Compare software

Sway vs i3: catalog facts
Sway	i3
Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland	Best for: Arrange X11 windows in a keyboard-controlled tiling workspace
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
Supports much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts	Uses a tree-based window layout Supports workspaces and configurable key bindings
Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.	Runs on X11 rather than Wayland.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: BSD-3-Clause
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 Sources for Sway swaywm.org github.com/swaywm/sway Catalog checked September 22, 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.