Compare software

Wayfire vs Sway: catalog facts
Wayfire	Sway
Best for: Linux users who want a customisable Wayland compositor with effects	Best for: Use an i3-style tiling workflow on Wayland
Free Free, with source code on GitHub.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Plugin-based design for window management and effects Improved fractional scaling in the 0.11 release All 3 strengths for Wayfire Plugin-based design for window management and effects Improved fractional scaling in the 0.11 release Lightweight compositor with desktop effects	Supports much of the i3 configuration format Arranges windows with keyboard-driven layouts
Linux and Wayland only Releases can be far apart All 3 limitations for Wayfire Linux and Wayland only Releases can be far apart Needs configuration to build a full desktop	Some X11 applications and workflows need compatibility layers or alternatives.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	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 Wayfire wayfire.org 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.