Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

spectrwm VS bspwm

Compare spectrwm VS bspwm and see what are their differences

spectrwm logo spectrwm

spectrwm is a small dynamic tiling window manager for X11.

bspwm logo bspwm

A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning
  • spectrwm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-01
  • bspwm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14

spectrwm features and specs

  • Lightweight
    spectrwm is designed to be a minimalistic and lightweight window manager, which results in fast performance and low system resource consumption.
  • Keyboard-driven
    It has strong keyboard-focused navigation, allowing users to efficiently manage windows and enhance productivity without relying on a mouse.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize key bindings and appearance by editing a straightforward configuration file, providing flexibility to tailor the window manager to individual preferences.
  • Multi-head support
    spectrwm provides built-in support for multiple monitors, making it a good choice for users who require multi-display setups.
  • Scriptable
    The window manager supports scripting, which lets users automate tasks and create custom scripts to further extend functionality.

Possible disadvantages of spectrwm

  • Steeper learning curve
    The lack of a graphical user interface might pose a challenge for new users, as it requires familiarity with configuration files and command-line operations.
  • Requires manual configuration
    Initial setup may require manual editing of configuration files, which can be inconvenient for users who prefer plug-and-play solutions.
  • Limited features out-of-the-box
    Compared to more comprehensive desktop environments, spectrwm might lack certain features and conveniences that users expect, requiring additional setup and configuration.
  • Community and support
    Being one of several niche tiling window managers, it might not have as large a community or extensive documentation as some other options, potentially making it harder to find support.

bspwm features and specs

  • Highly Configurable
    Bspwm is known for its high level of customizability, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of their window management experience through simple scripts and configuration files.
  • Efficient Use of Screen Space
    As a tiling window manager, Bspwm automatically arranges windows in a way that maximizes screen real estate, minimizing overlap and unused space.
  • Lightweight
    Bspwm is extremely lightweight, making it suitable for older hardware and systems with limited resources. It does not come with additional software bloat.
  • Scriptable with Unix Philosophy
    Bspwm adheres to the Unix philosophy of 'doing one thing well'. It functions without managing keybindings, allowing users to use other programs (like sxhkd) for keybinding management, which offers greater flexibility.
  • Active Community Support
    Bspwm has an active community and comprehensive documentation, which helps new users get started and troubleshoot any issues they might encounter.

Possible disadvantages of bspwm

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The configuration process can be complex and overwhelming for beginners. Unlike more mainstream window managers, bspwm requires learning various scripts and commands.
  • Lack of GUI Configuration Tools
    Bspwm does not come with graphical configuration tools, which might be inconvenient for users who prefer a GUI for managing settings.
  • Sparse on Built-in Features
    Since bspwm follows the Unix philosophy closely, it lacks many built-in features and utilities that other window managers might offer. Users need to set up additional tools for tasks such as wallpaper management or system trays.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some applications that expect a floating window manager might not work well with bspwm, requiring extra configuration or using alternative software.
  • Limited Out-of-the-box Experience
    Bspwm does not come with a pre-configured environment, which can be a disadvantage for users looking for a ready-to-use experience out of the box.

spectrwm videos

Spectrwm Is An Impressive Tiling Window Manager

More videos:

  • Review - Spectrwm - More Adventures in Tiling WM Land
  • Review - Discovered Some Cool Stuff In Spectrwm and Qtile

bspwm videos

Switching To Bspwm - Initial Thoughts

More videos:

  • Review - BSPWM - Its like I3 but not.
  • Review - BSPWM Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to spectrwm and bspwm)
Window Manager
34 34%
66% 66
Linux
30 30%
70% 70
Utilities
27 27%
73% 73
Qt
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using spectrwm and bspwm. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare spectrwm and bspwm

spectrwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
spectrwm has a plain text configuration file, defaults that are identical to xmonad and dwm, and built-in keyboard shortcuts. Other features include colour and border width customization, drag-to-float, quick launch menu customization, adjustable status bar, dynamic RandR compatibility, and more.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
spectrwm uses a plain text configuration file, boasts defaults similar to those in xmonad and dwm, and features built-in keyboard shortcuts. Its other features include customizable colors and border width, drag-to-float, quick launch menu, customizable status bar, dynamic RandR support, etc.
Source: www.tecmint.com

bspwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Support for multiple windows, limited support for EWMH, automatic mode for automatically determining the location of app tiles, and configuration and control via messages are among the characteristics of bspwm.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
bspwm’s features include support for multiple windows, partial support for EWMH, automatic mode for automatically setting the position of app tiles, and it is configured and controlled through messages, among others.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, bspwm should be more popular than spectrwm. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

spectrwm mentions (12)

  • GTK Krell Monitors
    Does not help you but the question nerd sniped me to try it as an exercise in my preferred tiling WM spectrwm. https://github.com/conformal/spectrwm in .spectrwmrc add
        #shrink the region by 112 to allow space for the widget.
    - Source: Hacker News / 6 days ago
  • Rubywm: An X11 window manager in pure Ruby
    I am not sure what you want out of I3, but if it is "i3 configuration is too complicated" might I suggest spectrwm. I like it because it hits that sweet spot for a tilling WM between "more configurable than dwm" and "less configurable than i3" https://github.com/conformal/spectrwm Plus I find it handles multiple monitors well. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?
    I use the tiling WM spectrwm. It lets me pull windows out of tiling mode and into window mode. I think a common operation on most tiling window managers. Most of the time I don't want overlapping windows(thus the tiling WM) but every once in a while I do, so the best of both worlds. It is a bit obscure but I quite like spectrwm, it fills this sweet spot where it is much simpler than I3 but much more feature... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Easy window manager?
    Spectrwm is by far the easiest WM I've tested. Also Fluxbox is pretty much straightforward. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Which WM should I use ?
    Spectrwm is by far the most beginner-friendly WM I've ever tested. Im now running EXWM the buffers management is something else. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

bspwm mentions (21)

  • well... thinkpads are awesome
    Over on Linux, I’ve been learning kinda a-lot about linux tools and workflows. I've recently got into window managers, bspwm was my first one and I'm thinking of moving towards a Arch+Hyprland setup in future. Setting it up was way easier than I thought, and I got inspired by a YouTuber named jvscholz, who’s all about minimalism and productivity. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • What WM should I use?
    Use BSPWM. It supports right clicks by default and its modular. You might want to look for status bars that work with it, slstatus does not work. Good luck, supremacist! Source: about 2 years ago
  • What are some OpenSource apps that are the best of their kind?
    I had not heard of bspwm but I am a fan of telling WMs. Looking at the documentation now, I really like the pragmatic approach lol https://github.com/baskerville/bspwm. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Got some questions before moving to linux...
    I am not familiar with that distro at all, so no idea. KDE Plasma is fine, I use it myself (with BSPWM as my window manager, but that's irrelevant). Source: over 2 years ago
  • MacBook Setup - OS Ventura 13.1 - Samsung QLed 43” - VM: yabai - Terminal: Hyper
    There's a paradigm shift required for a lot of people to start using automatic tiling window managers. Yabai is basically a bspwm port for MacOS and it follows the rules of binary space partitioning. In fact, bspwm has a great diagram on its github readme that illustrates how it works. This will limit the number of windows you can have on any given desktop. To overcome this limitation you use multiple desktops. A... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing spectrwm and bspwm, you can also consider the following products

dwm - dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

Xmonad - xmonad is a dynamically tiling X11 window manager that is written and configured in Haskell.

Fluxbox - Fluxbox is a window manager for X that was based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code.

qtile - Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written in Python.

awesome - A dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages.