Firework by Startpack and WebCatalog Desktop cover the same basics. Both turn web apps into desktop apps powered by Chromium, both run on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and both let you use more than one account of the same service.
So the real question comes later, once you have a dozen web apps in their own windows: how do you keep them organized? Firework leaves the arranging to you. WebCatalog Desktop gives every client or project its own window, with the right apps and accounts already inside.
At a glance
| WebCatalog Desktop | Firework | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Chromium | Chromium |
| Creating apps | Pick from a catalog of 65,000+ apps, or enter any URL | Add any web app or site |
| Multiple accounts | Every account side by side in one app, each with its own session | A separate profile entry for each account |
| Organizing apps | Spaces that group apps and accounts in one window, with folders | Separate windows, side by side |
| Notifications | Unread badges and notifications, mute per account | Notifications and unread counts |
| Privacy | Ad and tracker blocker, app lock, per-account proxies | Not mentioned on its site |
| Sync | Your setup syncs across your computers | Not mentioned on its site |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
What is WebCatalog Desktop?
WebCatalog Desktop turns websites into desktop apps and then helps you sort them by who or what they're for. Apps can stand alone with their own icon, or sit together in a space for a client or project, each holding as many accounts as you need. Most tools are already in its catalog of more than 65,000 apps, with the right name and icon.
What is Firework?
Firework by Startpack is a Chromium-based app that turns web apps and sites into desktop apps. You pin them to the taskbar, switch between them with a click or a hotkey, and arrange their windows side by side. It can keep frequently used apps ready in the background so they open instantly, and it shows notifications and unread counts.
1. One space per client
Picture a bookkeeper with three small-business clients. Each one has its own Gmail login, a shared Google Drive, and an accounting app. In Firework, that's nine windows to place and keep apart yourself.
WebCatalog Desktop puts each client in a space: one window with that client's apps and accounts in a sidebar, all signed in. Each space has its own Dock or taskbar icon and its own global keyboard shortcut, so you can jump to a client from anywhere. Open two side by side when work overlaps, close one when the project wraps up, and use folders when a list gets long.
2. Accounts in a list, not copies on a bar
To use a second account in Firework, you add the web app again in a separate profile, then rename it or change its icon to tell the copies apart.
In WebCatalog Desktop, the accounts live inside one app, listed in its sidebar with their own badges. Cmd or Ctrl plus a number switches between them. You can also manage each account separately: mute the sounds for a busy shared inbox, or hide the badge on an account you only check once a week.
3. Ready for a team
Spaces aren't only for solo work. Teams can share spaces, so a new hire opens WebCatalog Desktop and finds the same apps-and-accounts list as everyone else. Logins and browsing data stay on each person's computer. Your own setup also syncs across your computers, whether they run macOS, Windows, or Linux.
4. More inside each app
Firework keeps each app minimal. In WebCatalog Desktop, each app comes with tabs and tab groups, bookmarks, a downloads manager, find, and a command palette, while links to other sites open in your default browser. There's also a built-in home with to-dos, world clocks, Google Calendar, and a focus mode with a Pomodoro timer and ambient sounds, for starting the day in one place.
Firework's site doesn't mention privacy tools. WebCatalog Desktop includes an ad and tracker blocker and an app lock with auto-lock, which matters when client work sits on a laptop you carry around.
Which one should you choose?
Firework makes sense if all you need is a minimal launcher that pins a handful of web apps to your taskbar.
Choose WebCatalog Desktop if you want:
- A space for each client, with its own icon and shortcut
- Every account for a service listed in one app, with per-account mute
- Shared spaces that give your team the same setup
- Tabs, bookmarks, and a command palette inside each app
- Ad and tracker blocking and an app lock built in
Firework is a straightforward way to give web apps their own windows. If you also want them sorted by client and project, try WebCatalog Desktop.
