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IceWM vs Window Maker: catalog facts
IceWM	Window Maker
Best for: Older or low-powered machines that need a simple desktop with a taskbar	Best for: Linux users who want a light, classic NeXT-style desktop
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
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	Faithful NeXTSTEP look and feel Lightweight, with dockapps for small utilities All 3 strengths for Window Maker Faithful NeXTSTEP look and feel Lightweight, with dockapps for small utilities Readable config files plus a graphical preferences tool
X11 only Dated look without a theme	X11 only, no Wayland support mentioned Latest stable release dates from August 2023
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 Window Maker windowmaker.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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