herbstluftwm vs i3
herbstluftwm
herbstluftwm.orgi3
i3wm.orgSide by side
| Figure | herbstluftwm | i3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Window Management Software | 8.1 (#12) | 7.8 (#24) |
| Integrations | The FAQ describes using external EWMH panels such as xfce4-panel and using dmenu for a run dialog. | The documentation describes i3bar, i3status, and external workspace bar programs such as dzen2. |
| Intended users | The project describes itself as a manual tiling window manager for users of the X window system. | The project primarily targets advanced users and developers. |
| License | The project repository states that herbstluftwm is licensed under the Simplified BSD License. | The project describes its software as free and open source under the BSD license. |
| Product | herbstluftwm is a manual tiling window manager for the X window system. | i3 is a tiling window manager written from scratch. |
Plans
In their own words
herbstluftwm
herbstluftwm is a manual tiling window manager for the X window system. Each virtual desktop, called a tag, has a tiling layer and a floating layer, allowing windows to occupy split frames or be placed freely. Frames can be divided into further subframes or filled with windows, and keyboard controls move, resize, and focus tiled and floating windows. Configuration runs through herbstclient and can be changed while the manager is running without a restart. Screen space can be divided into virtual monitors that need not match physical displays; monitors share a common pool of tags. The project is licensed under the Simplified BSD License and is listed as free at free. The download page lists packages for Linux distributions and Mac OS X via MacPorts, and confirms operation on Cygwin. The project also offers released source tarballs and links to its current development version. Community help is available through IRC, Reddit, GitHub issues, and a mailing list.