Xfwm4 vs JWM: catalog facts
Xfwm4 | JWM |
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Best for: Xfce users and anyone wanting a simple, low-overhead stacking window manager on Linux |
Best for: Lightweight desktops on older or low-powered Linux machines |
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Free Free and open source as part of the Xfce desktop. |
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence. |
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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
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- Very small footprint, needing only Xlib
- Runs well on old hardware and the Raspberry Pi
All 4 strengths for JWM- Very small footprint, needing only Xlib
- Runs well on old hardware and the Raspberry Pi
- Optional multi-monitor, SVG and antialiased font support
- Available as a package in many distributions
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- Designed for X11 sessions
- No tiling layouts beyond basic edge snapping
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- X11 only, no Wayland support
- Stacking only, with no tiling layouts
All 3 limitations for JWM- X11 only, no Wayland support
- Stacking only, with no tiling layouts
- Plain appearance compared with full desktop environments
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Downloadable app |
Downloadable app |
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Open source |
Open source |
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License: GPL-2.0 |
License: MIT |
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No account needed |
No account needed |
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Offline features available |
Offline features available |
Sources for Xfwm4Catalog checked October 1, 2026 |
Sources for JWMCatalog checked September 24, 2026 |
“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.
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