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Xfwm4 vs FVWM3: catalog facts
Xfwm4	FVWM3
Best for: Xfce users and anyone wanting a simple, low-overhead stacking window manager on Linux	Best for: X11 users who want a lightweight window manager they can shape completely
Free Free and open source as part of the Xfce desktop.	Free Free, with source code published on GitHub.
Linux	Linux
Light on resources Built-in compositor that can be tuned or turned off All 4 strengths for Xfwm4 Light on resources Built-in compositor that can be tuned or turned off Supports freedesktop, GNOME and KDE window manager standards Large choice of installable themes	Extremely configurable behaviour and appearance Multi-monitor support through RandR All 4 strengths for FVWM3 Extremely configurable behaviour and appearance Multi-monitor support through RandR Lightweight, with a long history and active development Includes a default configuration to start from
Designed for X11 sessions No tiling layouts beyond basic edge snapping	X11 only, no Wayland support Configuration has a steep learning curve
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Xfwm4 docs.xfce.org/xfce/xfwm4/start Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for FVWM3 github.com/fvwmorg/fvwm3 Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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