herbstluftwm vs IceWM
herbstluftwm
herbstluftwm.orgIceWM
ice-wm.orgSide by side
| Figure | herbstluftwm | IceWM |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 8.2 (#8) |
| Latest release | The download page lists version 0.9.6, dated 2026-04-03, as the most current released tarball. | The website lists version 4.1.0, released on 2026-08-06, as the latest release. |
| License | The project repository states that herbstluftwm is licensed under the Simplified BSD License. | IceWM and its documentation are covered by the GNU LGPL license. |
| Product | herbstluftwm is a manual tiling window manager for the X window system. | IceWM is a window manager for the X Window System, designed for speed, simplicity, and minimal interference. |
| Support | The project offers community help through IRC, Reddit, GitHub issues, and a mailing list. | The site directs users to report bugs on GitHub and links to manual pages, a manual, and an FAQ. |
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.