Compare software

dwl vs Sway: catalog facts
dwl	Sway
Best for: dwm users moving to Wayland who want a minimal tiling compositor	Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
dwm-style dynamic tiling on Wayland Small C codebase built on wlroots All 4 strengths for dwl dwm-style dynamic tiling on Wayland Small C codebase built on wlroots Community patch collection for extra features Actively maintained	Supports much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts
Customisation usually means editing source and recompiling Minimal by design, so bars and extras come from other tools	Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
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 dwl codeberg.org/dwl/dwl Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Sway swaywm.org github.com/swaywm/sway Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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