Comparison of X window managers explained

This article compares variety of different X window managers. For an introduction to the topic, see X Window System.

General information

NameTypeLanguageInitial releaseLatest releaseLicenseMemory (MB)[1]
Version Date
9wmStackingC1994MIT0.4
aewmStackingCMIT
awesomeDynamicC, Lua2007-09-18GPL-2.0-or-later9
BerryStackingC2018-08-242019-09-21MIT
BlackboxStackingC++MIT3
bspwmTilingC2013-04-23BSD-2-clause[2]
CompizCompositingC (OpenGL)2006MIT
CTWMStackingC19924.1.02023-03-26MIT
cwmStackingC2004-07-10ISC8
dkwmDynamicC2019-12-011.9-12023-06-18MIT/X
dwmDynamicC2006-07-14MIT1
EnlightenmentCompositingC1997BSD-2-clause
evilwmStackingC2000aewm/9wm[3]
EXWM-->TilingEmacs LispGPL-3.0-or-later
FluxboxStackingC++2001-09-12MIT16
FLWMStackingC++ (FLTK)1998GPL-2.0-or-later
FVWMDynamicC1993-06-01GPL4
herbstluftwmDynamicC++2011-10-02BSD-2-clause
i3DynamicC2009-03-15BSD-3-clause3
IceWMStackingC++1997LGPL-2.0-only4.5
IonTilingC, Lua2000LGPL-2.1-only
JWMStackingC2003MIT3
KWin (KDE)CompositingC++ (Qt)GPL41
LeftWMTilingRust20190.5.12023-11-16MIT
MatchboxStackingC2007-04-13GPL-2.0-or-later
Metacity (GNOME 2)CompositingC, C++ (GTK+)2002-10GPL-2.0-or-later
Mutter (GNOME 3+/MeeGo)CompositingC (Clutter)2011-04GPL-2.0-or-later18.6
MoodyTilingC2024-07-21GPL-2.0-or-later
Motif Window Manager (mwm)StackingC1989LGPL-2.1-or-later
OpenboxStackingC2002-09-18GPL-2.0-or-later7
PekWMStackingC++GPL-2.0-or-later5.3
PlayWMStackingCGPL
QtileDynamicPython2008-08-31MIT2
RagnarTilingC2023-05-151.3.02023-06-12GPL
RatpoisonTilingC2000-12-04GPL-2.0-or-later1
SawfishStackingLisp, C2000-01-01GPL-2.0-or-later3.1
SithWMStackingCGPL
spectrwmDynamicCISC
steamcompmgrCompositingC[4] 2013BSD-2-clause[5]
StumpWMTilingCommon LispGPL-2.0-or-later
twmStackingC1987MIT-open-group
MIT-CMU
XFree86-1.0
1.2
Ultrix Window Manager (uwm)StackingC1985Similar to BSD licenses
Window MakerStackingC1997GPL-2.0-or-later7
WingoDynamicGoWTFPL
WMFSTilingCBSD-3-clause
wmiiDynamicC2005-06-01MIT
Xfwm (Xfce)CompositingC, C++ (GTK+)1996GPL, LGPL70
xmonadDynamicHaskell2007-03-06BSD-3-clause2
wormDynamicNim2021-12-120.322023-2-3MIT
NameTypeLanguageInitial releaseLatest releaseLicenseMemory (MB)
Version Date

Features

NameConfigurable titlebar buttonsGraphical configurationHotkeysICCCM/EWMH compliantPanel for window switchingTabbed windowsThemeable
9wm
aewm
awesome
Berry
Blackbox
bspwm
Compiz
CTWM
cwmno titlebar buttons
dkwm
dwmno titlebar buttons
Enlightenment
evilwmno titlebar buttons[6]
EXWM
Fluxbox[7]
FLWM
FVWM[8] [9] [10]
herbstluftwmno titlebar buttons
i3no titlebar buttons
IceWM
Ionno titlebar buttons
JWM
KWin (KDE)
LeftWM
Matchbox
Metacity (GNOME)
Mutter (GNOME/MeeGo)
Moody
Motif Window Manager (mwm)
Openbox
PekWM
PlayWM
Qtile
Ragnar
Ratpoison
Sawfishprimitive
SithWMno titlebar buttons
spectrwmno titlebar buttons
steamcompmgr
StumpWM
twm
uwm
Window Maker
Wingo
WMFS
wmii
Xfwm (Xfce)
xmonad
worm
NameConfigurable titlebar buttonsGraphical configurationHotkeysICCCM/EWMH compliantPanel for window switchingTabbed windowsThemeable

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: A Memory Comparison of Light Linux Desktops . 2013-03-17 . l3net - a layer 3 networking blog . 2017-12-28 . en-US.
  2. Web site: bspwm License . . 2 November 2021 .
  3. Web site: evilwm.txt.
  4. Web site: steamos-compositor debian source package. /steamos-compositor-1.35/src/steamcompmgr.c.
  5. Web site: steamos-compositor amd64 debian package. /usr/share/doc/steamos-compositor/copyright . License: BSD-2-clause.
  6. Web site: evilwm - standards support . evilwm releases following and including version 1.1.0 follow the EWMH standard. . 2009-10-26 . 2020-10-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201027065835/http://www.6809.org.uk/evilwm/standards.shtml . dead .
  7. Web site: Tables. 2011-05-07. 2009-08-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20090819040039/http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/docs/ewmh-support.html. dead.
  8. http://www.fvwm.org/documentation/manpages/unstable/FvwmTabs.php FvwmTabs
  9. http://fvwm-themes.sourceforge.net/ Fvwm Themes
  10. FVWM-Crystal