DisplayFusion Free plan 9.2 Visit spectrwm
spectrwm.org
What it is
spectrwm is a free tiling and reparenting window manager for X11. It arranges windows in configurable layouts, including layouts with a resizable master area, and also supports floating windows that users can move and resize. Windows can be moved between workspaces or within user-defined regions, while screens are navigable by keyboard or mouse. It supports dynamic RandR multi-head configurations and Extended Window Manager Hints. A customizable status bar, quick launch menu and user-defined key bindings provide ways to view status and launch applications. The software starts with defaults and can be configured without learning a programming language. It can be restarted without losing state. spectrwm is released under the ISC license, and the releases page lists version 3.7.0 as the latest release. Listed platforms are Linux, macOS and Windows, while its stated purpose is managing X11 windows. The project directs questions and feedback to its #spectrwm channel on OFTC IRC.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- spectrwm is a compact dynamic tiling and reparenting window manager for X11.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Purpose
- spectrwm is a small, dynamic tiling and reparenting window manager for X11.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Support
- The project directs questions and feedback to the OFTC IRC channel #spectrwm.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- License
- The code is released under the permissive ISC license, with patches required to use the same license.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Company/owner
- OpenHub identifies Conformal Systems as the project manager.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openhub.net
- Compatibility
- It supports Extended Window Manager Hints (EWMH).Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Configuration
- It uses a human-readable text configuration file and does not require users to learn a programming language.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Displays
- It supports dynamic RandR multi-head configurations.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Documentation depth
- The project ships a detailed manual covering hundreds of configuration options, actions, signals and window states.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- EWMH
- The manager implements Extended Window Manager Hints for desktop interoperability.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Extensibility
- Custom programs, key bindings, quirks, autorun entries and bar_action scripts provide the documented extension mechanisms.Read 15 Oct 2026 · manpages.debian.org
- External control
- The manual documents partial EWMH control through tools such as wmctrl and xdotool.Read 15 Oct 2026 · manpages.debian.org
- Floating windows
- Floating windows can be moved and resized, and tiled windows can be dragged into floating mode.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Independent packaging
- The OpenBSD Handbook lists spectrwm as a packaged tiling manager with good OpenBSD support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openbsdhandbook.com
- Installation
- The official installation guide provides source-build instructions and package commands for Debian/Ubuntu, Arch, NixOS and NetBSD, with a separate macOS guide.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Latest listed release
- The releases page lists spectrwm 3.7.0 as its latest release.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Launch bindings
- Users can define key bindings that launch applications and custom commands.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Launch controls
- It includes a quick launch menu and user-defined key bindings for launching applications.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Layouts
- Users can switch among multiple tiling layouts and resize the master area.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- License terms
- The license permits use, copying, modification and distribution with or without charge, while providing the software without warranty.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: compositing
- The DEV Community review reports no compositor support for animations, drop shadows or transparency effects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · dev.to
- Limit: desktop integration
- A DEV Community review says spectrwm lacks built-in support for popular bars such as polybar, yabar and lemonbar, so users may need scripts or Conky.Read 15 Oct 2026 · dev.to
- Limit: display glitches
- An Eirenicon user reports occasional Firefox keyboard loss and flickering pop-up menus, although the cause could have been Debian Sid.Read 15 Oct 2026 · eirenicon.org
- Limit: learning curve
- The same long-term reviewer says the workflow took time to learn and required personal configuration changes before it felt comfortable.Read 15 Oct 2026 · eirenicon.org
- Limit: panel usability
- The Eirenicon review describes the built-in panel as troublesome and limited, especially for formatting and colors, and uses polybar or conky instead.Read 15 Oct 2026 · eirenicon.org
- Limit: setup dependencies
- An EndeavourOS forum thread describes startup failures caused by font configuration and greeter compatibility until the user changed the bar font and display-manager setup.Read 15 Oct 2026 · forum.endeavouros.com
- Multi-head support
- Dynamic RandR support allows management of multiple screens.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Navigation
- Windows can be navigated across screens with keyboard or mouse controls.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Notable community comparison
- A FossLinux 2026 guide describes spectrwm as suitable for older hardware because its binary is small, memory use is low and it runs on X11 without a compositor.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fosslinux.com
- Praise: performance
- An Eirenicon user reports that spectrwm feels as fast as dwm, herbstluftwm, i3 and bspwm, with comparable memory use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · eirenicon.org
- Praise: simplicity
- Anthony Campbell calls spectrwm his favorite among four tiling managers because its plain-text configuration is easy and commands become intuitive.Read 15 Oct 2026 · acampbell.uk
- Previous release
- Version 3.6.0, released June 10, 2024, added focus customization, new quirks, layout ordering and fixes for crashes and EWMH behavior.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Project activity
- OpenHub reports a first commit in 2009, about 19,483 lines of code, 53 contributors and declining year-over-year commit activity.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openhub.net
- Release news
- Version 3.7.0 was released on August 26, 2025 with centered tiling, configuration reload, a 100-workspace limit and Wine compatibility fixes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Restart
- It can be restarted without losing state.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Spawn limitation
- The libswmhack workspace-spawn helper does not support XCB applications that issue their own X11 requests, including Chromium.Read 15 Oct 2026 · manpages.debian.org
- Status bar
- The status bar is customizable and can receive output from external scripts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Supported systems
- The project lists BSD systems, Linux, macOS and Windows through Cygwin as supported targets.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Window rules
- User-defined quirks can assign application-specific behavior.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Workspaces
- Windows can be moved between workspaces and user-defined screen regions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Plans and prices
spectrwm Free ISC-licensed source code · self-built or distribution packages Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Free under the ISC license.
- Configurable layouts include a resizable master area.
- Supports dynamic RandR multi-head configurations.
- Can restart without losing state.
Limits
- Its stated purpose is window management for X11.
- The listed latest release is version 3.7.0.
Who it suits
spectrwm suits people seeking a configurable X11 window manager with tiling layouts, workspaces and keyboard or mouse navigation. It may also suit users who want to configure a window manager without learning a programming language.
Verdict
spectrwm offers configurable tiling and floating window management, with workspaces, screen navigation and launch controls. Its X11 purpose and listed platforms are key details to check against your setup.
Where Specifiction places it
- Window Management Software#13 of 658.1
