Compare software

xmonad vs awesome: catalog facts
xmonad	awesome
Best for: Keyboard-focused X11 users who are happy to configure in Haskell	Best for: Build a keyboard-driven X11 desktop with a window manager configured in Lua
Free Free and open source, supported by donations.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux	Linux
Automatic tiling layouts Configuration is a full Haskell program All 3 strengths for xmonad Automatic tiling layouts Configuration is a full Haskell program Large set of extensions in xmonad-contrib	Supports tiling and floating layouts Exposes programmable widgets and window rules
Configuring it requires some Haskell X11 only, no Wayland support	Extensive customization requires editing Lua configuration.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0
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 xmonad xmonad.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for awesome awesomewm.org github.com/awesomeWM/awesome Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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