spectrwm VS Xmonad

Compare spectrwm VS Xmonad and see what are their differences

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spectrwm

spectrwm is a small dynamic tiling window manager for X11.

Xmonad

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

Landing page //
2023-10-01

Landing page //
2022-04-01

spectrwm

Website: github.com
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Xmonad

Website: xmonad.org
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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.

Xmonad features and specs

Highly Customizable
Xmonad is written in Haskell and allows for extensive customization. Users can write custom configurations and extensions to tailor the window manager to their exact needs.
Efficient and Minimalist
Xmonad is designed to be efficient and lightweight. It uses minimal system resources, making it ideal for older hardware or systems where performance is a priority.
Keyboard-Centric
Xmonad is optimized for keyboard operation, providing a highly efficient and fast way to manage windows without relying on a mouse, which can improve productivity.
Tiling Window Manager
As a tiling window manager, Xmonad automatically arranges windows to use screen space efficiently, reducing the need to manually resize and position windows.
Stable and Reliable
Xmonad is known for its stability and reliability, with a strong track record of stable releases and robust performance.

Possible disadvantages of Xmonad

Steep Learning Curve
New users may find Xmonad difficult to learn due to its reliance on Haskell for customization and a lack of graphical configuration tools.
Limited Out-of-the-Box Functionality
Xmonad comes with a very basic setup by default, requiring significant configuration and customization to fully utilize its capabilities.
Haskell Knowledge Required
Customization of Xmonad requires knowledge of Haskell, which can be a barrier for users unfamiliar with the language.
Sparse Community and Documentation
Compared to more popular window managers, Xmonad has a smaller community and less extensive documentation, which can make troubleshooting and learning more challenging.
Not Newbie-Friendly
Xmonad is not the most user-friendly option for beginners. Its lack of GUI tools and reliance on command-line configuration can be intimidating for new users.

spectrwm videos

+ Add

Spectrwm Is An Impressive Tiling Window Manager

Xmonad videos

+ Add

Xmonad Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to spectrwm and Xmonad)

Xmonad

Window Manager

41 41%

Window Manager

59% 59

Linux

36 36%

Linux

64% 64

Utilities

39 39%

Utilities

61% 61

100 100%

0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using spectrwm and Xmonad. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

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

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

Xmonad Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022

XMonad is a dynamic tiling X11 window manager that allows you to automate window finding and alignment. It may be customised with its own extension library, which includes choices for status bars and window decorations. It’s also simple to set up, stable, and minimal.

Source: www.hubtech.org

13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux

spectrwm is a small, dynamic, xmonad, and dwm-inspired reparenting and tiling window manager built for X11 to be fast, compact, and concise. It was created with the aim of solving the issues of xmonad and dwm face.

Source: www.tecmint.com

5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux

Xmonad is a tiling window manager written in Haskell. Like most (if not all) window managers, it comes with no frills or window decorations. The keyboard shortcuts are top notch. It works out-of-the-box and is very user friendly. On top of all that, Xmonad sports a fairly big extension library (which can add on even more functionality).

Source: www.maketecheasier.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Xmonad might be a bit more popular than spectrwm. We know about 15 links to it since March 2021 and only 12 links to spectrwm. 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 / 4 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

Xmonad mentions (15)

Rubywm: An X11 window manager in pure Ruby
If you want tiling, but i3 requires too much manual work, you might like the more managed layouts that are the default in XMonad: https://xmonad.org/ XMonad works fine with multiple monitors. Each monitor displays one of the many virtual desktops. The normal keys for desktops and for windows work pretty intuitively with multiple monitors. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
[Media] shrs: a shell that is configurable and extensible in rust
Hey everyone 👋 ! I'm currently working on a rust library for building and configuring your own shell! It's inspired by projects like xmonad and penrose where the configuration of the program is done in code. This means that for example, instead of using Bash's arcane syntax for configuring the prompt, it can be configured instead using a rust builder pattern! The project itself is still at a very young stage, so... Source: about 2 years ago
What LaTeX setup do you use?
There are a few other things I could mention, but there are more like side issues, and not relevant to my actual LaTeX setup. First and foremost—and thus perhaps noteworthy after all—is bibliography management with arxiv-citation (see here for more words). This is integrated very well with the XMonad window manager, which makes it even more of a joy to use. Source: about 2 years ago
How to map arrows keys to CapsLock+(h,i,j,k) shortcuts in i3
Another way to do it (and works on Linux and other platforms) is with XMonad, defining Caps Lock as a layer key. Source: almost 3 years ago
Can ISTP like abstract things and theories?
I tried it once, it was alright. https://xmonad.org/ But I prefer to build my own. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing spectrwm and Xmonad, 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.

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

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

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

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

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