Compare software

i3 vs xmonad: catalog facts
i3	xmonad
Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace	Best for: Keyboard-focused X11 users who are happy to configure in Haskell
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source, supported by donations.
Linux	Linux
Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings	Automatic tiling layouts Configuration is a full Haskell program All 3 strengths for xmonad Automatic tiling layouts Configuration is a full Haskell program Large set of extensions in xmonad-contrib
Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.	Configuring it requires some Haskell X11 only, no Wayland support
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 xmonad xmonad.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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