Coodesker vs Portals: Desktop Organization

Coodesker organizes Windows desktop shortcuts, icons and running tasks in multi-tab boxes designed to save desktop space. Users can hide file names to leave icons visible, create rules that direct new icons into selected boxes, and mirror PC folders onto the desktop as boxes. The software supports saved layouts and hardware-accelerated rendering, and is designed to use little hardware resource. It runs on Windows 7 and later, with x64, x86 and ARM64 installers. A free plan and free trial are listed. The Download version costs $5.70, paid once, while the Steam version costs $8.70, paid once; each plan includes Windows 7+, three computers and lifetime updates. One license can activate three devices simultaneously. Offline activation is available, but an offline activation code cannot be unbound. The privacy policy says the software does not collect personally identifiable information, while hardware identifiers are collected for activation. It also says personal information collected in China is stored in China. Support is provided through email, QQ and a user forum.

Portals: Desktop Organization displays selected folder contents directly on a Windows desktop in customizable portals. Users can adjust colors, fonts, borders, margins, header position, icon sizes, and backgrounds, with individual portals able to override settings such as color and font. Portals can be minimized, sorted using custom or predefined orders, and arranged in tabs linked to separate folders. The folders can be stored outside the desktop, such as in Documents. Users can save portal arrangements as layouts and apply them automatically when display setups change; settings profiles can also be linked to layouts. A configurable keyboard shortcut brings all portals to the top. The app supports command-line actions for creating portals and applying layouts or profiles, and it can use QuickLook or Seer for file previews. The installer can add registry keys for Portals buttons in Windows folder and desktop-background context menus. The maker describes the app as lightweight with minimal background resource usage. It is free, with a pay-what-you-want license that allows users to enter any amount.