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Technology · head to head

GitHub Desktop vs WebStorm

GitHub Desktop logo

GitHub Desktop

Technology

A free, open source Git client from GitHub for Windows and macOS that covers common workflows rather than all of Git.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WebStorm logo

WebStorm

Technology

The JavaScript and TypeScript IDE

From
$12.9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GitHub Desktop has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GitHub Desktop there is no official Linux build; the application ships for Windows and macOS only, and the community fork at shiftkey/desktop that packages it for Linux is maintained separately and lags official releases, so a mixed-OS team cannot standardise on one client.; WebStorm jetBrains WebStorm is sold as an annual subscription rather than a one-time purchase: commercial price is $199 per year (USD), and personal price starts at $299 in year one, dropping to $239 in year two and $179 from year three onward with continuous renewal.
  • They diverge on capability: GitHub Desktop covers Line-level staging, WebStorm covers Smart JavaScript editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GitHub Desktop and WebStorm actually diverge.

Attributes where GitHub Desktop and WebStorm differ
AttributeGitHub DesktopWebStorm
Starting priceFree$12.9/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacosWindows, Macos, Linux
Founded20082000

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).

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

  • Line-level staging
  • Branch and merge UI
  • Pull request integration
  • Enterprise authentication
  • Squash and reorder
  • Drag cherry-pick
  • Co-author attribution
  • Editor and shell handoff

Only in WebStorm

  • Smart JavaScript editor
  • TypeScript support
  • Node.js development
  • Modern framework support
  • Built-in debugger
  • Unit testing
  • Version control
  • Live templates

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GitHub Desktop

  • Onboarding designers or technical writers who need to commit to a docs or assets repository without learning the command linenot WebStorm
  • A new engineer's first weeks, where seeing the diff and the branch state visually prevents the common early mistakesnot WebStorm
  • Reviewing a colleague's pull request branch locally with a readable diff before approving itnot WebStorm
  • Small teams standardised entirely on GitHub who want SSO-backed authentication to work without managing personal access tokens by handnot WebStorm

WebStorm

  • Web application developmentnot GitHub Desktop
  • React/Angular/Vue developmentnot GitHub Desktop
  • Node.js backend developmentnot GitHub Desktop
  • TypeScript projectsnot GitHub Desktop
  • Frontend testingnot GitHub Desktop

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GitHub Desktop

  • There is no official Linux build; the application ships for Windows and macOS only, and the community fork at shiftkey/desktop that packages it for Linux is maintained separately and lags official releases, so a mixed-OS team cannot standardise on one client.
  • Submodules are effectively unsupported: the app shows a submodule change as an opaque single line and gives you no way to initialise, update or navigate into it, so any repository using them needs the terminal anyway.
  • History rewriting is limited to squashing and reordering local commits by drag and drop; interactive rebase, fixup chains, editing an old commit's contents and bisect are all absent, which is exactly the set of operations a beginner needs help with most.
  • Pull request features only exist for GitHub remotes, so a team on GitLab or Bitbucket gets a plain Git client with an empty pull request pane and no review or checks view at all.
  • Commit signing with a key that requires a passphrase generally fails, because the app cannot surface the pinentry prompt, and the resulting error message does not say that is the cause.
  • GitHub staffs it lightly compared with its web and CI products, so long-standing feature requests and bugs sit open for years; if you file an issue you should plan around it rather than expect a fix.

WebStorm

  • JetBrains WebStorm is sold as an annual subscription rather than a one-time purchase: commercial price is $199 per year (USD), and personal price starts at $299 in year one, dropping to $239 in year two and $179 from year three onward with continuous renewal.
  • If the subscription lapses, use of new versions stops; JetBrains grants a fallback license only for the last version used while the subscription was active, per its published buy page.

Pricing, plan by plan

GitHub Desktop

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Git repository management
    • GitHub integration
    • Visual diff tools

WebStorm

$12.9/month
  • Individual$12.9/month
    • Intelligent JavaScript & TypeScript editor
    • Debugging and testing
    • VCS integration
  • Organizations$25.9/month
    • All Individual features
    • Commercial use license
    • Centralized license management

Which should you pick?

Choose GitHub Desktop if

  • You need line-level staging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos.
  • You also want branch and merge ui.
GitHub Desktop review

Choose WebStorm if

  • You need smart javascript editor.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want typescript support.
WebStorm review

Questions people ask

Is GitHub Desktop or WebStorm better?
Neither clearly leads. GitHub Desktop starts at Free and WebStorm at $12.9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitHub Desktop or WebStorm?
GitHub Desktop has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GitHub Desktop and $12.9/month for WebStorm.
Does GitHub Desktop or WebStorm run on more platforms?
GitHub Desktop runs on Windows, Macos. WebStorm runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
Can I use GitHub Desktop for free?
Yes. GitHub Desktop has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. WebStorm starts at $12.9/month.
What is GitHub Desktop best used for?
GitHub Desktop is most often used for onboarding designers or technical writers who need to commit to a docs or assets repository without learning the command line, a new engineer's first weeks, where seeing the diff and the branch state visually prevents the common early mistakes, reviewing a colleague's pull request branch locally with a readable diff before approving it, small teams standardised entirely on github who want sso-backed authentication to work without managing personal access tokens by hand. Of those, onboarding designers or technical writers who need to commit to a docs or assets repository without learning the command line and a new engineer's first weeks, where seeing the diff and the branch state visually prevents the common early mistakes are not what WebStorm is typically brought in for.
What can GitHub Desktop do that WebStorm cannot?
GitHub Desktop covers Line-level staging, Branch and merge UI, Pull request integration, Enterprise authentication. WebStorm covers Smart JavaScript editor, TypeScript support, Node.js development, Modern framework support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GitHub Desktop: Is there a Linux version?

Not an official one. GitHub ships Windows and macOS builds only. A community fork, shiftkey/desktop, produces Linux packages, but it is maintained by volunteers and trails the official releases.

WebStorm: Is there a free version of WebStorm?

Yes, WebStorm is free for non-commercial use and includes access to JetBrains AI with a free tier.

Source
GitHub Desktop: Does it work with GitLab or Bitbucket?

For plain Git operations, yes: you can clone, commit, push and pull against any remote. The pull request, review and checks features only work against GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise.

WebStorm: What is the cost of a commercial WebStorm license?

The page references a testimonial mentioning 70 euros as a cost, though specific current pricing requires visiting the dedicated pricing page.

Source
GitHub Desktop: What does it cost?

Nothing. It is free and the source is published under the MIT licence, and it is separate from any GitHub plan you may or may not pay for.

WebStorm: How does JetBrains AI licensing work?

Users can pay with JetBrains AI credits, bring their own AI subscriptions and API keys to avoid vendor lock-in, or use the free tier included with WebStorm.

Source
GitHub Desktop: Will it handle submodules?

No. Submodule changes appear as an unreadable single-line diff and there are no controls for initialising or updating them. Repositories that use submodules need the command line.

WebStorm: What features does the free tier include?

The free tier includes the smart code editor, navigation tools, integrated developer tools, and customization options.

Source
GitHub Desktop: Do I still need to learn Git?

For everyday work, no. For recovery, yes. Anything beyond the curated set of operations, including interactive rebase and reflog recovery, happens in the terminal, so a team using it should have at least one person who knows Git properly.

GitHub Desktop: Does it work with GitHub Enterprise Server?

Yes. It signs in to GitHub Enterprise Server and GitHub Enterprise Cloud as well as GitHub.com, and it honours organisations that enforce SAML single sign-on.

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