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Polybar vs Waybar: catalog facts
Polybar	Waybar
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Displays workspace and system information Supports modules and custom scripts	Provides workspace and system-status modules Supports custom styling and scripts
Requires configuration and an appropriate window-manager setup.	Targets supported Wayland compositors rather than X11 desktops.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.