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spectrwm vs cwm: catalog facts
spectrwm	cwm
Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a minimal tiling window manager	Best for: A minimal keyboard-driven X11 window manager on Linux
Free Free and open source.	Free Free to download and use from its public GitHub repository.
Linux	Linux
Small and lightweight with few dependencies Single plain-text configuration file All 3 strengths for spectrwm Small and lightweight with few dependencies Single plain-text configuration file Runs on Linux and the BSDs	Small and simple, with a single text configuration file Keyboard-driven window handling All 4 strengths for cwm Small and simple, with a single text configuration file Keyboard-driven window handling Tracks upstream OpenBSD cwm development Signed releases
X11 only, no Wayland support Keyboard-centric workflow has a learning curve	X11 only, no Wayland support Minimal by design, with no panels or desktop extras
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: ISC	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for spectrwm github.com/conformal/spectrwm Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for cwm github.com/leahneukirchen/cwm Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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