Looking for a Desktop Goose alternative?
Desktop Goose sets one deliberately annoying goose loose on your screen, stealing your cursor and dragging memes about. It is a brilliant joke. If you want the opposite, a desktop friend that keeps you company without touching your work, PebbletsIO is a good alternative.
Every companion is a hand-crafted 3D character that quietly wanders your desktop, reacts to what you're doing, and dances when you play music. No pranks, no cursor-stealing, no chaos.
Mac & Windows · free to download · buy pets once, keep forever
Desktop Goose vs PebbletsIO
| Desktop Goose | PebbletsIO | |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe | Chaotic prank, on purpose | Calm company, on purpose |
| Gets in your way | Yes, that's the whole point | No, never grabs your cursor |
| Characters | One goose | 20+ hand-crafted pets, incl. a K-pop idol line |
| Art style | 2D cartoon | Hand-crafted 3D characters |
| Platforms | Windows and Mac | Native Mac and Windows |
| Price | Pay what you want | Free app, pets bought once and kept forever |
| Behaviour | Honks, grabs, drags notes | Wander, react, rest, dance to music |
To be fair to Desktop Goose: if you want to prank yourself or a friend and have a genuine laugh, Desktop Goose is perfect and nothing else is quite like it. PebbletsIO is for the days you want a calm companion that stays out of your way.
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Common questions
What is a desktop pet?
A desktop pet is a small animated character that lives on your computer screen, on top of your normal work. It wanders around, reacts to what you are doing, and keeps you quiet company. PebbletsIO makes hand-crafted 3D desktop pets for Mac and Windows.
Is PebbletsIO free?
The app is free to download and comes with a free pet, Waddle the duck. The other companions are one-time purchases of a few dollars each. There is no subscription and no in-app currency.
Does it work on Mac and Windows?
Yes. PebbletsIO runs on macOS and Windows. On Mac it needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. On Windows it needs Windows 10 (21H2) or Windows 11, 64-bit, with a DirectX 12 GPU.
Do I own my pets forever?
Yes. Every pet is a one-time purchase that stays yours for good. Buy it once and keep it forever, with no renewals and no subscription.
Will a desktop pet slow down my computer?
No. The pets are built to sit quietly in the background and use very little power. They idle gently, slow down when they are off screen, and never get in the way of your work.
More on the full FAQ.