# Open source desktop apps on appsgit

> Open-source desktop software publishes its source code under a license that lets anyone use, study and change it, and most of it is free to download. appsgit lists 1,319 open-source desktop apps on GitHub: 1,013 for Windows, 1,062 for macOS and 981 for Linux. Each page shows the platforms, license, GitHub stars, install commands and the commercial software it replaces.

Apps come from desktop awesome lists (Awesome Linux Software, awesome-mac, awesome-windows, awesome-electron and the media and file sections of awesome-cli-apps), more than 70 GitHub topics such as desktop-app, electron-app, tauri-app, gtk, qt, macos-app, pdf-editor, cad and remote-desktop, and a hand-picked list of flagship apps. An app is listed only if it has a license (one GitHub detects, or one appsgit checked by hand), a README and a commit in the last six months, is not archived or a fork, and has 1000+ GitHub stars (topics), 500+ (awesome lists) or 100+ (hand-picked). It must also be an end-user application with a desktop signal: installers in its releases, install instructions for Windows, macOS or Linux, or a Flathub, Homebrew, winget, Chocolatey, Snap or AUR package. Libraries, frameworks, themes, plugins and servers are left out, and source-available apps are labelled as such.

## Lists

- [Trending desktop apps](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/trending)
- [Official desktop apps](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/official)
- [PDF editors & tools](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/pdf-tools) (37): Free and open-source PDF editors, readers, mergers, converters and OCR tools for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- [Office & spreadsheets](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/office-suites) (15): Open-source office suites, word processors, spreadsheets and presentation apps that open Microsoft Office files.
- [Image editing & photo](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/image-editing) (28): Open-source image editors, digital painting, RAW photo developers and photo managers: free alternatives to Photoshop and Lightroom.
- [Vector, design & publishing](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/vector-design) (12): Open-source vector graphics editors, UI design, desktop publishing and font tools: free alternatives to Illustrator, CorelDRAW and InDesign.
- [Video editing & screen recording](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/video-editing) (37): Open-source video editors, screen recorders, streaming studios and transcoders for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- [Audio & music production](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/audio-music) (22): Open-source audio editors, DAWs, synthesizers, vocal removers and music production software.
- [CAD & 3D modelling](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/cad-3d) (25): Free and open-source CAD, 3D modelling, PCB design, slicers and floor-plan software for engineers, makers and artists.
- [Diagrams & mind maps](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/diagrams-mindmaps) (9): Open-source diagram, flowchart, whiteboard and mind-mapping apps: free alternatives to Visio and XMind.
- [Media players](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/video-players) (82): Open-source video and music players, streaming clients and media centres that play almost any format.
- [Downloaders & converters](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/downloaders) (36): Open-source video downloaders, YouTube-to-MP3 tools, download managers and file converters.
- [Archivers, cleaners & system utilities](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/archivers-utilities) (139): Open-source file archivers, disk cleaners, system monitors, launchers, screenshot tools and Windows/macOS/Linux utilities.
- [Data recovery & backup](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/data-recovery-backup) (23): Open-source data recovery, disk cloning, backup and bootable USB tools.
- [Remote desktop & access](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/remote-desktop) (24): Open-source remote desktop, screen sharing, SSH and VNC/RDP clients: free alternatives to TeamViewer and AnyDesk.
- [Browsers](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/browsers) (19): Open-source web browsers for Windows, macOS and Linux, from Firefox and Chromium builds to privacy browsers.
- [Email & calendar](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/email-clients) (14): Open-source desktop email clients, calendars and RSS readers.
- [Notes & writing](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/notes-writing) (57): Open-source note-taking, Markdown, writing and knowledge-base apps that keep your files local.
- [Password managers, encryption & privacy](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/password-security) (75): Open-source password managers, disk and file encryption, VPN clients, firewalls and privacy tools.
- [File sync & transfer](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/file-sync) (47): Open-source file sync, file sharing, torrent clients and file managers.
- [Code editors & developer tools](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/developer-tools) (163): Open-source code editors, IDEs, terminals, Git clients, database GUIs and API tools.
- [Science, GIS & engineering](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/science-gis) (19): Open-source GIS, mapping, scientific, statistics, astronomy and electronics software.
- [Education, flashcards & reference](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/education) (19): Open-source flashcard, e-book, reference manager, language learning and education apps.
- [Gaming & emulation](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/gaming) (94): Open-source game launchers, emulators, Wine and Proton tools, and game engines.
- [Chat & communication](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/communication) (36): Open-source desktop chat, messaging, video call and social clients.
- [AI desktop apps](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/ai-tools) (123): Open-source AI desktop apps: local LLM runners and clients, chat UIs for many models, transcription and AI image tools.
- [Other](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/category/other) (164): Open-source desktop apps that do not fit the other categories.

