Compare software

Sway vs Jay: catalog facts
Sway	Jay
Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland	Best for: Linux users who want an i3-style tiling compositor on Wayland
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free to build and use from its public repository.
Linux	Linux
Supports much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts	i3-like tiling on Wayland Vulkan rendering All 4 strengths for Jay i3-like tiling on Wayland Vulkan rendering Configurable through TOML or Rust Active development with regular commits
Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.	Linux only Smaller user base than Sway or Hyprland
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
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 Jay github.com/mahkoh/jay Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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