Appetizer vs Rofi
Appetizer
appetizer.cozic.netRofi
davatorium.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Appetizer | Rofi |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · App Launcher Software | 8.7 (#4) | 7.3 (#27) |
| Spec score · App Launchers | 8.6 (#6) | 7.8 (#16) |
| Spec score · App launchers | 8.5 (#8) | 7.8 (#17) |
| Customization | The dock supports plugins, multiple skins, custom icons, and horizontal or vertical layouts. | Configuration can be set through a system configuration file, a Rasi theme file, or command-line options. |
| Purpose | Appetizer is a free application launcher, or dock, for Windows that organizes shortcuts and folders. | Rofi is a window switcher, application launcher, SSH dialog, dmenu replacement, and more. |
| Support | Forum registration is closed because of spam, and the site says users may contact the maker if needed. | The documentation links to a GitHub issue tracker and a GitHub discussions forum. |
Plans
In their own words
Appetizer
Appetizer is a free, open-source application launcher dock for Windows that organizes shortcuts and folders. A wizard imports shortcuts from different locations, after which icons can be arranged by drag and drop or grouped in menus. The dock can resize and display horizontally or vertically, with small, large, and extra-large icons, custom icons, and skins; two skins are included. It supports launching several items together, a hotkey to hide or show the dock, and minimizing it to the tray. Special items provide controls for the desktop, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel. With the standard PortableApps.com folder structure, Appetizer should detect applications and documents automatically. Version 1.4 is offered as a Windows installer or portable ZIP; the ZIP can run from a hard drive or USB stick and saves settings in the application directory. The download page lists Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. Plugins add functions such as USB document encryption, shortcut grouping, and closing the dock after launch, but require a restart after installation. Multilingual help and an API reference are provided.
Rofi
Rofi is a free utility for Linux and macOS that combines window switching, application launching, SSH access, and menu workflows. It can move between open windows, start applications, or provide a dialog for connecting to a remote machine. Its modes include window, windowcd, run, drun, ssh, keys, script, and combi. Navigation supports keyboard and mouse input, filtering by typing, and tokenized search. A dedicated script mode can replace dmenu. Configuration can come from a system configuration file, a Rasi theme file, or command-line options. Rofi builds with X11 and Wayland backends when available, and either can be disabled. Installation guidance covers Debian or Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux, Gentoo, openSUSE, and FreeBSD; macOS installation is through MacPorts. The downloads page lists release archives, with version 1.7.9 as its newest listed release. Development versions have no tarball release; the installation instructions explain how to obtain and compile one. Support links lead to GitHub issues and discussions.