Pear Desktop
Unofficial desktop app for YouTube Music, with a plugin system, for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Stars
- 34k
- Forks
- 2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Pear Desktop is a free, open-source desktop application that wraps YouTube Music in its own window so you can use it like a regular program rather than a browser tab. It is built with Electron and TypeScript. It also supports plugins and custom CSS themes that change how the app looks and behaves. The project states it is unofficial and not affiliated with Google or YouTube.
- Run YouTube Music as its own app window on Windows, macOS, or Linux
- Apply a custom CSS theme from Options > Visual Tweaks > Themes
- Install a plugin that injects custom styles or changes the player HTML
- Build a local development copy of the app with pnpm to test changes
Great for
- People who want YouTube Music in a standalone desktop window
- Users who want to customize the look of YouTube Music with CSS themes
- Developers who want to write their own plugins for the player
- Windows, macOS, or Linux users who want one installer-based option
Not ideal for
- Users who need an official YouTube Music client, since the project is unofficial and unaffiliated with Google or YouTube
- People without a YouTube Music account who expect a standalone music library, since the README does not describe offline music of its own
- Users on very old or unsupported operating systems, since the README does not list supported versions
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
Install on macOS with Homebrew
brew install pear-devs/pear/pear-desktopInstall on Windows with Winget
winget install pear-devs.pear-desktopInstall on Arch Linux
Install the pear-desktop package from the AUR - 2
Run it
- Install the app using one of the package manager commands or download an installer from the latest release page
- Open Pear Desktop from your applications menu or start menu
- Sign in to your YouTube Music account inside the app window
- Optionally open Options > Visual Tweaks > Themes to load a CSS theme
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Load predefined CSS themes from the community repository linked in the README to change the look
- Use the Options > Visual Tweaks > Themes menu to manage custom CSS files
- Create a plugin in src/plugins with a createPlugin config to add custom styles or renderer logic
- Use the devcontainer option described in the README if you prefer not to install pnpm on your system
Downloads
Strengths
- Open source under the MIT license, with a public codebase on GitHub
- Offers install paths through several package managers, including Homebrew, Scoop, Winget, and AUR
- Supports a plugin system and CSS themes for customization
Trade-offs
- Unofficial and not endorsed by Google or YouTube, and the README says it is provided as-is with no liability
- Some install steps, such as the macOS quarantine fix and Windows SmartScreen warnings, may confuse non-technical users
- Plugin development requires TypeScript and familiarity with Electron concepts
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pear-desktop (this) | 34k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who want YouTube Music in a standalone desktop window |
| marktext | 63.5k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who write notes or articles in Markdown and want a clean, minimal editor |
| atom | 60.7k | App | beginner | 3.8 years ago | Developers who want a desktop code editor they can customize with packages |
| nylas-mail | 24.7k | App | advanced | 4 months ago | Developers curious about how an extensible Electron and React desktop app is structured |
| webtorrent-desktop | 10.1k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | People who want to stream torrent video without waiting for a full download |
| rubick | 10.1k | App | beginner | 10 months ago | People who want a keyboard-driven launcher for apps and files on Windows or macOS |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.