Deskloom vs MonitorDock

Deskloom is a free Windows app for arranging desktop elements into reusable scenes. A scene can coordinate dynamic wallpaper, taskbar style, widgets, workspace layout, desktop groups, and cursors. The app includes five built-in scenes and does not require an online gallery. Taskbar styles include System Default, Crystal Clear, Atmosphere Glass, Immersive Solid, and Floating Dock; widgets include clocks, system readings, Quick Notes, network throughput, storage, and battery cards. Desktop groups organize existing items visually without moving their files.

Scenes, settings, imported assets, and layouts are stored locally in the Windows user profile; no account or runtime internet connection is required. Capability checks, recovery journals, rollback, and a Restore Windows defaults option support reversible changes. Imported self-contained HTML wallpaper is blocked from network access, downloads, and external navigation. Deskloom 1.0 is available from the Microsoft Store and requires x64 Windows 11 version 25H2 (build 26200) or later. It does not replace classic Windows desktop-system icons.

MonitorDock replaces taskbars on secondary monitors with individual docks and can optionally replace the primary monitor's taskbar too. Each monitor can have its own pinned apps, and running windows appear only on the monitor where they are located. Users can drag items to reorder them, pin apps or close windows from a right-click menu, and configure clicks to minimize windows. Bar height is configurable from 32–72px, while icon size ranges from 16–48px. MonitorDock can hide secondary Windows taskbars and keep windows from those monitors off the primary taskbar. It can start with Windows and runs in the system tray; double-clicking its tray icon opens the Control Panel. The v1.1.0 release says the dock hides while a fullscreen app is active on its monitor, then returns when fullscreen ends. The project is free and licensed under GNU GPL v3.0. Requirements are Windows 10/11 (64-bit). The README recommends a Windows installer and also documents building from source with the .NET 9 SDK. Settings and crash logs are stored under %AppData%\MonitorDock.