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jgmenu vs Whisker Menu: catalog facts
jgmenu	Whisker Menu
Best for: Openbox, i3 and other window manager users who want a traditional application menu	Best for: Xfce desktop users who want a searchable start menu
Free Free to use.	Free Free and distributed as an Xfce panel plugin.
Linux	Linux
Works with many window managers rather than one desktop Customizable look and menu content All 3 strengths for jgmenu Works with many window managers rather than one desktop Customizable look and menu content Lightweight enough for minimal setups	Search starts as soon as the menu opens and also matches descriptions Favorites, recently used and category browsing in one menu All 3 strengths for Whisker Menu Search starts as soon as the menu opens and also matches descriptions Favorites, recently used and category browsing in one menu Drag and drop to reorder favorites
X11 only, not built for Wayland sessions Configuration is manual rather than through a full settings app	Only works as a plugin for the Xfce panel
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not 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 jgmenu github.com/johanmalm/jgmenu Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Whisker Menu docs.xfce.org/panel-plugins/xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin/start Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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