dmenu vs Rofi
dmenu
tools.suckless.orgRofi
davatorium.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | dmenu | Rofi |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · App Launcher Software | 8.7 (#5) | 7.3 (#27) |
| Spec score · App Launchers | 8.6 (#7) | 7.8 (#16) |
| Spec score · App launchers | 8.6 (#7) | 7.8 (#17) |
| Customization | The dmenu site links to a patches collection with contributed modifications. | Configuration can be set through a system configuration file, a Rasi theme file, or command-line options. |
| Purpose | dmenu is a dynamic menu for X that manages large numbers of user-defined menu items efficiently. | Rofi is a window switcher, application launcher, SSH dialog, dmenu replacement, and more. |
| Support | The suckless community page identifies the dev mailing list as a place for dmenu users, development discussion, bug reports, and general discussion. | The documentation links to a GitHub issue tracker and a GitHub discussions forum. |
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.
Rofi
Rofi is a free utility for Linux and macOS that combines window switching, application launching, SSH access, and menu workflows. It can move between open windows, start applications, or provide a dialog for connecting to a remote machine. Its modes include window, windowcd, run, drun, ssh, keys, script, and combi. Navigation supports keyboard and mouse input, filtering by typing, and tokenized search. A dedicated script mode can replace dmenu. Configuration can come from a system configuration file, a Rasi theme file, or command-line options. Rofi builds with X11 and Wayland backends when available, and either can be disabled. Installation guidance covers Debian or Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux, Gentoo, openSUSE, and FreeBSD; macOS installation is through MacPorts. The downloads page lists release archives, with version 1.7.9 as its newest listed release. Development versions have no tarball release; the installation instructions explain how to obtain and compile one. Support links lead to GitHub issues and discussions.