BeWidgets vs Duckboard

BeWidgets is a Windows app for customizing a desktop with widgets, including changing widget colors and usage. Users can update widgets individually inside the application and receive notifications when updates are available. Layouts collect widgets into arrangements that can be saved and loaded. The maker's documentation describes a store for downloading widgets and notes that a layout store update is scheduled for 2026. BeWidgets is distributed through the Microsoft Store; the listed plan is free, and the Store listing indicates in-app purchases. For users who want to build widgets, the maker provides a Visual Studio project template. Custom widget packages use the.wpkg archive format and can be installed into BeWidgets. The listed development prerequisites are Visual Studio,.NET 8.0, the Windows 11 SDK, and the BeWidgets Widget Template extension. The maker describes the interface as modern, easy to use, and inspired by Windows 11.

Duckboard is a desktop app for turning selected website sections into live, interactive widgets arranged in dashboards. Users can capture parts of websites or build custom widgets with HTML or embed code. Its preset library contains more than 1,900 options, with examples for YouTube, X, weather and productivity tools. The site also shows dashboard examples for morning, learning, building and finance workflows, and describes the app as private by design. Downloads are available for macOS and Windows: Mac support covers Apple silicon chips M1, M2, M3, M4 or newer, as well as Intel-based Macs; the Windows download is for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 PCs. The download page says the app is free to download and requires no sign-up or credit card. The Free plan includes one dashboard, up to three widgets and email support. Extended is a one-time upgrade costing $29 as a one-time purchase, with one dashboard, unlimited widgets and email support.