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SPECIFICTION
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Papyrus

github.com

Free plan Linux
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Spec score 7.3 #24 of 34 in Desktop Wallpaper Software

Spec sheet

Purpose
Papyrus is a free, open-source animated wallpaper manager for Wayland desktops, built primarily for COSMIC.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Privacy
The project states that Papyrus has no accounts, telemetry, or cloud service and stores its configuration in a local JSON file.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
License
Papyrus is distributed under the GPL-3.0 license.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Installation
Supported installation options include a universal installer, a Debian package, and an AUR package; Flatpak builds are no longer supported or maintained.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Linux distributions
The universal installer lists Pop, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and openSUSE support, with Arch-based users directed to the AUR.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Local library
Users can select folders of wallpaper files, which Papyrus scans and displays with generated thumbnail previews.Read 9 Oct 2026 · psgtatitos.github.io
Multiple monitors
Users can set different wallpapers and scaling options independently for each monitor.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Playlist rotation
Papyrus can automatically rotate wallpapers at a configurable interval in random or sequential order.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Startup and updates
Papyrus can start on login and check for, download, and install updates from within the app.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Theme controls
On COSMIC, Papyrus can extract a wallpaper color for the accent theme and switch dark or light mode based on wallpaper brightness.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Wallpaper formats
It supports animated video formats MP4, WebM, MKV, AVI, and MOV, as well as static image formats JPEG, PNG, WebP, and BMP.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Wayland integration
Papyrus uses mpvpaper to render wallpapers behind the desktop and lists COSMIC, GNOME, Hyprland, Sway, and KDE Wayland among supported environments.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Papyrus Free Free, open-source wallpaper manager · Flatpak builds no longer supported Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com

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