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bemenu vs sway-launcher-desktop: catalog facts
bemenu	sway-launcher-desktop
Best for: Tiling window manager users who want a dmenu-style menu that also works on Wayland	Best for: Sway and other tiling window manager users who want a light launcher
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
Linux, Command line	Linux, Command line
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	Supports .desktop files and their actions Only needs bash, gawk and fzf All 3 strengths for sway-launcher-desktop Supports .desktop files and their actions Only needs bash, gawk and fzf Works with almost any window manager
Minimal interface with no icons or previews Configured through command-line options rather than a settings window	Runs inside a terminal, so it needs a terminal window set up to show it Linux-focused, with no graphical interface of its own
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	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 sway-launcher-desktop github.com/Biont/sway-launcher-desktop Catalog checked October 1, 2026

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