Electron
Tags: git; github; git-client; electron; desktop-app; version-control; typescript; developer-tools

GitHub Desktop: questions and answers

What is GitHub Desktop used for?: GitHub Desktop is an open-source Electron app that gives a graphical interface for working with Git and GitHub on macOS and Windows. It is a good fit for committing and syncing code without the command line, and teaching newcomers Git through a visual client.
Is GitHub Desktop open source?: Yes. GitHub Desktop is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at desktop/desktop and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is GitHub Desktop free?: Yes. GitHub Desktop is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
What is GitHub Desktop an alternative to?: GitHub Desktop is an open-source alternative to GitKraken, Sourcetree, Tower and GitHub. Other open-source alternatives to GitHub include Assemble, Tabby and Gogs.
Is GitHub Desktop actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to GitHub Desktop was on 2 October 2026. The project has 22k stars on GitHub.