Compare software

COSMIC vs Pop Shell: catalog facts
COSMIC	Pop Shell
Best for: Use System76's desktop environment with configurable workspaces and window tiling	Best for: GNOME users who want keyboard-driven auto-tiling without leaving GNOME
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free to use; the source is published on GitHub by System76.
Linux	Linux
Combines desktop panels with workspace controls Supports tiling and floating workflows	Automatic tiling inside a regular GNOME session Keyboard-driven window navigation All 3 strengths for Pop Shell Automatic tiling inside a regular GNOME session Keyboard-driven window navigation Backed by System76 and shipped with Pop!_OS
Requires a distribution and graphics stack that support the current COSMIC release.	Works only with GNOME Shell Development follows the GNOME version used by Pop!_OS
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for COSMIC github.com/pop-os/cosmic-epoch Catalog checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Pop Shell github.com/pop-os/shell Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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