Software · head to head
GitHub Desktop vs etcd
etcd
Software
A strongly consistent, distributed key-value store
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only GitHub Desktop has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: GitHub Desktop available for Windows and macOS only, with no Linux build; etcd licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (etcd-io/etcd LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which GitHub Desktop and etcd actually diverge.
| Attribute | GitHub Desktop | etcd |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | free | usage-based |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos | Web |
| Founded | 2008 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in GitHub Desktop
- Visual Git interface
- GitHub integration
- Branch management
- Pull request workflow
- Commit history
- Merge conflict resolution
- Repository cloning
- Collaboration tools
Only in etcd
Nothing recorded that GitHub Desktop does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
GitHub Desktop
- Git repository managementnot etcd
- Open source contributionsnot etcd
- Code collaborationnot etcd
- Version controlnot etcd
- Team developmentnot etcd
etcd
No use cases recorded yet. See the etcd review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
GitHub Desktop
- Available for Windows and macOS only, with no Linux build
etcd
- Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (etcd-io/etcd LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
- Benchmarked at only thousands of writes per second per instance per etcd.io, a throughput ceiling that requires clustering or an alternative store for higher write volumes
Pricing, plan by plan
GitHub Desktop
Free- FreeFree
- Git repository management
- GitHub integration
- Visual diff tools
etcd
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the etcd review.
Which should you pick?
Choose GitHub Desktop if
- You need visual git interface.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos.
- You also want github integration.
Choose etcd if
Nothing in the data separates etcd from GitHub Desktop on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is GitHub Desktop or etcd better?
- Neither clearly leads. GitHub Desktop starts at Free and etcd at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, GitHub Desktop or etcd?
- GitHub Desktop has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GitHub Desktop and On request for etcd.
- Does GitHub Desktop or etcd run on more platforms?
- GitHub Desktop runs on Windows, Macos. etcd runs on Web.
- Can I use GitHub Desktop for free?
- Yes. GitHub Desktop has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. etcd starts at On request.
- What is GitHub Desktop best used for?
- GitHub Desktop is most often used for git repository management, open source contributions, code collaboration, version control. Of those, git repository management and open source contributions are not what etcd is typically brought in for.
- What can GitHub Desktop do that etcd cannot?
- GitHub Desktop covers Visual Git interface, GitHub integration, Branch management, Pull request workflow.