Compare software

spectrwm vs Sway: catalog facts
spectrwm	Sway
Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a minimal tiling window manager	Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
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	Supports much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts
X11 only, no Wayland support Keyboard-centric workflow has a learning curve	Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: ISC	License: MIT
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
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 Sway swaywm.org github.com/swaywm/sway Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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