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FVWM3 vs cwm: catalog facts
FVWM3	cwm
Best for: X11 users who want a lightweight window manager they can shape completely	Best for: A minimal keyboard-driven X11 window manager on Linux
Free Free, with source code published on GitHub.	Free Free to download and use from its public GitHub repository.
Linux	Linux
Extremely configurable behaviour and appearance Multi-monitor support through RandR All 4 strengths for FVWM3 Extremely configurable behaviour and appearance Multi-monitor support through RandR Lightweight, with a long history and active development Includes a default configuration to start from	Small and simple, with a single text configuration file Keyboard-driven window handling All 4 strengths for cwm Small and simple, with a single text configuration file Keyboard-driven window handling Tracks upstream OpenBSD cwm development Signed releases
X11 only, no Wayland support Configuration has a steep learning curve	X11 only, no Wayland support Minimal by design, with no panels or desktop extras
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 FVWM3 github.com/fvwmorg/fvwm3 Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for cwm github.com/leahneukirchen/cwm Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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