# Free Alternative to Tower Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 The best free alternative to Tower ($69/year) is GitHub Desktop. Install it with: `brew install --cask github`. ## Best Free Alternatives to Tower for Mac Tower remains one of the most refined native Git clients on Mac, but it is firmly subscription software in 2026: Basic at $69 per user per year and Pro at $129 per user per year for the cross-platform license (Mac and Windows). A 30-day Pro trial is free, and students/educators can apply for free Pro. That pricing is fair for daily power users who live in interactive rebase, Undo (⌘Z for Git mistakes), and image diffs - and steep if you mostly commit, pull, and open PRs. Free alternatives still cover most workflows with honest trade-offs. GitHub Desktop is completely free and open-source (`brew install --cask github`), ideal when GitHub is your host, but it will not give you Tower-grade rebase choreography or Undo history. GitKraken Desktop is free for local and public cloud repos, with private-repo and premium features behind paid plans (marketing often starts near $4.80/month billed annually). SourceTree remains free from Atlassian with advanced Git tools, but even Tower's own 2026 comparison notes it receives infrequent updates - treat it as capable legacy, not a fast-moving product. None of the free options fully replace Tower Pro's confidence features. If your Git life is simple, do not pay. If you rebase and recover from mistakes all day, Tower still earns Basic or Pro. ## Free alternatives 1. [GitHub Desktop](https://bundl.run/apps/github-desktop) — Simple collaboration from your desktop `brew install --cask github` 2. [GitKraken](https://bundl.run/apps/gitkraken) — Git client focusing on productivity `brew install --cask gitkraken` 3. [Atlassian SourceTree](https://bundl.run/apps/sourcetree) — Graphical client for Git version control `brew install --cask sourcetree` ## Verdict GitHub Desktop comfortably replaces Tower for developers with straightforward Git needs, while SourceTree fills the gap for power users requiring advanced features. GitKraken's private repository restriction limits its viability for professional work. None fully replicate Tower's polish, but all three handle day-to-day development without the $69 annual subscription. ## FAQ ### Is there a free version of Tower Git client No, Tower does not offer a free version. They provide a 30-day free trial with full functionality, after which a subscription is required at $69 per year for individuals. Team licenses are priced higher based on seat count. Unlike some competitors, Tower has never offered a Community or open-source edition. Once the trial expires, the application will prompt for license activation and restrict functionality until payment is provided. ### Can GitHub Desktop replace Tower for professional development GitHub Desktop can replace Tower for developers whose workflows consist of standard Git operations: commit, push, pull, branch creation, and merging. It handles these fundamentals reliably and with a cleaner interface than Tower. However, for power users who rely on interactive rebase, image diffing, undo history, or complex conflict resolution, GitHub Desktop falls short. Professional developers working on complex Git histories or design-heavy projects will likely find GitHub Desktop limiting and may need to supplement it with command-line Git or consider SourceTree for advanced features. ### Why does GitKraken free require payment for private repositories GitKraken's business model restricts private repository access to paid Pro plans ($4.95 per month) while allowing unlimited public repository usage on the free Community tier. This is a deliberate licensing strategy to monetize professional developers who typically work with private codebases while offering the tool freely to open-source contributors. When you attempt to open a private repository in GitKraken free, the application detects repository visibility through API calls to your hosting provider and presents an upgrade prompt. For developers exclusively working on open-source projects, this restriction does not apply. ### Is SourceTree still maintained in 2026 SourceTree is technically still maintained but has entered a maintenance mode with infrequent feature updates. Atlassian continues releasing security patches and macOS compatibility updates - including Apple Silicon support in recent builds - but new feature development has slowed dramatically. The community reports that bug fixes take longer than in previous years, and the roadmap for new capabilities is unclear. SourceTree remains functional and secure to use, but developers should not expect it to gain features matching modern competitors. It is a mature, stable tool that receives necessary updates but little innovation. ### Can I use these free alternatives with GitLab or Bitbucket GitHub Desktop is optimized for GitHub and works best with GitHub-hosted repositories, though it can technically clone and work with other remotes. GitKraken supports GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps natively with full feature parity across platforms. SourceTree was originally built for Bitbucket integration and works well with both Bitbucket and GitHub, though some GitLab-specific features may require manual configuration. For self-hosted GitLab instances, all three clients support SSH and HTTPS authentication, though setup may require manual credential entry compared to the seamless OAuth flows with major hosting providers. ### Which free alternative has the best interactive rebase support Among free alternatives, SourceTree offers the most capable interactive rebase visualization. It provides a dedicated dialog showing your commit sequence with options to