Does confluence has mac desktop client?
Asked by Harsh Gupta:

I would prefer to use a native mac desktop client for confluence over the web app if the desktop client exists.


Answers:
author: Daniel Eads
body: Hi all!

Thanks for your interest in a MacOS app for Confluence. The [Jira Cloud MacOS app](https://www.atlassian.com/blog/jira-software/jira-cloud-app-for-mac) was released recently and has had great reception so far. I can see how many organizations would benefit from a similar app to use for Confluence.

I've [opened a feature request on our public Jira](https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFCLOUD-68826) to track interest in a native Confluence app. Please vote on the issue as this helps our product managers prioritize work on this versus other highly-requested Confluence features.

Cheers,  
Daniel \| Atlassian Support

comments: author: Mark McDermott
body: Thanks! I will try and get some votes for this.


author: shusei hanibuchi
body: really need it.


author: jconnor
body: Our team would love this! Cannery client sign-up exist yet?


author: Josh.Jones
body: Vote !


author: Jared
body: double vote!


author: Gabriel Benel
body: Really need it!!!


author: Tuna
body: Vote!


author: Ario Cecchettini
body: Awesome! This would be great!


author: Gerardo Sandoval
body: This would be awesome to have. Jira app is working great, confluence integration would make it excellent.


author: jammy.li
body: Can't wait to have a native Mac version.


author: Salvador Garcia
body: Almost 3 years later. :) Any updates on a standalone?


author: Davin Studer
body: Confluence does not have a native desktop client for Mac or PC. The web interface is the only interface for Confluence on a PC. There is an iPhone and Android app.

comments: author: Dave Deaton
body: I agree with Harsh. A native Mac desktop client would be so much more convenient for Mac users. I just can't believe it hasn't been done well yet. There are a couple in the Mac App Store, but I can't get Fluency's trial version to load. The other one was extremely poorly rated.


author: Mark McDermott
body: I think this is an essential part of getting engagement across the company. We have tons of information in Confluence but people don't use it. I think a desktop app would keep it front of mind and get higher staff engagement. I'm asking the team to look at alternatives like Notion which do have this.

comments: author: Davin Studer
body: I'm curious why a native client would get more people to use the system than a web application. What is it about simply being a native client that would get people to open it vs opening a web browser. You could even create desktop icons that would link directly to Confluence so your users would not have to type in the URL. Or if you use Chrome you could create application icons that will even get rid of the browser chrome so all the users will see is the page in a window. I guess I just don't see that if your users won't open a web browser that they will somehow with a client decide that they will open a dedicated client. I'd be very interested to hear your take on this.


author: Max Sommer
body: I can only give my personal take on this but my main reason would be: Performance. With Confluence especially as with Jira I often experience heavy slow downs to my productiveness. Say I want to create a new Confluence page inside a specific space -- often times it will take me half a minute to get to that functionality. Having a native client usually comes with some caching e.g. of your projects and spaces -- this is not the case with how they built Jira and Confluence for the web. They could, of course, just improve their web experience with heading the direction of Progressive Web Apps and an Offline first experience. Nowadays with modern web technologies that's entirely possible -- but let's be honest, that's not going to happen within the next 3 years probably because these products are so huge.

Therefore having a native Confluence app would (hopefully, if done right) fulfill these requirements and have a positive impact on user experience and improve engagement.

This is by the way the same reason we at my company are actually evaluating whether a switch to Notion for example would be worth it. It's just that 'tiny bit' faster which allows you to get things done quicker.


author: Mark McDermott
body: I agree with what Max has said above. In addition, you increase the likelihood of engagement by removing roadblocks (however small they might seem to be). Would slack be used as much if it was website only? If the intranet is accessible from the dock, you can type your query straight in and find an answer in seconds I think it will go from being something sparingly used to frequently used. Apps that live in the dock are used every day.


author: Mark Rice
body: Two words. Dark. Mode.


author: AndrasS
body: I very much agree with [@Max Sommer](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3933827) on this.

The percieved performance of Confluence / JIRA is REALLY-REALLY bad, it is impossible to work with them fluidly. (Their features are pretty good though)

It takes ages to create a Confluence page or just open it to editing (we use atlassian.net).

Another really bad problem is that the review system is only available in viewing mode and you loose it in editing mode (a bummer, since enterprise usage needs this badly).

Document based editors like Office365, Collabora Online, OnlyOffice Web also load very slowly (about the same as JIRA) but at least reviewing works properly.

Atlassian has recently introduced a new editor for Confluence but developed it into the completely wrong direction.

They should have worked on making Confluence a single-page application (with documents on internal tabs) so that the WYSIWYG editor loads only once and all crucial, often used operations (like starting editing a page) can go below 1 second response time consistently.

I could kill for an enterprise wiki with efficient, fluid editing/reviewing workflow.


author: Kacem Boufelliga
body: I m not sure it s perception at this point it s real and everyone complains about the performance issue ... I agree with the need for a native app but unless the sync and local cache is handled well it will be as bad if not worse because the expectation will be high


author: Jeffrey
body: The web version is very very slow, and it is much nicer to have a native app if it solve the performance issues

And seriously, we are considering to switch to Notion, the performance is much better and they have native app on mac


author: Max Sommer
body: Since Jira Cloud has also come for Mac OS in conjunction with Mac OSs capability to run iPad apps and Confluence Cloud also has an iPad app I would expect it receive a native client soon, too. However I think there is official announcement whatsoever. Would be appreciated if someone from Atlassian could give a comment here :)

comments: author: Dave Deaton
body: Agreed!


author: Evgeny Murashov
body: +1


author: niklas.nikolaidis
body: Try using Flotato or Fluid to quickly build a Mac app from the URL.

comments: author: Max Sommer
body: Keep in mind this is not really a solution as Flotato and Fluid are basically creating a container with a browser view embedded and don't deliver any other user experience than visiting the web application.  
I do see it can help for people who are seeking to get Confluence into their task bar or onto their desktop but the actual quality requirements such as performance don't improve by embedding a browser view into a container.


author: niklas.nikolaidis
body: Completely agree.


author: Ahmed Ibrahim
body: Looking forward for a Confluence app for mac, this would be a big productivity booster.

comments: author: Jason Odra
body: While not the same thing, this is as close as it is going to get for a while I suspect. Google Chrome has a feature that will turn any website into a web app.

All you have to do is this ?

* Open Chrome
* Navigate to the website you want to add as an app
* At the top right, click the three dots (could be the word More for you)
* Click More Tools
* Click Create shortcut
* Enter a name for the shortcut
* Click Create

The advantages of doing this. You can use cmd-tab to easily hop back and fourth between Confluence and your browser. You can also use quick keys to have it open like any other app. So on a Mac you can type cmd-spacebar to pull up spotlight and they type "con" and Confluence will start right up.

This works for now... or the next several years until Atlassian's product folks find value in a true desktop app.