Compare software

Forge vs i3: catalog facts
Forge	i3
Best for: GNOME users who want i3 or sway style tiling without switching desktops	Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace
Free Free to use; the source is published on GitHub.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
i3 and sway style tiling inside a regular GNOME session Keeps the GNOME desktop instead of replacing it All 3 strengths for Forge i3 and sway style tiling inside a regular GNOME session Keeps the GNOME desktop instead of replacing it Source code published on GitHub	Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings
Project is looking for a new maintainer Works only with GNOME Shell All 3 limitations for Forge Project is looking for a new maintainer Works only with GNOME Shell Extension compatibility can lag behind new GNOME releases	Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: BSD-3-Clause
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 Forge github.com/forge-ext/forge Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for i3 i3wm.org github.com/i3/i3 Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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