EarthDesk vs Waypaper
EarthDesk
xericdesign.comWaypaper
github.comSide by side
| Figure | EarthDesk | Waypaper |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.25/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 7 | 1 |
| Spec score · Desktop Wallpaper Software | 8.9 (#4) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Founded | 2004 | 2023 |
| Multiple monitors | EarthDesk supports separate maps on multiple displays or one map spanning all connected screens. | Multiple-monitor wallpapers are supported, with behavior depending on the backend. |
| Support | The maker directs users to review the product support page and offers a contact form for help. | The maintainer invites contributions and lists donations via cards/PayPal and several cryptocurrencies; no formal support service is stated. |
| What it does | EarthDesk replaces a Mac or Windows desktop with a continuously updating rendered view of Earth from space. | Waypaper is a graphical wallpaper setter that fronts external wallpaper backends. |
Plans
EarthDesk
- EarthDesk 7 upgrade$12.99, paid once
- EarthDesk data subscription$14.99 a year
- Single-user data subscription$14.99 a year
- EarthDesk 7 with 1-year subscription upgrade$20.99, paid once
- EarthDesk 7 single-user license$24.99, paid once
- Five-user data subscription$24.99 a year
- Small-business data subscription$39.99 a year
In their own words
EarthDesk
EarthDesk turns a computer desktop into an updating view of Earth from space, with near-real-time clouds, sun and moon depictions, and city lighting. It offers 12 map projections, including Mercator, Azimuthal, Equirectangular, and a globe with optional starfield. Maps can be centered using latitude and longitude, relative to the sun or moon, or on one of 10,000 locations; a data subscription adds other centering choices. On multiple displays, it can show a different map on each screen or span one map across them. Standard cloud imagery is global, 2-megapixel, and refreshed every six hours. The data subscription adds geo-located, parallax-corrected imagery from 23 satellites at 32-megapixel detail, refreshed every three hours, plus earthquake, tropical storm, and International Space Station information. The maker offers a free Mac or Windows trial before purchase. A single-user license starts at 24.99 USD once and covers two Mac or Windows computers. An upgrade costs 12.99 USD once and requires a previous license key; the data subscription costs $14.99 a year. Minimums are macOS 10.14, Windows 7, or tvOS 13.2.
Waypaper
Waypaper is a free graphical wallpaper setter for Linux window managers and macOS. It provides a single interface for backends such as swaybg, swww, awww, wallutils, hyprpaper, mpvpaper, gslapper, feh, xwallpaper, linux-wallpaperengine, and macOS. It supports multiple monitors and can restore a wallpaper when a window manager launches. The interface also offers Vim-style keyboard navigation, caching, a distraction-free Zen mode, post-change script hooks, and customizable CSS theming. Animated wallpaper support depends on the backend: selected backends handle GIFs, while mpvpaper, gslapper, or linux-wallpaperengine can provide video wallpapers. Waypaper needs at least one supported wallpaper backend installed to work. On Linux, installation options include pipx and packages or repositories for Arch-based distributions, NixOS, OpenSUSE, and Fedora. macOS setup requires GTK3 and PyGObject through Homebrew before Waypaper is installed with pipx. The repository identifies the project as GPL-3.0 licensed. Its documentation names Roman Anufriev as developer and says development began in 2023.