
GitKraken
SourceTree
SmartGit
Fork
Tower
TortoiseGit
GitHub
GitHub Desktop is a seamless way to contribute to projects on GitHub and GitHub Enterprise.

Matrix.org
Telegram
Signal
Discord
Tox
Slack
WhatsApp
Secure messaging app with strong end-to-end encryption, advanced group chat privacy settings, secure video calls for teams, encrypted communication using Matrix open network. Riot.im is now Element.

Which is more popular?
Based on our record, GitHub Desktop seems to be a lot more popular than Element.io. While we know about 136 links to GitHub Desktop, we've tracked only 1 mention of Element.io.
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
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| Website | desktop.github.com | about.riot.im |
| Pricing | ||
| Company | — | Startup from the United Kingdom |
| Listed in |
What each product offers, as listed by its team.


Possible disadvantages
Possible disadvantages
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.


No analysis of GitHub Desktop yet.
Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Element.io is highly recommended for privacy-conscious users, open-source enthusiasts, tech-savvy individuals, organizations seeking secure internal communication channels, and communities needing decentralized and customizable messaging solutions.
Walkthroughs and reviews on video.
How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.


Share your experience with using GitHub Desktop and Element.io. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.


Creating branches and switching to existing ones isn’t a hassle, so is merging code with the master branch. Furthermore, you can track your changes with GitHub Desktop. Check out our detailed guide on how to use...
GitHub Desktop is the global standard for working with Git-related tasks in a graphical user interface (GUI). It is an open-source tool and hence completely free to use for all sorts of projects. It is available for...
GitHub Desktop is, perhaps, the most famous solution for working with Git in a visual interface. It is familiar to all developers keeping their repositories on GitHub (Git repository hosting service used for...
You can get Element for both desktop and mobile, with apps being made available for Linux, Android, Windows, iOS, and macOS. There is also Element web if you don't prefer installing apps.
Element is a secure messaging and communication software that operates based on the Matrix protocol. It has advanced features that promote internal collaboration and boost team productivity. It offers end-to-end...
Element.io, which was earlier known as Riot, is a secure chat app that is built around protecting user privacy. It offers end-to-end encryption out of the box, which means that your conversations are fully encrypted...
Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.


Optional: You can also download GitHub Desktop (https://desktop.github.com) if you prefer a GUI version, but this guide focuses on Git Bash to understand the basics. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
Download the latest version from the GitHub Desktop website. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
I’m not going to dive into Git commands here — you can find plenty of tutorials online. If you’re not a fan of using the plain terminal CLI, you can also manage repositories with tools like GitHub Desktop or SourceTree, which provide a... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
I love how Matrix or its most popular client Element do not even get a mention. Source: over 3 years ago
The title undersells the change a bit in my opinion. By default, mastodon now encourages new users to sign-up on https://mastodon.social which has caused a bit of a kerfuffle in the fediverse. Personally, I'm largely ambivalent to the... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
We currently have the Matrix protocol, with client applications such as Element supporting it. We also have XMPP as another option. Generally more modern than IRC, these platforms are primarily developed as FOSS software. This makes it... Source: over 3 years ago
When comparing GitHub Desktop and Element.io, you can also consider the following products.

The intuitive, fast, and beautiful cross-platform Git client.
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Matrix is an open standard for decentralized persistent communication over IP.
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Mac and Windows client for Mercurial and Git.
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Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free.
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SmartGit is a front-end for the distributed version control system Git and runs on Windows, Mac OS...
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Fast, simple & secure messaging. Privacy that fits in your pocket.
Compare Signal to GitHub Desktop or Element.io: