Compare software

bemenu vs wmenu: catalog facts
bemenu	wmenu
Best for: Tiling window manager users who want a dmenu-style menu that also works on Wayland	Best for: Wayland users who want a dmenu-style menu for scripts and keybindings
Free Free and open source.	Free Free; source code is published on Codeberg.
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	Familiar dmenu behavior on Wayland Small C program with few moving parts All 4 strengths for wmenu Familiar dmenu behavior on Wayland Small C program with few moving parts Password mode for masked input Scriptable through standard input and output
Minimal interface with no icons or previews Configured through command-line options rather than a settings window	Wayland only No built-in app discovery; needs a script or wrapper to launch apps All 3 limitations for wmenu Wayland only No built-in app discovery; needs a script or wrapper to launch apps Built from source with Meson unless packaged by your distribution
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 wmenu codeberg.org/adnano/wmenu Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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