GitHub Desktop alternative for power users
GitHub Desktop is a friendly first Git client, but it is built on Electron, shows a single branch at a time and is made for GitHub. BranchBay draws the whole graph, works the same with GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps and runs natively on Linux as well.
No account. No card. No renewal. macOS, Windows and Linux.
GitHub Desktop costs nothing. BranchBay costs $20 once, and is not a subscription either.
You pay one time, for 2 computers, for a native client that does more. No plan, no renewal and no account.
$20 once for 2 computers, updates forever
Free, open source
BranchBay and GitHub Desktop compared
What each client is built with, what it costs and what it does in the app. Facts about the other client come from its own website and may change.
| Feature | BranchBay | GitHub Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Pay once: $20 for 2 computers, no renewal | Free, open source |
| Platforms | Better: macOS, Windows, Linux | Worse: macOS, Windows |
| Built with | Better: Rust, drawn on the GPU | Worse: Electron |
| Account to use it | Better: None | Worse: GitHub sign-in for remote features |
| Private repositories | Included | Included |
| All repositories in one view | Better: Launchpad with groups | Worse: Repository list |
| Work and personal profiles | Better: Yes, with their own accounts | Worse: No |
| Integrated terminal | Better: Yes, docked per repository | Worse: No |
| Interactive rebase | Yes, visual | Drag and drop squash and reorder |
| Merge conflict resolver | Better: Three-way, with automatic solving | Worse: Opens your editor |
| Pull requests | Better: Created and listed in the app | Worse: Opens in the browser |
| Self-hosted GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | Better: Yes, plus Azure DevOps | Worse: GitHub Enterprise only |
The better side The worse side No colour: the same on both
Why developers pick BranchBay over GitHub Desktop
See the whole graph
Every branch, tag and remote in one readable graph with lanes that keep their column, history modes, author filters and file history.
Not just GitHub
GitLab, self-hosted GitLab, Bitbucket, Bitbucket Data Center and Azure DevOps work the same way as GitHub and GitHub Enterprise.
The advanced tools, visually
Interactive rebase, reflog with reset, blame, reword any unpushed commit and a three-way conflict resolver, all in the app.
Native on Linux
Official Linux builds through apt, the AUR, Gentoo, Nix, Homebrew and an AppImage, not a community port.
What GitHub Desktop does that BranchBay does not
- A free, open source licence
- The gentlest learning curve for a first Git client
- GitHub Actions and issue links woven into the app
If one of these is part of your day, keep GitHub Desktop. The rest of the time, BranchBay is lighter on your machine and on your wallet.
Can BranchBay create GitHub pull requests like GitHub Desktop?
Is BranchBay harder to learn than GitHub Desktop?
Can I try BranchBay before leaving GitHub Desktop?
What does BranchBay cost?
Try it next to GitHub Desktop.
Open the repositories you already have checked out. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to renew and nothing to uninstall until you are sure.