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bemenu vs dmenu: catalog facts
bemenu	dmenu
Best for: Tiling window manager users who want a dmenu-style menu that also works on Wayland	Best for: Minimal X setups and tiling window manager users who script their own menus
Free Free and open source.	Free Free to download from suckless.org.
Linux, Command line	Linux
Works on Wayland, X11 and in a terminal via curses Drop-in style replacement for dmenu in scripts All 4 strengths for bemenu Works on Wayland, X11 and in a terminal via curses Drop-in style replacement for dmenu in scripts Signed releases Usable as a library in other programs	Very small and fast Scriptable for any list-selection task All 3 strengths for dmenu Very small and fast Scriptable for any list-selection task Pairs naturally with dwm and other tiling window managers
Minimal interface with no icons or previews Configured through command-line options rather than a settings window	X only, no native Wayland support Customizing it means editing source and recompiling
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Not open source
License: GPL-3.0 (client), LGPL-3.0 (library)	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for bemenu github.com/Cloudef/bemenu Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for dmenu tools.suckless.org/dmenu Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.