i3

Spec sheet

Product

i3 is a tiling window manager written from scratch.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Intended users

The project primarily targets advanced users and developers.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Integrations

The documentation describes i3bar, i3status, and external workspace bar programs such as dzen2.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

License

The project describes its software as free and open source under the BSD license.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Founded

2009Read 23 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Configuration

Users can customize key bindings, application startup, workspace assignments, and colors through a configuration file.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Current release

The downloads page lists version 4.25.1 as the current stable release, dated 2026-02-06.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Documentation and help

The user guide directs users to GitHub Discussions, IRC, or the mailing list for questions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Installation

The project recommends using packages provided by the user's distribution and also provides Debian and Ubuntu repositories.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

IPC

i3 provides an inter-process communication interface that accepts commands and supports event subscriptions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Multi-monitor

The project goals include multi-monitor support, including attaching or detaching monitors during operation and rotated monitors.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Notable limit

The project describes i3 as an X11 window manager and lists GNU/Linux and BSD as its target operating systems.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Release security

The downloads page says releases are cryptographically signed and asks users to verify them before use.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Window layouts

i3 arranges windows in a tree and supports split, stacking, and tabbed layouts.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Workspaces

Users can group windows into workspaces and associate workspaces with multiple screens.Read 30 Sep 2026 · i3wm.org

Plans and prices

Every i3 plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Window Management Software#24 of 657.8