Deskloom vs Taskbar Groups
Deskloom
bitinggoatsoft.winTaskbar Groups
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Deskloom | Taskbar Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Taskbar Customization Software | 8.3 (#4) | 7.8 (#12) |
| Maker | The maker identifies itself as BitingGoat Software and describes itself as independent software; the pages reviewed do not state its headquarters or founding year. | The GitHub profile identifies the maker as Jack Schierbeck and lists Stockholm, Sweden. |
| Notable limit | The Microsoft Store 1.0 product does not replace classic Windows desktop-system icons. | Group names allow up to 49 characters and cannot contain special characters; shortcut entry names allow up to 27 characters. |
| Purpose | Deskloom combines dynamic wallpaper, taskbar styles, desktop widgets, icon groups, and cursor themes into scenes that can be saved and restored. | Taskbar Groups is a lightweight Windows utility for creating groups of shortcuts in the taskbar. |
Plans
In their own words
Deskloom
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.
Taskbar Groups
Taskbar Groups is a free Windows utility for organizing shortcuts into groups on the taskbar. Groups can contain .exe and .lnk shortcuts, folders, Windows Store apps, and Steam games or software. Users can choose group colors and opacity, pick an icon, edit shortcut names, and set how many shortcuts appear on each row. Optional launch settings include working directories and arguments; Ctrl+Enter can launch all shortcuts in a group, while number keys 1–0 launch shortcuts in positions one through ten. The utility stores group and shortcut icons in each group’s local configuration folder and can regenerate the cache when the group is saved again. A release note lists support for multiple monitors, vertical and top taskbars, and hidden taskbars. Setup involves downloading the latest release ZIP, unpacking it, and running TaskbarGroups.exe. The project is MIT-licensed. Group names are limited to 49 characters and cannot contain special characters; shortcut entry names are limited to 27 characters. A moved shortcut may stop launching until the group is edited again.