GitHub Projects desktop app and client for Mac

Gitsu is a desktop client for GitHub Projects v2 on Mac: a GitHub Projects client with its own window, not a browser tab. It is for developers and small teams who spend the day in GitHub's boards and want a faster window onto them. It opens the boards you already have on GitHub, edits them through the GitHub API, and adds the parts that need a local machine: an agent panel for coding agents, an MCP server, and the safety checks around agent writes. The desktop app requires a paid Seat through Pro or Team. The free plan is the Web App in your browser. See the pricing page for the current plans.

How do I install it?

Open the download page and choose Download for macOS. Open the disk image and drag Gitsu into Applications. Sign in with GitHub: the desktop app shows a device code, which you confirm on GitHub's verification page. Your subscription is tied to your GitHub account, so signing in on a new Mac brings it with you.

Gitsu is a standalone client, not a browser extension: the Mac app runs in its own window, and the Web App is a separate site at dash.gitsu.app. Neither installs anything into your browser or changes github.com. The build is signed and notarized by Apple, and the release artifacts are for Macs with Apple silicon. There is no Windows or Linux build; those were removed from the release workflow on purpose.

What does the desktop app have that the Web App does not?

The board and issue editing are the same in both. The desktop app adds what needs a process on your Mac:

• The agent panel. Run supported coding agents beside the board. See agent runs.
• The MCP server. gitsu-mcp gives compatible agents tools to read your board and request supported edits. Compatible MCP Apps hosts can also display inline views. See the MCP server page.
• Agent safety. Agent writes go through the running app, which accepts only its own MCP server and refuses every write while you have agent writes switched off. See agent safety.

The plan list in the app says the same thing. Free: unlimited projects, boards and views, full keyboard navigation, web access only, no AI access, no desktop app. Pro: the desktop app plus web access, AI features, and MCP for your agents, for one Seat. Team provides those paid features for multiple Seats. Neither Pro nor Team includes a mobile app or cross-project views.

How do I use it from the keyboard?

Every shortcut lives in one fixed table, and ? opens the sheet that lists them all, grouped by where each one works. Gitsu has a fixed keymap with no remapping: there is no settings screen for shortcuts, following Gitsu's keymap decision. Shortcuts are matched to the physical key, so they work the same on other keyboard layouts.

A few that work anywhere in the app:

⌘, and ⌘2 exist only in the desktop app: browsers keep ⌘, for their own settings, and the agent panel is not in the Web App.

How does it update?

Shortly after launch, the app asks Gitsu's update service for a newer version. The service answers accounts with eligible paid entitlement, including the documented grace and scheduled-cancellation states; ineligible accounts get no update. Before installing, the app checks the download against a signing key built into it, so a download that was not signed by Gitsu is refused. You can also choose Check for updates in Settings, About, which notes that automatic updates require an active subscription.

What does it keep on my Mac?

Gitsu keeps a persisted cache of GitHub responses on your Mac. Gitsu rejects persisted query-cache snapshots last saved more than 24 hours ago and attempts to clear the query cache and desktop MCP snapshot on sign-out. The restoration limit does not promise physical deletion of each cached file after 24 hours. Gitsu has no offline mode. While disconnected it shows the cached board with a "You're offline" banner and refuses every edit until you reconnect; using GitHub Projects offline covers the details. Your GitHub token sits in the macOS keychain, where the MCP server also reads it. GitHub remains the authoritative issue store; data stays in GitHub covers what Gitsu's servers keep.

Who should use the desktop app?

Use the desktop app if you spend the day in GitHub Projects and want a desktop window, keyboard control, and a place to run coding agents next to the board. If you only need to see and edit boards, the free Web App is enough, and the getting started guide covers both.

To weigh Gitsu against GitHub's own web UI, including what GitHub does better and the 2,000-item limit, read Gitsu compared with GitHub's Projects UI.

How do I keep frequently used GitHub Projects in the switcher?

Add your frequently used projects to Gitsu's Working Set, then open them from the top-bar Project Switcher.

1. Open the Project Switcher in the top bar.
2. Choose Add projects to select the accessible GitHub projects you want available in Gitsu.
3. Return to the switcher and choose the project you want to work on.
4. Use G L for list, G B for board or G R for roadmap after opening the project. Press ? to review the fixed shortcuts.

The Working Set belongs to the signed-in identity and preserves selection order. Adding or removing a project changes its membership in Gitsu's navigation. It does not delete the GitHub Project or move its issues into another tracker. The switcher also stops showing projects that are no longer discoverable to the account.

Gitsu remembers the selected project's identity when you switch. This is useful when daily work returns to a small set of boards, but it does not combine their issues into one view. Gitsu displays one project at a time and loads up to 2,000 items per project. Check the loading notice before assuming every issue is present.

Does a desktop app prove GitHub needs too many clicks?

No. The useful comparison is whether Gitsu's project switcher and separate macOS window fit your current routine. A navigation complaint collected in our research dates to 2020 and predates Projects v2. It cannot establish the number of clicks required by today's GitHub website.

A browser bookmark may already make your usual board easy to reach. Try the free Gitsu Web App to evaluate board editing before choosing a paid desktop Seat. The desktop adds the macOS window and local agent capabilities; it is not required to use Gitsu's project switcher in the browser.

What should I open first after installing Gitsu?

Open the Project Switcher and select a familiar GitHub board, then try its list or board layout with your own issue data. That keeps the project you work on in Gitsu's window and leaves the same issues available to teammates on GitHub. Use the getting started guide for sign-in and import, and the pricing page for the current paid desktop plans.