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IceWM vs MATE: catalog facts
IceWM	MATE
Best for: Older or low-powered machines that need a simple desktop with a taskbar	Best for: Linux users who prefer a classic GNOME 2 style desktop
Free Free and open source.	Free Free to use; the project accepts donations.
Linux	Linux
Low resource use Built-in taskbar, tray and menu All 4 strengths for IceWM Low resource use Built-in taskbar, tray and menu Large collection of themes Fully usable from the keyboard	Traditional desktop layout carried over from GNOME 2 Packaged in the official repositories of many distributions All 3 strengths for MATE Traditional desktop layout carried over from GNOME 2 Packaged in the official repositories of many distributions Interface translated into many languages
X11 only Dated look without a theme	Full releases arrive every few years Linux and Unix-like systems only
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for IceWM ice-wm.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for MATE mate-desktop.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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