pick, squash, reword, or drop individual commits through checkboxes and text fields. You can drag commits to reorder them visually. GitHub Desktop does not support interactive rebase at all - users must drop to the command line for rebase operations. GitKraken's free tier includes visual rebase capabilities but is restricted to public repositories. For developers needing interactive rebase on private repositories without paying, SourceTree is the only free GUI option. ### Do any free alternatives support undo like Tower None of the free alternatives currently offer Tower's undo history feature, which allows rolling back operations like failed merges, botched rebases, or accidental branch deletions through a simple interface. Tower achieves this by tracking your Git operations and storing recovery points. Free alternatives rely on Git's native reflog for recovery, which requires command-line knowledge. Users can approximate safety by creating backup branches before risky operations ('git branch backup-name'), a practice that works across all Git clients. The lack of GUI-based undo is one of the clearest gaps between Tower's premium experience and free alternatives. ### How do I choose between GitHub Desktop and SourceTree Choose GitHub Desktop if you primarily use GitHub, prefer a clean minimal interface, and your workflow involves standard operations without complex rebase needs. It is unbeatable for simplicity and GitHub integration. Choose SourceTree if you need advanced Git features like interactive rebase, line-by-line staging, Git-flow support, or work across multiple hosting platforms. SourceTree is the more powerful tool but comes with a dated interface and occasional stability quirks. For beginners, always start with GitHub Desktop. For experienced developers hitting GitHub Desktop's limitations, SourceTree is the free upgrade path that adds power without subscription costs. ### Will these free clients work on Apple Silicon Macs Yes, all three free alternatives offer native Apple Silicon support as of 2026. GitHub Desktop has been optimized for M1, M2, and M3 chips since early 2021, launching instantly and consuming minimal battery. GitKraken similarly runs natively on Apple Silicon with excellent performance. SourceTree received Apple Silicon support in later updates, though it is less optimized than the other two and may consume slightly more resources during intensive operations. Intel Mac users can run all clients through Rosetta 2, but Apple Silicon owners should download the native versions for best performance and battery efficiency. ### Can I migrate from Tower without losing my Git history Yes, switching Git clients never affects your repository history. Your commits, branches, tags, and merge history are stored in the Git repository itself - the .git folder - not in the client application. When you open an existing repository in GitHub Desktop, GitKraken, or SourceTree, all history is immediately visible. The only data you might lose is client-specific metadata: Tower's bookmarks, custom commit message templates stored in Tower's preferences, or per-repository settings like ignored files configured through Tower's interface. Your actual Git history is portable across all clients. ## Sources - [Tower Pricing](https://www.git-tower.com/pricing) - [Best Git Client 2026 (Tower blog)](https://www.git-tower.com/blog/best-git-client) - [GitHub Desktop](https://desktop.github.com/) - [Homebrew GitHub Desktop cask](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/github) - [GitKraken Desktop](https://www.gitkraken.com/git-client) - [SourceTree](https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/) - [Homebrew SourceTree cask](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/sourcetree) ## Related - [GitHub Desktop vs Tower](https://bundl.run/compare/tower-vs-github-desktop) - [GitHub Desktop vs Atlassian SourceTree](https://bundl.run/compare/github-desktop-vs-sourcetree) - [GitKraken vs Atlassian SourceTree](https://bundl.run/compare/gitkraken-vs-sourcetree) - [GitKraken vs Fork](https://bundl.run/compare/gitkraken-vs-fork) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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It is a mature, stable tool that receives necessary updates but little innovation." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I use these free alternatives with GitLab or Bitbucket", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "GitHub Desktop is optimized for GitHub and works best with GitHub-hosted repositories, though it can technically clone and work with other remotes. GitKraken supports GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps natively with full feature parity across platforms. SourceTree was originally built for Bitbucket integration and works well with both Bitbucket and GitHub, though some GitLab-specific features may require manual configuration. 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The lack of GUI-based undo is one of the clearest gaps between Tower's premium experience and free alternatives." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I choose between GitHub Desktop and SourceTree", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Choose GitHub Desktop if you primarily use GitHub, prefer a clean minimal interface, and your workflow involves standard operations without complex rebase needs. It is unbeatable for simplicity and GitHub integration. Choose SourceTree if you need advanced Git features like interactive rebase, line-by-line staging, Git-flow support, or work across multiple hosting platforms. SourceTree is the more powerful tool but comes with a dated interface and occasional stability quirks. For beginners, always start with GitHub Desktop. 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