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i3 vs herbstluftwm: catalog facts
i3	herbstluftwm
Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace	Best for: X11 users who want scriptable, manually controlled tiling
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings	Settings change live without restarting Tiling and floating layers on every tag All 3 strengths for herbstluftwm Settings change live without restarting Tiling and floating layers on every tag Virtual monitors for splitting large screens
Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.	X11 only Manual tiling means arranging frames yourself
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 herbstluftwm herbstluftwm.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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