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bemenu vs rofi: catalog facts
bemenu	rofi
Best for: Tiling window manager users who want a dmenu-style menu that also works on Wayland	Best for: Tiling window manager users who need a fast keyboard launcher and menu
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
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	Launcher, window switcher and dmenu replacement in one tool Scriptable menu for your own shell scripts All 3 strengths for rofi Launcher, window switcher and dmenu replacement in one tool Scriptable menu for your own shell scripts Theming support and text-file configuration
Minimal interface with no icons or previews Configured through command-line options rather than a settings window	Configuration and theming take some effort Linux and Unix-like desktops only
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0 (client), LGPL-3.0 (library)	License: MIT
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 rofi github.com/davatorium/rofi Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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