Overview

GitKraken Desktop is a graphical Git client for developers who want a visual view of repository history alongside common Git operations. It is most compelling for teams working across hosted and self-managed repositories; its free tier is a fit for public projects, not private day-to-day work.

Its breadth of Git tools and repository connections is balanced by a sharp Community-plan boundary: private repository access requires a paid plan or the 14-day Pro trial.

Key features

Git workflows and repository access

Visual history, a conflict editor, interactive rebase, Gitflow, submodules, Git LFS, and offline mode cover a useful range from routine changes to more involved branch and merge work. These tools make it a capable desktop choice for developers who prefer a graphical workflow; users seeking only a free client for private repositories will need another option or a paid tier.

GitKraken Desktop connects to GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, and self-hosted services, including GitHub Enterprise Server, GitLab Self-Managed, and Bitbucket Data Center. Issue-tracker integrations cover Jira Cloud, Jira Data Center, GitHub, GitLab, and Trello. This breadth suits teams whose code and work tracking span several services, rather than projects confined to public remotes.

Agent sessions and bundled apps

Desktop can create worktrees, install dependencies, launch agents, and show active sessions in one view. That brings agent-session activity into the same client as repository work, which may suit developers coordinating multiple working trees. Paid plans also include GitLens, GitKraken CLI, Kepler, and GitKraken.dev alongside Desktop, so their value extends beyond the desktop client itself.

Pricing

GitKraken uses a freemium model. Community costs 0.00 USD per free and is aimed at open-source development: it supports local repositories and public remotes, with public repositories only. That is a meaningful restriction for professionals who need private repository access.

The free experience includes a 14-day Pro trial for private repositories and premium features. The Business plan has a separate 30-day trial. Neither trial changes the Community plan's ongoing scope.

Pro is for solo developers who need private repository access, is billed annually, and supports up to 2 seats. It includes Cloud Workspaces that users can create and share with GitKraken Organization users, plus 1,000,000 AI credits per user each week. Its small seat cap makes it a poor fit for a larger team.

Advanced is billed annually and supports up to 10 seats. It is aimed at developers and teams needing more integrations and enhanced AI, with 2,000,000 weekly AI credits per user. Business is aimed at companies and engineering leaders, supports up to 100 seats, and adds security, compliance, and administrative controls; pricing is by custom quote. Enterprise has custom pricing for organizations needing custom integrations, contracts, procurement, or security, and is for 20+ seats.

Pro, Advanced, and Business AI credits reset weekly on Sundays UTC; unused credits do not roll over. Paid-plan pricing is custom or not stated, so buyers should compare the annual commitment and seat ceiling with their actual team needs before choosing a tier.

Platforms

GitKraken Desktop runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its support for self-hosted Git services also makes it relevant to organizations that keep repositories on their own infrastructure. The On-Premise option can use a self-hosted server or a serverless license, keeping code inside the firewall; Self-Hosted GitKraken supports LDAP with group mapping, attributes, and optional automatic syncing.

Who it's for

Choose GitKraken Desktop if a visual Git workflow, broad repository integrations, or access to self-managed services matters to your work. Pro suits an individual who needs private repositories, Advanced a team of up to 10 needing more integrations and AI, and Business or Enterprise organizations with stronger administrative, security, or procurement needs. Community is appropriate when public repositories and local work are enough. It is less suitable when private repositories are essential but a paid plan is not an option.

Pros and cons

Pro: Visual history, a conflict editor, interactive rebase, Gitflow, submodules, Git LFS, and offline mode provide a broad set of Git workflows in one desktop client.
Pro: Connections to major hosted providers, self-managed services, and several issue trackers suit teams with a mixed tool stack.
Pro: Linux, macOS, and Windows support gives teams using different desktop operating systems a shared client option.
Con: Community excludes private repositories, limiting the free plan to public work and making the Pro trial temporary.
Con: Weekly AI credits expire at reset rather than carrying forward, so unused quota cannot offset a busier week.

Alternatives

SmartGit is worth considering if you want a freemium client with Linux, macOS, and Windows support; its Hobby plan offers the full feature set except enterprise integrations for personal, non-commercial use, with free registration required.

Git is the alternative for developers who prefer a free, open-source option over a graphical freemium client.

Git Cola is a free option for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

GitComet offers a freemium option and an Open Source plan priced at 0.00 EUR per free, for teams considering another cross-platform client.

Gitember suits readers looking for a free, open-source client with all features included and no paid Pro tier or account requirement.

Gitnuro is a free alternative for personal and commercial use without limitations.

Sourcetree is a free Windows and Mac desktop client that supports Git and Mercurial.

TortoiseGit is a free, GPL open-source option for Windows, including commercial use.

Browse more options in Git GUI Clients or Game Version Control Software.

Verdict

GitKraken Desktop is a strong fit for developers and teams who want visual Git workflows across hosted or self-managed repositories, especially when its integrations and broader paid app bundle match their stack. Its main drawback is the Community plan's public-repository ceiling, compounded by paid tiers with undisclosed pricing; look elsewhere if private repository work must remain free or predictable pricing is a priority.

	GitKraken Desktop	GitUp
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Linux, macOS, Windows	macOS
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	—
Offline mode	Yes	—
Git LFS support	Yes	—
Git submodules	Yes	—
Interactive rebase	Yes	—
Conflict editor	Yes	—

GitKraken Desktop vs GitUp

GitKraken Desktop

GitUp