Compare software

JWM vs IceWM: catalog facts
JWM	IceWM
Best for: Lightweight desktops on older or low-powered Linux machines	Best for: Older or low-powered machines that need a simple desktop with a taskbar
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
Very small footprint, needing only Xlib Runs well on old hardware and the Raspberry Pi All 4 strengths for JWM Very small footprint, needing only Xlib Runs well on old hardware and the Raspberry Pi Optional multi-monitor, SVG and antialiased font support Available as a package in many distributions	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
X11 only, no Wayland support Stacking only, with no tiling layouts All 3 limitations for JWM X11 only, no Wayland support Stacking only, with no tiling layouts Plain appearance compared with full desktop environments	X11 only Dated look without a theme
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for JWM joewing.net/projects/jwm Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for IceWM ice-wm.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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