GitHub Desktop is a native Git client for Mac OS X and Windows with a graphical user interface.

GitHub Desktop vs Tower Comments

- GitHub Desktop is Free and Open Source
There are many alternatives to Tower for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is GitHub Desktop, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Tower and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Tower are Sourcetree, SmartGit, GitKraken and Fork.
GitHub Desktop is a native Git client for Mac OS X and Windows with a graphical user interface.


A powerful Mac and Windows client for Mercurial and Git distributed version control systems.




SmartGit is a front-end for the distributed version control system Git and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. SmartGit is intended for developers who prefer a graphical user interface over a command line client, to be even more productive with Git.




SmartGit is a very competent git GUI tool


Millions of developers and teams around the world choose GitKraken Client to make Git more visual and accessible with an intuitive UI, the flexibility to switch between a GUI or a terminal, and a seamless experience across operating systems.


GitKraken is a very good git client, but, is personal, if you are working on a public repo, if you are trying to connect to a private or an organization repo in github, you must pay a different license






Don’t be put off by the fact that it runs on both Windows & Mac. It is not an Electron app, and feels native on both platforms. Powerful and frequently updated, with built-in merging. And currently free.
Lack of Gitlab CE compatibility.





Modern graphical Git client featuring advanced tooling, support for GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, detailed project popout views, dynamic workflow automation, and extensive theme customization for enhanced adaptability and user-driven workflow management.



Native Git client for macOS, Windows, and Linux featuring advanced merge conflict resolution with automated patterns, AI-powered pull request and commit message tools, visual diff and image diff viewing, hunk-level staging, integrated GitHub PR review, CLI, and VS Code extension.




GitButler is a new Source Code Management system designed to manage your branches, record and backup your work, be your Git client, help with your code and much more. Our focus is everything after writing code in your editor and before sharing it on GitHub.

This is an up-to-date fork of GitHub Desktop, with many quality of life improvements and advanced features for power users.


Native macOS menu bar tool streamlining Git management without terminal commands, offering instant repository sync, flexible pulling and rebasing, smart branching, history recovery features, wipe and restart actions, and protective prompts for safe workflows.




Only supports Github.com Repos