Comparison of X Window Managers

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

Name Language License Type Configurable titlebar buttons Graphical configuration Hotkeys ICCCM/EWMH compliant Panel for window switching Tabbed windows Themeable
9wm C MIT Stacking No No No Yes No No
aewm C MIT Stacking No No No Yes Yes No No
awesome C, Lua GPL Dynamic Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Blackbox C++ MIT Stacking No third-party with bbkeys through 0.65 / from 0.70 Yes No Yes
Compiz C++ (OpenGL) MIT Compositing Yes Yes Yes Yes third-party Yes Yes
cwm C ISC Stacking Yes No Yes No Yes Yes
dwm C MIT Tiling and stacking no titlebar buttons No Yes Yes No Yes
Enlightenment C BSD Stacking Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
evilwm C Artistic Stacking no titlebar buttons No No ?/Somewhat from 1.1.0 No No Yes
Fluxbox C++ MIT Stacking Yes third-party Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
FLWM C (FLTK) GPL stacking No Yes There is a window list menu No No
FVWM C GPL Dynamic Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes third-party
i3 C BSD Dynamic no titlebar buttons No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
IceWM C++ GPL, LGPL Stacking Yes third-party Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ion C, Lua LGPL with naming restrictions on modified versions Tiling and stacking no titlebar buttons No Yes No Yes Yes
JWM C GPL Stacking Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes
KWin (KDE) C++ (Qt) GPL Compositing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Matchbox C GPL Stacking EWMH compliance No No Yes
Metacity (GNOME) C, C++ (GTK+) GPL Compositing or Stacking Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Mutter (GNOME/MeeGo) C (Clutter) GPL Compositing Yes Yes Yes Yes Gnome Shell No Yes
mwm (Motif Window Manager) C The Open Group Public License Stacking No No Yes can change colours
Openbox C GPL Stacking Yes third-party Yes Yes third-party No Yes
PekWM C++ GPL Stacking Yes No Yes Partial No Yes Yes
PlayWM C GPL Stacking Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Sawfish Lisp, C GPL Stacking Yes Yes Yes Partial Yes primitive Yes
sithWM C GPL Stacking no titlebar buttons No Yes No No Yes
spectrwm C BSD Tiling and stacking no titlebar buttons No Yes Yes No No solid colors
twm C MIT License re-parenting Yes No Yes Yes No solid colors
WMFS C BSD Tiling Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Wingo Go WTFPL Dynamic Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
wmii C MIT Dynamic Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Xfwm (Xfce) C, C++ (GTK+) GPL, LGPL Compositing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
xmonad Haskell BSD Dynamic Yes No Yes Yes / ? third-party Yes Yes
Name Language License Type Configurable titlebar buttons Graphical configuration Hotkeys ICCCM/EWMH compliant Panel for window switching Tabbed windows Themeable

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