GitButler
GitButler uses virtual branches so you can work on several branches at once, with drag-and-drop branch management and one-click commit messages, on macOS, Linux, and Windows. It is a different workflow from classic Git clients.
Alternatives / GitHub Desktop
2 open-source alternatives
2 Best Open Source GitHub Desktop Alternatives in 2026
Looking for an open source GitHub Desktop alternative? We compared 2 Git GUI clients by license, performance, workflow, and maintenance. GitButler rethinks branching with virtual branches, while GitComet is a fast Rust client built for large repositories.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
Best GitHub Desktop alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| GitButler | Virtual branches and drag-and-drop history | FSL-1.1-MIT (source available) |
| GitComet | Fast Rust client for large repositories | AGPL-3.0 |
How we chose these GitHub Desktop alternatives
We looked for desktop Git clients that cover GitHub Desktop's everyday jobs: staging, committing, branching, and merging. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and platforms in its repository. See our methodology for the full criteria.
GitComet
GitComet is a Rust Git GUI built for large repositories, with two-way and three-way merge, worktrees, and multi-repo browsing on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is young, with about 930 stars.
Important: licenses
GitButler uses the Functional Source License (FSL-1.1-MIT), which is source available and converts to MIT later, so it is not OSI open source today. GitComet is AGPL-3.0, with GitHub and Azure DevOps integrations planned for a paid Professional edition.
Maintenance status
Both had commits within days of this update.
Why look for a GitHub Desktop alternative?
GitHub Desktop is a free Git client, but it is tied to GitHub workflows and offers limited history editing and few advanced features. Alternatives add richer branching and faster handling of large repositories, though the two here are younger and one uses a source-available license.
gitbutler.com
GitButler is a Git client built with Tauri, Rust, and Svelte that lets you work on several branches at once with virtual branches, drag-and-drop branch management, and one-click commit messages. Its source is under the Functional Source License (FSL-1.1-MIT), which is source available and converts to MIT later.
21.8K1KFSL-1.1-MIT (source available)Desktop app
Pricing: Free to use under the Functional Source License.
- Virtual branches for parallel work
- Drag-and-drop history editing
- macOS, Linux, and Windows
- Not OSI open source until the license converts
- Different workflow from classic Git clients
gitcomet.dev
GitComet is an AGPL-3.0 Git GUI written in Rust for Linux, macOS, and Windows, built for large repositories with local-first privacy. It supports staging, commits, two-way and three-way merge, worktrees, and multi-repo browsing. GitHub and Azure DevOps integrations are planned for a paid Professional edition. The project is young, with about 930 stars.
93255AGPL-3.0Desktop app
Pricing: Free open-source edition; a Professional edition is planned.
- Fast on large repositories
- Merge tools and worktrees
- Local-first
- Young project
- Hosting integrations planned for the paid edition
Compare GitHub Desktop alternatives
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitButler | Git client | FSL-1.1-MIT (source available) | Desktop app | Parallel work |
| GitComet | Git client | AGPL-3.0 | Desktop app | Large repos |
Which one should you choose?
Want to work on several branches at once
GitButler's virtual branches let you fix bugs while building features.
Want speed on large repositories
GitComet is written in Rust for large repositories and keeps data local.