Compare software

Sway vs Wayfire: catalog facts
Sway	Wayfire

Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland	Best for: Linux users who want a customisable Wayland compositor with effects
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free, with source code on GitHub.
Linux	Linux
Supports much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts	Plugin-based design for window management and effects Improved fractional scaling in the 0.11 release Lightweight compositor with desktop effects
Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.	Linux and Wayland only Releases can be far apart Needs configuration to build a full desktop
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 Wayfire wayfire.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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