Compare software

i3 vs Sway: catalog facts
i3	Sway
Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace	Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland
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 much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts
Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.	Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: MIT
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 Sway swaywm.org github.com/swaywm/sway Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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