MonitorDock vs TaskbarX

MonitorDock replaces taskbars on secondary monitors with individual docks and can optionally replace the primary monitor's taskbar too. Each monitor can have its own pinned apps, and running windows appear only on the monitor where they are located. Users can drag items to reorder them, pin apps or close windows from a right-click menu, and configure clicks to minimize windows. Bar height is configurable from 32–72px, while icon size ranges from 16–48px. MonitorDock can hide secondary Windows taskbars and keep windows from those monitors off the primary taskbar. It can start with Windows and runs in the system tray; double-clicking its tray icon opens the Control Panel. The v1.1.0 release says the dock hides while a fullscreen app is active on its monitor, then returns when fullscreen ends. The project is free and licensed under GNU GPL v3.0. Requirements are Windows 10/11 (64-bit). The README recommends a Windows installer and also documents building from source with the .NET 9 SDK. Settings and crash logs are stored under %AppData%\MonitorDock.

TaskbarX is a free, open-source Windows utility for positioning taskbar icons and changing taskbar styling. Icons can be placed at the exact center or nudged left or right, with adjustable spacing and size. Animation choices include fade, slide, other easing styles, or no animation. Backgrounds can be transparent, blurred, opaque, or accent-colored. Unlimited taskbars can have independent settings per monitor, including vertical taskbars. The portable build needs no installer, makes no registry edits, and uses no background services. TaskbarX is released under the MIT license. The site says Windows 10 is fully supported; on Windows 11, centering works through build 22621.1265 but not on modern builds. Version 1.7.8.0 is listed as latest stable, and the GitHub repository is archived and read-only. A Store version offers automatic updates for an optional donation.