Lively Wallpaper vs Vivid Walls
Lively Wallpaper
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Vivid Walls
vividwalls.appSide by side
| Figure | Lively Wallpaper | Vivid Walls |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Desktop Wallpaper Software | 8.4 (#7) | 8.6 (#6) |
| License | The source code is released under the GNU GPL version 3. | The terms grant a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license for use on Apple devices and prohibit reverse engineering, so the app is proprietary rather than open source. |
| Multi-monitor | Lively supports any number of monitors, spanning or duplicating wallpapers and supporting HiDPI and ultrawide resolutions. | Each connected display can have its own wallpaper, including different wallpaper types on different screens. |
| Privacy | The application says it does not collect, store, or share personal information; operational window and process data is kept local. | The app states that it collects no personal information, analytics, telemetry or crash reports, and that transfers stay on the local network. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 3.9 out of 5 from 155 ratings | No rating overview is displayed because Apple says the app has not received enough ratings or reviews; one visible written review is 5 out of 5. |
| System requirements | The documented minimum is Windows 10 1903 for the installer or Windows 10 1803 for Store builds, an Intel i3-equivalent CPU, 4 GB RAM, Intel HD 4600-or-better graphics, DirectX 10 and 1 GB storage. | The Mac app requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, an Apple Silicon Mac with an M1 or newer chip, and about 2 GB of free disk space. |
| Web wallpapers | Lively can load HTML files or web addresses as wallpapers and runs WebGL and JavaScript content. | The app can run interactive HTML, CSS and JavaScript content as desktop wallpapers. |
| What it does | Lively Wallpaper sets animated wallpapers and screensavers on Windows desktops. | Vivid Walls is a native macOS app that renders Wallpaper Engine scene files and also supports video, web, GIF and image wallpapers. |
Plans
In their own words
Lively Wallpaper
Lively Wallpaper is a free, open-source animated wallpaper application for Windows. It supports video and GIF wallpapers through mpv or VLC, with filters and hardware acceleration, and can load HTML files or web addresses running WebGL and JavaScript. Other wallpaper sources include GLSL shaders, Shadertoy URLs, video streams, and Unity or Godot games; GUI application support is limited. Wallpapers can span or duplicate across any number of monitors, including HiDPI and ultrawide displays, and any wallpaper can be used as a Windows screensaver. Command-line arguments and third-party scripting software such as AutoHotkey provide control options. Playback pauses when fullscreen applications or games run, reaching approximately 0% CPU and GPU usage. Lively says it does not collect, store or share personal information, while operational window and process data remains local. The listed plan is free and requires Windows 10 version 1903 or above with a 64-bit installer. Only the latest release receives security patches, and vulnerabilities can be reported by email.
Vivid Walls
Vivid Walls is a native macOS app for Wallpaper Engine scene files and video, web, GIF, and image wallpapers. It renders scenes on Apple Silicon with a Metal scene engine. Wallpapers can react to cursor movement, clicks, system audio, or focus modes. Users can span a scene across displays or set independent scenes, then schedule them by time of day or focus mode. The app pauses when the desktop is fully covered or another app is fullscreen, reduces its frame rate on battery, and respects Low Power Mode. Eight animated 1080p wallpapers are loaded into the library at first launch. A free Windows Companion transfers a Wallpaper Engine library to the Mac over local Wi-Fi using a four-character code. The free plan keeps the bundled wallpapers; the Full Library costs $9.99, paid once. The app requires macOS 14.0 or later and Apple Silicon M1 or later, and does not support Intel Macs. The maker says some scenes may render incorrectly because of their varied effects and content.