Compare software

cwm vs dwm: catalog facts
cwm	dwm
Best for: A minimal keyboard-driven X11 window manager on Linux	Best for: Use a small dynamic window manager for X11 with tiling and floating layouts
Free Free to download and use from its public GitHub repository.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Small and simple, with a single text configuration file Keyboard-driven window handling All 4 strengths for cwm Small and simple, with a single text configuration file Keyboard-driven window handling Tracks upstream OpenBSD cwm development Signed releases	Keeps the core implementation compact Supports keyboard-driven window arrangement
X11 only, no Wayland support Minimal by design, with no panels or desktop extras	Many customizations require editing and recompiling the source.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for cwm github.com/leahneukirchen/cwm Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for dwm dwm.suckless.org Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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