## Top 100 desktop apps by GitHub stars

- [yt-dlp](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/yt-dlp): A feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader. (196,232 stars, Unlicense, official)
- [Visual Studio Code](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/visual-studio-code): This repository ("Code - OSS") is where we (Microsoft) develop the Visual Studio Code product together with the community. (193,639 stars, MIT, official)
- [Ollama](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/ollama): Get up and running with Kimi, GLM, MiniMax, DeepSeek, gpt-oss, Qwen, Gemma and other models. (182,515 stars, MIT, official)
- [Scrcpy](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/scrcpy): Display and control your Android device. (151,620 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [Clash Verge Rev](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/clash-verge-rev): A modern GUI client based on Tauri, designed to run in Windows, macOS and Linux for tailored proxy experience. (149,808 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Cc Switch](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/cc-switch): A cross-platform desktop All-in-One assistant for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Grok Build & Hermes Agent. (141,042 stars, MIT)
- [PowerToys](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/powertoys): Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that supercharge productivity and customization on Windows. (139,295 stars, MIT, official)
- [RustDesk](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/rustdesk): An open-source remote desktop application designed for self-hosting, as an alternative to TeamViewer. (125,386 stars, AGPL-3.0, official)
- [Godot Engine](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/godot-engine): Godot Engine – Multi-platform 2D and 3D game engine. (118,245 stars, MIT, official)
- [Terminal](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/terminal): The new Windows Terminal and the original Windows console host, all in the same place! (105,099 stars, MIT, official)
- [Neovim](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/neovim): Vim-fork focused on extensibility and usability. (102,908 stars, Apache-2.0 / Vim, official)
- [Stirling-PDF](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/stirling-pdf): #1 PDF Application on GitHub that lets you edit PDFs on any device anywhere. (93,752 stars, MIT, official)
- [LocalSend](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/localsend): An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop. (93,622 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [Zed](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/zed): Code at the speed of thought – Zed is a high-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter. (91,427 stars, GPL-3.0-or-later, official)
- [Syncthing](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/syncthing): Open Source Continuous File Synchronization. (89,207 stars, MPL-2.0, official)
- [NextChat](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/nextchat): Zero-config AI chat assistant. No API key needed — sign up and instantly chat with GPT-5, Claude 4, Gemini 2.5, DeepSeek & 100+ top models. (88,834 stars, MIT)
- [Orca](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/orca): Orca is the ADE for working with a fleet of parallel agents. (87,258 stars, MIT, official)
- [Lazygit](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/lazygit): simple terminal UI for git commands. (82,985 stars, MIT)
- [Ghidra](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/ghidra): Ghidra is a software reverse engineering (SRE) framework. (81,480 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [Netdata](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/netdata): The fastest path to AI-powered full stack observability, even for lean teams. (80,838 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Hoppscotch](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/hoppscotch): Open-Source API Development Ecosystem • https://hoppscotch.io • Offline, On-Prem & Cloud • Web, Desktop & CLI • Open-Source Alternative to Postman, Insomnia. (80,586 stars, MIT, official)
- [Ventoy](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/ventoy): Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files. (79,776 stars, GPL-3.0, official)
- [AppFlowy](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/appflowy): Bring projects, wikis, and teams together with AI. (77,181 stars, AGPL-3.0, official)
- [OBS Studio](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/obs-studio): OBS Studio - Free and open source software for live streaming and screen recording. (77,108 stars, GPL-2.0, official)
- [Tesseract OCR](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/tesseract-ocr): Tesseract Open Source OCR Engine (main repository). (76,855 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [Tabby](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/tabby): A terminal for a more modern age. (74,863 stars, MIT)
- [AFFiNE](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/affine): There can be more than Notion and Miro. AFFiNE(pronounced [ə‘fain]) is a next-gen knowledge base that brings planning, sorting and creating all together. (73,298 stars, MIT / AFFiNE EE License, official)
- [Mole](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/mole): Clean, uninstall, analyze, optimize, and monitor your Mac. (69,585 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Ladybird](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/ladybird): Ladybird is a truly independent web browser, using a novel engine based on web standards. (66,446 stars, BSD-2-Clause)
- [Alacritty](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/alacritty): A cross-platform, OpenGL terminal emulator. (65,905 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [Warp](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/warp): Warp is an agentic development environment, born out of the terminal. (65,396 stars, AGPL-3.0)
- [draw.io Desktop](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/draw-io-desktop): Official electron build of draw.io. (63,420 stars, GPL-3.0, official)
