Stacking Window Managers

22 Best Free and Open Source Stacking Window Managers

A window manager is software that manages the windows that applications bring up. For example, when you start an application, there will be a window manager running in the background, responsible for the placement and appearance of windows.

It is important not to confuse a window manager with a desktop environment. A desktop environment typically consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers, and desktop widgets. They provide a collection of libraries and applications made to operate cohesively together. A desktop environment contains its own window manager.

There are a few different types of window managers. This article focuses on stacking window managers which are also known as floating window managers. This is a type of window manager that draws all windows in a specific order, allowing them to overlap, using a technique called painter’s algorithm. All window managers that allow the overlapping of windows but are not compositing window managers are considered stacking window managers, although they can use different methods.

Stacking window managers allow windows to overlap by drawing them one at a time. Stacking, or repainting (in reference to painter’s algorithm) refers to the rendering of each window as an image, painted directly over the desktop, and over any other windows that might already have been drawn, effectively erasing the areas that are covered. The process usually starts with the desktop, and proceeds by drawing each window and any child windows from back to front, until finally the foreground window is drawn.

Our verdict is captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. All of the window managers featured here are free and open source software.

Ratings chart for the best free and open source stacking window managers

Click the links in the table below to learn more about each window manager.

Stacking Window Managers
OpenboxStandards compliant, fast, light-weight, extensible window manager
KWinWindow manager for the KDE Plasma Desktop
MutterWayland display server and X11 window manager and compositor library
FVWMPowerful ICCCM-compliant multiple virtual desktop window manager
berryHealthy, bite-sized window manager
xfwmPart of the Xfce desktop environment
CompizOpenGL window and compositing manager
WormTiny, dynamic, tag-based window manager
Window MakerNeXTSTEP-like window manager
sowmItsy bitsy floating window manager
JWMJoe’s Window Manager
GalaDesigned by elementary for use with Pantheon
FluxboxHighly configurable and low resource
cwmOpenBSD fork of calmwn, a clean and lightweight window manager
IceWMWin95-OS/2-Motif-like window manager
BlackboxSimilar to the NeXT interface and Window Maker
EnlightenmentFocuses on pushing the limits of existing technologies
PekWMOriginally based on the aewm++ window manager
evilwmMaximises screen real estate and provides good keyboard control
MarcoMATE default window manager
2bwmOffers 2 borders, and written over the XCB library
SawfishExtensible window manager using an Emacs Lisp-like scripting language

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Earl Parker II
Earl Parker II
3 years ago

The mcwm window manager should definitely be in this list. I tried sowm, which works fine, but I like mcwm even better.

Bert C
Bert C
3 years ago
Reply to  Earl Parker II

No it shouldn’t. Just because you like it doesn’t mean it should be included. I wouldn’t include it for lots of reasons. For example, the project is essentially abandoned and offers nothing different to that provided by the other minimalist window managers.

Earl Parker II
Earl Parker II
3 years ago
Reply to  Bert C

Perhaps not, and yes it is abondoned. However, if an application works well for me I usually am not too concerned about it – the code is set and not likely to be updated, which means that the application will probably continue working well.

I installed sowm and berry as well. Sowm worked very well… berry was OK too. I just liked mcwm for it’s extreme ease of configuration plus it provided window borders out of the box.

I only suggested it as I thought someone else with priorities similar to mine might be looking for a the same type of window manager and would enjoy taking mcwm for a test drive.

Clive Taylor
Clive Taylor
3 years ago
Reply to  Earl Parker II

Given that you didn’t originally state what your priorities were, how was anyone to judge whether the window manager might be remotely suitable for them? After all, there’s tons of abandoned window managers out there that probably a few people still use and like. But they are really like fingerprints on an abandoned handrail.

Bo Gren
Bo Gren
3 years ago

Why not more Wayland DE:s

Ararat
Ararat
3 years ago

those -box ones are really great, minimal and blazing fast and highly customizable, especially when Crunchbang was very popular, that was the time when Openbox was the real star.