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Fork alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Fork: no Linux version, and small team, so niche features arrive slowly. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Fork, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Tower currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Sourcetree logoSourcetreeFreeNoWindows, macOS4 of 459.6
2GitKraken Desktop logoGitKraken DesktopFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 457.2
3SourceGit logoSourceGitOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 455.3
  1. Sourcetree logo

    1. SourcetreeTop pick

    Best for: Teams on Bitbucket and Jira who want a free, full-featured GUI on Windows or Mac

    FreeWindows, macOS

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Fork

    Free, with a similar layout and features, if you can live with slower performance.

    Pros

    • Free with no feature tiers
    • Full branch graph, interactive rebase, Git-flow and Git LFS
    • Still supports Mercurial repositories

    Cons

    • Can be slow or freeze on large repositories
    • No Linux version
    • Windows and Mac versions differ in layout and features
    Visit Sourcetree Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Sourcetree a good Fork alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sourcetreeapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Mercurial support
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sourcetreeapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Git LFS
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sourcetreeapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Atlassian
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sourcetreeapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. GitKraken Desktop logo

    2. GitKraken Desktop

    Best for: Visual learners and mixed Windows, Mac and Linux teams that want one polished client

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Fork

    Cross-platform including Linux, with hosting-service integrations built in.

    Pros

    • Clear, colourful commit graph that makes history easy to read
    • Same app and licence on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Built-in merge tool and hosting-service integrations

    Cons

    • Free tier is limited to public repositories
    • Electron app can feel heavy on very large repos
    • Frequent prompts to upgrade or try paid features
    Visit GitKraken Desktop Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is GitKraken Desktop a good Fork alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Community tier for public repos
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gitkraken.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan limit
    Public repos only
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gitkraken.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gitkraken.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gitkraken.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. SourceGit logo

    3. SourceGit

    Best for: Anyone who wants a full-featured, free Git GUI on any desktop OS

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Fork

    Free and open source with a comparable layout on Windows, Mac and Linux.

    Pros

    • Free and MIT-licensed with no account
    • Broad feature set including worktrees, LFS and bisect
    • Same app on Windows, macOS and Linux

    Cons

    • Limited documentation
    • Frequent changes from a young project
    • Less polished than the best paid clients
    Visit SourceGit Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is SourceGit a good Fork alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pull requests
    Create PRs on GitHub, GitLab, Gitea
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Fork alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Tower logo

Best Fork alternative for most people

Tower

Deeper feature set and team management, at the cost of a yearly subscription.

Sourcetree logo

Best Fork alternative for a free option

Sourcetree

Free, with a similar layout and features, if you can live with slower performance.

GitKraken Desktop logo

Best Fork alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

GitKraken Desktop

Cross-platform including Linux, with hosting-service integrations built in.

SourceGit logo

Best Fork alternative for open source

SourceGit

Free and open source with a comparable layout on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Sublime Merge logo

Best Fork alternative for Mac

Sublime Merge

Similarly fast with a perpetual licence, and it adds a Linux version.

Tower logo

Best Fork alternative for Windows

Tower

Deeper feature set and team management, at the cost of a yearly subscription.

Sublime Merge logo

Best Fork alternative for Linux

Sublime Merge

Similarly fast with a perpetual licence, and it adds a Linux version.

Fork alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Fork?

Tower ranks first right now. Deeper feature set and team management, at the cost of a yearly subscription. Sublime Merge and Sourcetree follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Fork?

Yes. Sourcetree (free), GitKraken Desktop (free plan + paid) and SourceGit (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Fork?

Yes: SourceGit.

Which Fork alternatives work on Linux?

Sublime Merge, GitKraken Desktop and SourceGit run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Fork?

The complaints we hear most: no Linux version; small team, so niche features arrive slowly; no team licence management or enterprise features.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Fork, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.