- [Marktext](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/marktext): A simple and elegant markdown editor, available for Linux, macOS and Windows. (62,228 stars, MIT)
- [Ghostty](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/ghostty): Ghostty is a fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator that uses platform-native UI and GPU acceleration. (61,943 stars, MIT)
- [Pake](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/pake): 🏻 Turn any webpage into a desktop app with one command. (61,934 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Rclone](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/rclone): "rsync for cloud storage" - Google Drive, S3, Dropbox, Backblaze B2, One Drive, Swift, Hubic, Wasabi, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob, Azure Files, Yandex Files. (60,169 stars, MIT)
- [Joplin](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/joplin): Joplin - the privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. (56,630 stars, AGPL-3.0-or-later, official)
- [Motrix](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/motrix): A full-featured download manager. (56,185 stars, MIT)
- [PowerShell](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/powershell): Welcome to the PowerShell GitHub Community! (55,628 stars, MIT, official)
- [ImHex](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/imhex): A Hex Editor for Reverse Engineers, Programmers and people who value their retinas when working at 3 AM. (55,014 stars, GPL-2.0)
- [VoiceStudio](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/voicestudio): VoiceStudio is the open-source, fully-local ElevenLabs alternative — voice cloning, voice design, video dubbing, dictation, transcription & audiobook creation in 646 languages. (54,778 stars, AGPL-3.0)
- [Lx Music Desktop](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/lx-music-desktop): 从 v1.17.0 起支持 Scheme URL，可以使用此功能在浏览器等场景下调用 LX Music，我们开发了一个油猴脚本配套使用。 在 Windows 平台上，若程序文件夹中存在 portable 文件夹，则自动使用此文件夹作为数据存储文件夹（适用于 v1.17.0 及以上版本）。. (54,255 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [Lazydocker](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/lazydocker): The lazier way to manage everything docker. (53,070 stars, MIT)
- [Cherry Studio](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/cherry-studio): AI productivity studio with smart chat, autonomous agents, and 300+ assistants. (52,430 stars, AGPL-3.0)
- [Dbeaver](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/dbeaver): Free universal database tool and SQL client. (51,980 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [Brew](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/brew): The Package Manager for Everywhere. (49,938 stars, BSD-2-Clause, official)
- [Bruno](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/bruno): Opensource IDE For Exploring and Testing API's (lightweight alternative to Postman/Insomnia). (47,394 stars, MIT, official)
- [IINA](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/iina): The modern video player for macOS. (46,689 stars, GPL-3.0, official)
- [SiYuan](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/siyuan): An open-source, privacy-first, self-hosted knowledge workspace where humans and AI agents work together 开源、隐私优先、自托管的知识工作空间，让人与智能体在此协作. (46,669 stars, AGPL-3.0, official)
- [Helix](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/helix): A post-modern modal text editor. (46,506 stars, MPL-2.0)
- [Logseq](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/logseq): A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. (45,173 stars, AGPL-3.0, official)
- [Zen Browser](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/zen-browser): Zen is a firefox-based browser with the aim of pushing your productivity to a new level! (44,812 stars, MPL-2.0, official)
- [Hyper](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/hyper): A terminal built on web technologies. (44,737 stars, MIT, official)
- [EasySpider](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/easyspider): A visual no-code/code-free web crawler/spider易采集：一个可视化浏览器自动化测试/数据采集/网页爬虫软件，可以无代码图形化的设计和执行爬虫任务。别名：ServiceWrapper面向Web应用的智能化服务封装系统。. (44,660 stars, AGPL-3.0)
- [Lossless Cut](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/lossless-cut): The swiss army knife of lossless video/audio editing. (44,349 stars, GPL-2.0)
- [Puter](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/puter): The Internet Computer! Free, Open-Source, and Self-Hostable. (43,661 stars, AGPL-3.0, official)
- [Aria2](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/aria2): aria2 is a lightweight multi-protocol & multi-source, cross platform download utility operated in command-line. (42,979 stars, GPL-2.0)
- [Yazi](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/yazi): Blazing fast terminal file manager written in Rust, based on async I/O. (42,682 stars, MIT)
- [Stats](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/stats): macOS system monitor in your menu bar. (42,376 stars, MIT)
- [Chatbox](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/chatbox): Your Ultimate AI Copilot on the Desktop. Chatbox is a desktop client for ChatGPT, Claude and other LLMs, available on Windows, Mac, Linux. (41,966 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Sunshine](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/sunshine): Self-hosted game stream host for Moonlight. (41,963 stars, GPL-3.0, official)
- [Openhuman](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/openhuman): OpenHuman is the fastest, cheapest, most efficient open-source agent harness. (41,612 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Sniffnet](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/sniffnet): Comfortably monitor your network traffic ‍. (41,357 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [Vim](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/vim): If you find a bug or want to discuss the best way to add a new feature, please open an issue. (41,160 stars, Vim)
- [Nw.js](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/nw-js): Call all Node.js modules directly from DOM/WebWorker and enable a new way of writing applications with all Web technologies. (41,147 stars, MIT, official)
