PaperWM
A GNOME Shell extension that tiles windows side by side on a horizontally scrolling strip.
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About PaperWM
PaperWM changes how GNOME Shell arranges windows. New windows open in a row next to one another on a strip that scrolls left and right, not in overlapping stacks. You move along the strip with the keyboard, so each window can keep a usable width without squeezing the others.
The extension has a settings interface for keybindings and per-application window properties. It suits keyboard-oriented GNOME users who want tiling without leaving the GNOME desktop for a separate window manager.
Strengths
- Scrollable tiling keeps windows at useful widths
- Runs inside GNOME Shell, no separate window manager needed
- Settings pane for keybindings and per-app window rules
Limitations
- GNOME Shell only
- Scrolling layout takes time to get used to
- Extensions can break with new GNOME Shell releases
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source.
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Developer
- The PaperWM contributors
- Platforms
- Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- GNOME users who want keyboard-driven scrollable tiling
- Categories
- Window tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to PaperWM
Compare allSoftware that can replace PaperWM for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
niri
A scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor that places windows in columns on an endless horizontal strip.
niri offers the same scrollable column tiling as a standalone Wayland compositor, so you leave GNOME and add your own panels and launchers.
Pop Shell
A keyboard-driven GNOME Shell extension from System76 that adds automatic tiling window management.
Pop Shell stays inside GNOME but uses automatic tiling instead of a scrolling strip, and its development follows the GNOME version used by Pop!_OS.
Forge
A GNOME Shell extension that adds i3 and sway style tiling window management to the desktop.
Forge keeps you in GNOME with i3 and sway style tiling instead of scrolling columns, though the project is currently looking for a new maintainer.
Tiling Shell
A GNOME Shell extension that adds FancyZones-style tiling layouts and Windows 11 style snap assistance.
Tiling Shell is a GNOME extension using FancyZones-style custom layouts and a Windows 11 style snap assistant instead of a horizontally scrolling strip.
PaperWM as an alternative
Listings that name PaperWM as an alternative.
Tiling Assistant
A GNOME Shell extension that adds Windows-style snap assist and expands GNOME's tiling layouts.
PaperWM replaces snapping with scrollable tiling on a horizontal strip inside GNOME Shell, with a settings pane for keybindings and per-app rules, under GPL-3.0.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
GNOME
Use a Linux desktop organized around an activities overview and workspaces.
Dash to Dock
Keep GNOME's application dash visible as a configurable dock.
Dash to Panel
Combine GNOME application shortcuts and the system tray in one panel.
COSMIC
Use System76's desktop environment with configurable workspaces and window tiling.
