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Mergiato vs GitHub Desktop
They do different jobs. GitHub Desktop is a git client: it commits, branches and pushes in a repository on your machine. Mergiato is for the pull request side: your inbox, review, checks, stacks and merges, without a clone. Most people who'd use one could use both.
GitHub Desktop details checked on 18 October 2026, from GitHub's documentation.
Side by side
| GitHub Desktop | Mergiato | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Commits, branches, push and pull in a local repository | Pull requests: the ones you ship and the ones you review |
| Needs a clone | Yes | No; only the optional terminal opens one |
| Pull request list | Per repository, from the Current Branch menu | Account-wide: your PRs and the reviews waiting on you, across repos |
| Comment and review | Not in the app; GitHub's docs send you to github.com | Line and range comments, replies, reactions, approve or request changes |
| Checks | Status, and re-run checks | Each job's run and time; re-run failed jobs, all, or one |
| Merge | On github.com | One button that follows the repo's rules, merge queues included |
| Stacked PRs | Not shown | Graphite, GitHub and branch-chain stacks |
| Price | Free and open source | Free while in beta |
| Runs on | macOS and Windows | macOS today; more platforms are coming |
Using both
Write code and commit with GitHub Desktop (or the terminal, or your editor). When the PR is up, Mergiato takes over: watch its checks, re-run what failed, read the review, and merge. Reviews of other people's PRs don't need a clone at all, so they never touch your working copy.
Questions
Can I review pull requests in GitHub Desktop?
You can list a repository's PRs, check one out and see its checks, but GitHub's documentation says you can't comment on a pull request from GitHub Desktop. Reviews and merges happen on github.com, or in Mergiato.
Does Mergiato replace GitHub Desktop?
No. Mergiato doesn't make commits or manage branches in your local repository. It covers everything after the push.
Free while in beta, under 10 MB, and it signs in through your GitHub CLI.