dmenu vs Launchy
dmenu
tools.suckless.orgLaunchy
launchy.netSide by side
| Figure | dmenu | Launchy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · App Launcher Software | 8.7 (#5) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Spec score · App Launchers | 8.6 (#7) | 9.1 (#3) |
| Spec score · App launchers | 8.6 (#7) | 9.0 (#3) |
| License | dmenu uses the MIT/X Consortium License, which permits use, copying, modification, redistribution, sublicensing and sale subject to notice requirements. | SourceForge identifies the project as GNU General Public License version 2.0. |
| Purpose | dmenu is a dynamic menu for X that manages large numbers of user-defined menu items efficiently. | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility for replacing the start menu, desktop icons and file manager. |
| Support | The suckless community page identifies the dev mailing list as a place for dmenu users, development discussion, bug reports, and general discussion. | The help page directs users to the distributed Readme.pdf and Launchy forums for support. |
| What it does | dmenu is a dynamic menu for X that efficiently handles large sets of user-defined items. | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility that indexes programs and opens documents, project files, folders and bookmarks from keystrokes. |
Plans
In their own words
dmenu
dmenu is a free dynamic menu for X that handles large sets of user-defined menu items and can launch commands. It runs on Linux and was originally designed for the dwm window manager. Community scripts apply it to tasks such as browsing directories, managing clipboard contents, accessing passwords, and controlling music; contributed modifications are available in a patches collection. The project provides a browsable source repository and a Git clone command. Building requires Xlib header files, and the README describes building and installing with `make clean install`, with files placed in the `/usr/local` namespace by default. The listed release is dmenu 5.4, dated 2025-08-09. Its source uses the MIT/X Consortium License, which permits use, copying, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale of copies subject to its conditions, while disclaiming warranties. The suckless dev mailing list is identified as a venue for user questions, development discussion, bug reports, and general discussion.
Launchy
Launchy is a free utility for opening programs, files, folders, and websites with a few keystrokes. It indexes start-menu programs and can search directories and file types that users add. It stays in the background until the hotkey is pressed: Alt+Space by default, or Control+Space on Linux. Users can customize its appearance with skins and extend it through plugins for web searches, calculations, custom commands, and bookmark access. Other listed plugin examples include PuTTY sessions, task switching, and system power controls; these are made by other developers, and Launchy does not guarantee their functionality or behavior. Portable mode stores configuration files in the directory where Launchy runs, so it can be used from a USB stick. The bundled Calcy calculator supports addition, division, subtraction, multiplication, and parentheses. The listed platforms are Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Launchy is free to download with no fixed price; the listed recommended value is $10 USD, and the plan notes suggest considering a $3 contribution.