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Enlightenment vs Window Maker: catalog facts
Enlightenment	Window Maker
Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a distinctive, lightweight desktop shell	Best for: Linux users who want a light, classic NeXT-style desktop
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
Window manager, compositor and desktop shell in one Built on the portable EFL libraries All 3 strengths for Enlightenment Window manager, compositor and desktop shell in one Built on the portable EFL libraries Family of companion applications from the same project	Faithful NeXTSTEP look and feel Lightweight, with dockapps for small utilities All 3 strengths for Window Maker Faithful NeXTSTEP look and feel Lightweight, with dockapps for small utilities Readable config files plus a graphical preferences tool
Wayland support is still experimental Official releases are source code only	X11 only, no Wayland support mentioned Latest stable release dates from August 2023
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Enlightenment enlightenment.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Window Maker windowmaker.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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