GitHub Stars Management, README Rendering, AI Summaries, Semantic Search, Release Tracking, Repo Health, Browser Plugin, CodeFlow, CodebaseMemory and More!
macOS 15 Sequoia or newer: Install with Homebrew, or download the current Direct build for Apple Silicon Macs.
Previous versions and release notes: Changelog · Website changelog
Public issue tracker: Report a bug or request a feature
中文说明: README-ZH.md
Starcat is a native macOS app for people whose GitHub Stars have outgrown a bookmark list. It syncs starred repositories into a local-first desktop workspace, renders README content, adds tags, notes and reading status, tracks releases, evaluates repository health and helps you turn saved projects into a reusable knowledge base. With AI enabled, Starcat can summarize README files, translate project docs, suggest tags, answer questions with repository context and prepare deeper code-intelligence workflows for Pro users.
- Native GitHub Stars manager - sign in with GitHub, sync your starred repositories and browse them in a focused macOS three-column interface.
- Local-first data model - tags, private notes and status live in local SQLite; repository cache can be rebuilt.
- README rendering - read GitHub README content with image handling, scroll tooling and a dedicated reading surface.
- AI-generated structured summaries - generate summaries that explain what a repository does, what problem it solves and which stack it uses. *
- README translation - translate repository README content while keeping the original project context available. *
- Repo-level AI chat - ask questions about the current repository with preserved context. *
- Tags, notes and status - organize repositories with custom tags, private notes and reading or usage states.
- Batch organization - select multiple repositories and apply tags or actions in bulk.
- Full-text search - search repository names, owners, descriptions, topics and notes with a local FTS5 index.
- Semantic search - find repositories by intent, not only exact keywords, when AI search is enabled. *
- Release subscriptions - subscribe to important repositories, review new releases and keep updates visible.
- Repo Health and OpenSSF signals - evaluate maintenance, activity and security signals directly inside the app.
- Explore and discovery views - browse trending, discovery, GitHub search and ranked repository lists.
- Browser Plugin workflow - bring Starcat context, notes, tags, health and AI actions to GitHub pages.
- Share cards - create visual cards for repositories and profiles.
- CodeFlow and CodebaseMemory workflows - prepare deeper code graph and repository intelligence workflows for Pro users. *
- Direct distribution - current macOS Direct build supports in-app updates through Sparkle.
- Localization - English and Simplified Chinese are available; community localization lives in a public repository.
...and more is coming as Starcat Pro stabilizes.
Note: features marked with an asterisk (*) are Pro-oriented workflows or depend on AI/provider availability. Pro purchasing is not open yet.
Starcat currently ships as a macOS Direct build. Core organization features are free while Pro workflows, higher AI quotas and advanced code-intelligence features are being prepared.
- Download Starcat from the official website: https://starcat.ink
- Homebrew tap: https://github.com/starcat-app/homebrew-starcat
- Current Direct build: https://starcat.ink/downloads/Starcat-1.0.0-arm64.dmg
- Release notes: https://starcat.ink/changelog.html
Pro purchasing is not available yet. Final pricing, entitlement rules and payment flow will be announced when Starcat Pro opens.
Please star the GitHub page, try the app and report issues so the public release can improve faster.
Homebrew is the preferred installation method:
brew tap starcat-app/starcat
brew trust starcat-app/starcat
brew install --cask starcatYou can also install the app manually:
- Download the latest Direct
.dmgfrom https://starcat.ink - Open the
.dmgfile. - Move Starcat to
/Applications. - Launch Starcat from
/Applications, Launchpad or Spotlight. - Sign in with GitHub or use a supported token-based flow.
Start by syncing your GitHub Stars. Then browse repositories by tags, languages, smart collections, status, activity and search. Open any repository detail page to read its README, add notes, manage tags, subscribe to releases, generate AI summaries or launch deeper repository workflows.
If you run into a problem, search existing issues first and then open a new issue with your Starcat version, macOS version, reproduction steps and screenshots when available.
- Starcat currently supports macOS 15 Sequoia or newer.
- The public Direct download is intended for Apple Silicon Macs.
- There are no iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, Windows or Android builds today.
- AI features depend on the provider or API key configured in the current app build.
- Repo cache can be rebuilt; user-created tags, notes and status are local user data and should be backed up or exported when needed.
Starcat includes companion workflows for GitHub pages. The browser plugin can surface Starcat actions in context: notes, tags, health information, README AI summaries and repository handoff back to the macOS app.
The project also prepares integration points for local automation and repository intelligence workflows such as CodeFlow and CodebaseMemory.
- starcat-cli - cross-platform CLI and MCP bridge for reading and organizing Starcat data.
- homebrew-starcat-cli - official Homebrew tap for installing and updating the CLI.
- starcat-skill - official workflow and safety contract for AI agents such as Codex and Claude Code.
- starcat-chrome-plugin - Chrome/Chromium companion extension for GitHub pages.
- starcat-safari-plugin - Safari WebExtension companion package for macOS.
Starcat uses small support APIs for optional discovery, sharing and repository intelligence workflows. These services are open so advanced users can inspect them, run them locally or deploy their own instances when they want full control of the server side.
- starcat-sharing-api - share page generation and rendering support.
- starcat-trending-api - GitHub Trending collection and API.
- starcat-weekly-api - weekly project source aggregation and API.
- starcat-wiki-api - GitHub Wiki and documentation availability checks.
- starcat-recommend-api - similar repository recommendation proxy.
- starcat-discovery-api - discovery, hot and newly released repository feeds.
Each API project contains its own README and deployment notes. Starcat's hosted defaults are meant to work out of the box, but self-hosting is available for users who prefer their own infrastructure, API keys and data-retention policy.
Starcat supports localization. Public localization resources are available here:
https://github.com/starcat-app/starcat-localization
Contributors can improve translations through pull requests or by attaching edited .xcstrings files to issues in the localization repository.
Please check the official homepage first: https://starcat.ink
This repository is the public support and release-notes home for Starcat Pro. Use GitHub Issues for bugs, usability problems and feature requests:
https://github.com/starcat-app/starcat-pro/issues
This repository does not contain application source code, backend source code, build scripts or private configuration.