Compare software

StumpWM vs i3: catalog facts
StumpWM	i3
Best for: Lisp users who want a tiling window manager they can reprogram while it runs	Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Can be reconfigured live from Common Lisp Fully keyboard-driven tiling All 4 strengths for StumpWM Can be reconfigured live from Common Lisp Fully keyboard-driven tiling Module collection in stumpwm-contrib Versioned manuals in several formats	Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings
X11 only, no Wayland support Customisation requires learning Common Lisp All 3 limitations for StumpWM X11 only, no Wayland support Customisation requires learning Common Lisp Minimal look with no built-in decorations	Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: BSD-3-Clause
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 StumpWM stumpwm.github.io Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for i3 i3wm.org github.com/i3/i3 Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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