Papyrus vs Vivid Walls
Papyrus
github.com
Vivid Walls
vividwalls.appSide by side
| Figure | Papyrus | Vivid Walls |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Desktop Wallpaper Software | 7.3 (#24) | 8.6 (#6) |
| License | Papyrus is distributed under the GPL-3.0 license. | 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. |
| Privacy | The project states that Papyrus has no accounts, telemetry, or cloud service and stores its configuration in a local JSON file. | The app states that it collects no personal information, analytics, telemetry or crash reports, and that transfers stay on the local network. |
Plans
In their own words
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.