Launchpad vs Qtile
Launchpad
launchpad.netQtile
qtile.orgSide by side
| Figure | Launchpad | Qtile |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Window Management Software | 8.2 (#9) | 7.5 (#30) |
| Intended users | The manual describes Launchpad as a platform for open-source projects and community contributors. | The development version is recommended for users who want the latest features or plan to hack on Qtile, while the official release is recommended for users who want stability. |
Plans
In their own words
Launchpad
Launchpad is a free platform for open-source collaboration, with tools to build and publish software. Projects can host Git repositories, review and merge changes, and link code changes to bug reports. Bug tracking can also integrate reports from Bugzilla, Trac, GitLab, and Mantis. Teams can build and distribute Debian packages, snaps, rocks, charms, and OCI images; documented architectures include AMD64, AMD64v3, ARM, and RISC-V. Localization tools support importing, exporting, and sharing translations, while blueprints help track project ideas and work. Launchpad Answers supports community help requests and FAQs. Automation options include a REST-style API, the launchpadlib Python client, and webhooks. The platform is available through the web, Linux, API, and self-hosted options. Commercial projects can request private branches, bugs, teams, mailing lists, and PPAs, but these features require Canonical authorization. Security documentation describes least-privilege access, restrictive networking, and fine-grained permissions; it also says automatic security monitoring was not in place as of July 2023.
Qtile
Qtile is a free tiling window manager for Linux, written and configured entirely in Python. It runs as a window manager on X11 and as a compositor on Wayland; the Wayland backend uses wlroots. Users can create layouts and widgets, use built-in commands, and define application rules, window groups and virtual desktop controls. Its command shell allows Qtile to be inspected and managed, while remote scripting can configure workspaces, manipulate windows and update status-bar widgets. The stable version can be installed from PyPI with `uv tool install qtile`. The project also provides installation guides for Arch, Fedora, Funtoo, Ubuntu/Debian, Slackware, FreeBSD and NixOS. Qtile is distributed under the MIT license. Its stated runtime aim is to support the last three CPython versions and usually the latest stable PyPy. The official release is positioned for users seeking stability; the development version has newer features but may contain bugs. Support is available through GitHub Discussions, IRC and Discord, with Discord bridged to IRC.