Ferdium and WebCatalog Desktop appeal to the same person: someone who wants chat, email, and work apps out of the browser, with several accounts signed in and each part of their life kept apart.
The real choice is about who does the upkeep. Ferdium is an open-source, community-run fork of Franz that keeps every service in one window and leaves sync to its server or one you host. WebCatalog Desktop is built and supported by a dedicated team, syncs your setup with nothing to host, and gives each client or project its own space in a separate window.
At a glance
| WebCatalog Desktop | Ferdium | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Web apps as desktop apps, organized into spaces | An open-source, community-built app for web services |
| Organizing apps | Spaces, each in its own window, with folders inside | Workspaces inside one window |
| Multiple accounts | Several accounts in any app or space, each with its own session | Add the same service more than once |
| Standalone apps | Any app can run on its own, with its own Dock or taskbar icon | Services live inside the Ferdium window |
| App catalog | 65,000+ apps, plus any website | Community recipes, plus any website |
| Sync | Built in, with nothing to host | Through Ferdium's server or one you host yourself |
| Extensions | 1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, and Dark Reader | No browser extension support listed |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD |
What is WebCatalog Desktop?
WebCatalog Desktop is a home for your web apps that's ready as soon as you sign in. You sort apps into spaces, one window for each client, job, or side of your life, and the whole setup follows you to every computer you use. Each app is a real desktop app that updates itself.
What is Ferdium?
Ferdium is an open-source app, built by its community as a fork of Franz 5, that brings web services together in one window. It organizes services into workspaces, supports community "recipes" for popular apps, and offers optional sync through its own server or one you host.
1. A window for each job
Imagine a teacher who also tutors in the evenings. In Ferdium, the school's Google Classroom and the tutoring calendar sit in the same window, and switching workspaces changes which services it shows.
In WebCatalog Desktop, "School" and "Tutoring" are separate spaces, each its own window and its own app, with a Dock or taskbar icon and a global keyboard shortcut. "School" holds Classroom and the school Gmail; "Tutoring" holds Zoom, Calendly, and a personal Gmail. At the end of the school day, close one and open the other. Folders keep a growing list tidy, and Cmd or Ctrl plus a number moves between apps.
2. Nothing to host, nothing to maintain
Ferdium gives you a lot of control, and some of it takes work. Syncing your setup means signing in to Ferdium's server or running your own, and services depend on community recipes.
WebCatalog Desktop handles that for you. Add apps from a catalog of more than 65,000, or any website, sign in, and your setup is ready. Your accounts list, folders, bookmarks, and settings sync to your other computers. WebCatalog Desktop and your apps update automatically, and a dedicated team builds and supports them.
3. Two accounts, one app
Ferdium lets you add the same service more than once to use different accounts.
In WebCatalog Desktop, one app can hold all your accounts for a service, each with its own isolated session. The school Gmail and the personal one sit in the same sidebar, both signed in, each with its own unread badge.
4. Password managers and privacy
In WebCatalog Desktop, 1Password, Bitwarden, and LastPass fill logins in every app, and Dark Reader is there for late nights. A built-in ad and tracker blocker works without setup, and proxies can be set per app or per account. Both apps can lock with a password and Touch ID.
5. Standalone apps and shared setups
Not every tool belongs in a space. A calendar or an AI assistant can run as a standalone app with its own icon, and a standalone app can be your default email or calendar client.
For a team, such as a tutoring center, shared spaces give every tutor the same apps and accounts list, while logins stay on each person's computer.
Which one should you choose?
Ferdium can make sense if you specifically need open-source software you can modify, or a sync server you host yourself.
If you'd rather spend your time working than maintaining your tools, choose WebCatalog Desktop. It's the better pick when you want:
- Each job or client in a window that you open and close on its own
- Sync across your computers without running a server
- Your password manager available in every app
- A team that builds, updates, and supports the app for you
Get a setup that's ready in minutes, with each part of your work in its own window: try WebCatalog Desktop.
