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dwm vs spectrwm: catalog facts
dwm	spectrwm
Best for: Use a small dynamic window manager for X11 with tiling and floating layouts	Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a minimal tiling window manager
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
Keeps the core implementation compact Supports keyboard-driven window arrangement	Small and lightweight with few dependencies Single plain-text configuration file All 3 strengths for spectrwm Small and lightweight with few dependencies Single plain-text configuration file Runs on Linux and the BSDs
Many customizations require editing and recompiling the source.	X11 only, no Wayland support Keyboard-centric workflow has a learning curve
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: ISC
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 dwm dwm.suckless.org Catalog checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for spectrwm github.com/conformal/spectrwm Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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