WorkKit BuddyWorkKit Buddy › Shimeji alternative
Comparison
Looking for a Shimeji alternative?
Shimeji made desktop mascots famous, and its community characters are wonderful. WorkKit Buddy is a different kind of desktop pet: a native app for Mac, Windows and Linux that dances to your music and brings you your reminders in person.
Version 1.5 · free · no account · macOS 14+, Windows 10 and 11, Linux
Side by side
| WorkKit Buddy | Shimeji-ee | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Systems | macOS 14+, Windows 10 and 11, Linux, all from one maker | Windows; Mac and Linux through community forks |
| Needs Java | No, it's a native app | Yes |
| Characters | 23 built in, or drag in any picture | A huge community library of mascots |
| Dances to your music | Yes, with real beat detection | No |
| Brings you reminders and meeting alerts | Yes, as cards with Open, Snooze and Dismiss | No |
| Shows what Claude Code or Codex is doing | Yes | No |
| Climbs and throws windows, multiplies | No, it stays where you put it | Yes, that's the fun |
| Source code | Closed | Open source |
Shimeji details are from the Shimeji-ee project and its forks as of November 2026; forks differ, so check the one you use.
Choose Shimeji if…
- you want a particular community character, of which there are thousands;
- you love the chaos: mascots climbing windows, multiplying and falling off the screen;
- you want open source you can change.
Choose WorkKit Buddy if…
- you're on a Mac or Linux and want a pet that's built for it, with no Java to install;
- you want it to dance to your music;
- you'd like a companion that's useful too: reminders, meeting alerts, a focus timer, stretch breaks, and reactions to Claude Code;
- you'd rather it stayed calm and out of the way. Drag it anywhere and it stays put. Ghost mode lets clicks pass through it.
You can even keep the spirit of your favourite mascot: drag any picture onto the buddy and it becomes your character, with the background removed for you.
Questions
Can I use my Shimeji characters?
There's no Shimeji importer. You can drag any single picture onto the buddy, and it becomes your character with the same animations as the built-in ones.
Is WorkKit Buddy really free?
Yes. There's no account, no ads and no trial.
Does it work on a Mac with Apple silicon?
Yes. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 14 or newer.
Get your buddy
Free for Mac, Windows and Linux. No account, no ads, and your data stays on your computer.
Download WorkKit Buddy 1.5