Actual Transparent Window vs RainbowTaskbar
Actual Transparent Window
actualtools.com
RainbowTaskbar
rnb.ad2017.devSide by side
| Figure | Actual Transparent Window | RainbowTaskbar |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Taskbar Customization Software | 8.2 (#6) | 7.4 (#18) |
| Compatibility | The product page lists Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and 2000, plus Windows Server versions from 2000 through 2022. | The maker warns that RainbowTaskbar conflicts with TranslucentTB and says to close TranslucentTB before running it. |
| Founded | 2001 | 2021 |
| Purpose | Adds adjustable transparency to individual windows to help organize and view multiple open windows at once. | RainbowTaskbar personalizes the Windows taskbar with animations, colors, images, websites, and other effects. |
| Support | The maker's 2005 announcement says registered customers receive lifetime technical support; this is an older product announcement. | The maker says users can support future development by buying the Microsoft Store version or donating through PayPal. |
Plans
Actual Transparent Window
- Actual Transparent Window$24.95, paid once
In their own words
Actual Transparent Window
Actual Transparent Window has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
RainbowTaskbar
RainbowTaskbar is a Windows app for changing the taskbar’s appearance with animations, colors, images, websites, and other effects. It supports web configurations as well as instruction-based configurations. Web configurations can respond to mouse input, use WebGL, canvas graphics, and video, and call the RainbowTaskbar API to adjust taskbar style and transparency. The app supports positioning and transparency controls, along with complex multi-monitor setups involving scaling and positioning. Through the RainbowTaskbar Workshop, users can download configurations without an account; uploading one requires signing in with Google or GitHub. The app is portable, but needs the.NET 8 runtime if that runtime is not already installed. The maker warns that RainbowTaskbar conflicts with TranslucentTB and says to close that app before running it. RainbowTaskbar is free and open-source, with a free plan listed at free. Its maker describes it as a passion project first released in 2021.