- [qBittorrent](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/qbittorrent): qBittorrent is a [BitTorrent] client programmed in C++ / Qt that uses [libtorrent] (sometimes called libtorrent-rasterbar) by Arvid Norberg. (40,648 stars, GPL-2.0-or-later, official)
- [Nushell](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/nushell): This project has reached a minimum-viable-product level of quality. (40,629 stars, MIT)
- [Croc](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/croc): Easily and securely send things from one computer to another. (40,532 stars, MIT)
- [Shellcheck](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/shellcheck): ShellCheck, a static analysis tool for shell scripts. (40,147 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Insomnia](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/insomnia): The open-source, cross-platform API client for GraphQL, REST, WebSockets, SSE and gRPC. (40,032 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [Aseprite](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/aseprite): Animated sprite editor & pixel art tool (Windows, macOS, Linux). (39,940 stars, Aseprite EULA, official)
- [ShareX](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/sharex): ShareX is a free and open-source application that enables users to capture or record any area of their screen with a single keystroke. (39,921 stars, GPL-3.0, official)
- [Mattermost](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/mattermost): Mattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle.. (39,290 stars, AGPL-3.0, official)
- [Spacedrive](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/spacedrive): Spacedrive is an open source cross-platform file explorer, powered by a virtual distributed filesystem written in Rust. (39,078 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [Folo](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/folo): Folo is an open-source AI RSS reader that brings everything you follow into one calm timeline, then helps you read it. (39,072 stars, AGPL-3.0)
- [Lapce](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/lapce): Lightning-fast and Powerful Code Editor written in Rust. (38,901 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [Trilium](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/trilium): Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes. (38,248 stars, AGPL-3.0)
- [Rufus](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/rufus): The Reliable USB Formatting Utility. (37,887 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [mpv](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/mpv): mpv is a free (as in freedom) media player for the command line. (37,280 stars, GPL-2.0-or-later)
- [Restic](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/restic): Fast, secure, efficient backup program. (36,462 stars, BSD-2-Clause)
- [UTM](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/utm): Virtual machines for iOS and macOS. (35,765 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [Zellij](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/zellij): A terminal workspace with batteries included. (35,666 stars, MIT)
- [Kitty](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/kitty): If you live in the terminal, kitty is made for you! (35,204 stars, GPL-3.0, official)
- [OCRmyPDF](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/ocrmypdf): OCRmyPDF adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDF files, allowing them to be searched. (34,952 stars, MPL-2.0, official)
- [AnotherRedisDesktopManager](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/anotherredisdesktopmanager): A faster, better and more stable Redis desktop manager [GUI client], compatible with Linux, Windows, Mac. (34,787 stars, MIT)
- [balenaEtcher](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/balenaetcher): Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives, safely and easily. (34,481 stars, Apache-2.0, official)
- [MonitorControl](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/monitorcontrol): Control your display's brightness & volume on your Mac as if it was a native Apple Display. (34,407 stars, MIT)
- [Czkawka](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/czkawka): Multi functional app to find duplicates, empty folders, similar images etc. (34,061 stars, MIT)
- [FreeCAD](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/freecad): Official source code of FreeCAD, a free and opensource multiplatform 3D parametric modeler. (34,016 stars, LGPL-2.1, official)
- [Pear Desktop](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/pear-desktop): Pear is extension for music player. (33,681 stars, MIT)
- [Netron](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/netron): Visualizer for neural network, deep learning and machine learning models. (33,551 stars, MIT)
- [Vscodium](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/vscodium): binary releases of VS Code without MS branding/telemetry/licensing. (33,536 stars, MIT, official)
- [YesPlayMusic](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/yesplaymusic): 高颜值的第三方网易云播放器，支持 Windows / macOS / Linux. (33,354 stars, MIT)
- [shadPS4](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/shadps4): PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD written in C++. (33,222 stars, GPL-2.0)
- [Tdesktop](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/tdesktop): Telegram Desktop messaging app. (33,131 stars, GPL-3.0)
- [Podman](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/podman): Podman: A tool for managing OCI containers and pods. (33,009 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [QtScrcpy](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/qtscrcpy): Android real-time display control software. (32,284 stars, Apache-2.0)
- [DevToys](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/devtoys): A Swiss Army knife for developers. (32,062 stars, MIT)
- [Anki](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/anki): Anki is a smart spaced repetition flashcard program. (31,840 stars, AGPL-3.0-or-later, official)
- [Kazumi](https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps/kazumi): 基于自定义规则的番剧采集APP，支持流媒体在线观看，支持弹幕，支持实时超分辨率。. (31,680 stars, GPL-3.0)

