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i3 vs Forge: catalog facts
i3	Forge
Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace	Best for: GNOME users who want i3 or sway style tiling without switching desktops
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free to use; the source is published on GitHub.
Linux	Linux
Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings	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
Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.	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
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
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 Forge github.com/forge-ext/forge Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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