Compare software

i3 vs awesome: catalog facts
i3	awesome
Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace	Best for: Build a keyboard-driven X11 desktop with a window manager configured in Lua
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings	Supports tiling and floating layouts Exposes programmable widgets and window rules
Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.	Extensive customization requires editing Lua configuration.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: GPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for i3 i3wm.org github.com/i3/i3 Catalog checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for awesome awesomewm.org github.com/awesomeWM/awesome Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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