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spectrwm vs herbstluftwm: catalog facts
spectrwm	herbstluftwm
Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a minimal tiling window manager	Best for: X11 users who want scriptable, manually controlled tiling
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
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	Settings change live without restarting Tiling and floating layers on every tag All 3 strengths for herbstluftwm Settings change live without restarting Tiling and floating layers on every tag Virtual monitors for splitting large screens
X11 only, no Wayland support Keyboard-centric workflow has a learning curve	X11 only Manual tiling means arranging frames yourself
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 herbstluftwm herbstluftwm.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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