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Jay vs niri: catalog facts
Jay	niri
	Screenshots
Best for: Linux users who want an i3-style tiling compositor on Wayland	Best for: Linux users who want keyboard-driven tiling without windows being squeezed
Free Free to build and use from its public repository.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
i3-like tiling on Wayland Vulkan rendering Configurable through TOML or Rust Active development with regular commits	Opening windows does not resize existing ones IPC interface for scripting and status bars Active development with a large user base
Linux only Smaller user base than Sway or Hyprland	Wayland only, no X11 session Needs separate panels, launchers and other desktop pieces Scrolling layout takes some getting used to
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 Jay github.com/mahkoh/jay Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for niri github.com/niri-wm/niri Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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

Screenshots