Compare software

Emote vs Smile: catalog facts
Emote	Smile
Best for: Linux users who want a system-wide emoji picker	Best for: Linux users who type emoji often and want a dedicated picker
Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0 or later.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence.
Linux	Linux
Quick popup for searching and inserting emoji Native GTK4 and libadwaita interface All 3 strengths for Emote Quick popup for searching and inserting emoji Native GTK4 and libadwaita interface Available on Flathub and Snap	Installs on most distributions through Flathub Open source with a dedicated documentation site All 3 strengths for Smile Installs on most distributions through Flathub Open source with a dedicated documentation site Focused on one task
Linux only Version 5.0 is still in testing	Linux only The homepage gives little detail about features
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later	License: GPL-3.0-or-later
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 Emote github.com/tom-james-watson/Emote Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Smile smile.mijorus.it Catalog checked October 1, 2026

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