## FAQ

### What is the best open source software for Windows?

By GitHub stars, the most popular open-source apps that run on Windows are yt-dlp, Visual Studio Code, Ollama. appsgit lists 1,013 Windows apps; 793 of all listed apps also run on macOS and Linux.

### Is open source software free?

Open-source licenses let anyone use, copy and change the software, and almost every app listed here is a free download. 1,315 of the 1,319 apps use an OSI-approved or FSF-free license; 4 are source-available (the code is public but the license restricts use) and are labelled on their pages.

### Which open source apps replace paid software?

156 apps are marked with the commercial software they are commonly used instead of, for example Krita or GIMP instead of Photoshop, FreeCAD or LibreCAD instead of AutoCAD, RustDesk instead of TeamViewer. Each app page lists what it replaces.

### How are these desktop apps chosen?

Apps come from desktop awesome lists (Awesome Linux Software, awesome-mac, awesome-windows, awesome-electron and the media and file sections of awesome-cli-apps), more than 70 GitHub topics such as desktop-app, electron-app, tauri-app, gtk, qt, macos-app, pdf-editor, cad and remote-desktop, and a hand-picked list of flagship apps. An app is listed only if it has a license (one GitHub detects, or one appsgit checked by hand), a README and a commit in the last six months, is not archived or a fork, and has 1000+ GitHub stars (topics), 500+ (awesome lists) or 100+ (hand-picked). It must also be an end-user application with a desktop signal: installers in its releases, install instructions for Windows, macOS or Linux, or a Flathub, Homebrew, winget, Chocolatey, Snap or AUR package. Libraries, frameworks, themes, plugins and servers are left out, and source-available apps are labelled as such. Official means the repository belongs to the project or foundation behind the app, such as GNOME, KDE, Mozilla, VideoLAN, Blender, LibreOffice or OBS (a fixed, hand-checked allow-list), or to a GitHub organization with a verified domain, rather than a fork or third-party build.

JSON API: https://appsgit.com/api/v1/desktop-apps

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/desktop-apps
Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly.
Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.