Comparison of X window managers

This article lists comparisons among X window managers.

Name	Capability/size	Language	License	Type	Configurable titlebar buttons	Graphical configuration	Hotkeys	ICCCM/EWMH compliant	Panel for window switching	Tabbed windows	Themeable
Kwin (KDE)	Heavyweight	C++ (Qt)	GPL	Compositing	Yes	built-in	built-in	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Metacity (GNOME)	Heavyweight	C, C++ (GTK+)	GPL	Compositing	Yes	built-in	built-in	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Compiz	Heavyweight	C (OpenGL)	MIT	Compositing	Yes	built-in	built-in		third-party	Yes	Yes
Xfwm (Xfce)	Middleweight	C, C++ (GTK+)	GPL, LGPL	Compositing	Yes	built-in	built-in	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Enlightenment	Middleweight	C	BSD	Stacking				Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Blackbox	Middleweight	C++	MIT	Stacking	No	third-party	with bbkeys	through 0.65 / from 0.70	Yes	No	Yes
Fluxbox	Middleweight	C++	MIT	Stacking	Yes	third-party	built-in		Yes	Yes	Yes
Openbox	Middleweight	C	GPL	Stacking	Yes	third-party	built-in	Yes / Yes	third-party	No	Yes
xmonad	Middleweight	Haskell	BSD	Tiling	Yes		built-in	Yes	third-party	Yes	Yes
awesome	Middleweight	C, Lua	GPL	Tiling and stacking	Yes	No	built-in	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
icewm	Middleweight	C++	GPL, LGPL	Stacking	Yes	third-party	built-in		Yes	Yes	Yes
FVWM	lightweight	C	GPL	Stacking	Yes	No	built-in	Yes	Yes	Yes	Third-party
Ion	Lightweight	C	LGPL with non-free clauses	Tiling and stacking	No	No	built-in		No	Yes	Yes
twm	Lightweight	C	MIT License	re-parenting
Matchbox	Minimal	C	GPL	Stacking							Yes
sithWM	Minimal	C	GPL	Stacking	No (no titlebar buttons)	No	built-in				Yes
evilwm	Minimal	C	AEWM	Stacking	No (no titlebar buttons)	No	No		No		Yes
dwm	Minimal	C	MIT	Tiling	No (no titlebar buttons)	No	built-in	Yes / No	Yes		Yes
WMFS	Minimal	C	BSD	Tiling	Yes	No	built-in	Yes / Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Musca	Minimal	C	GPL	Tiling	No	No	built-in		No	No	Yes
wmii	Minimal	C	MIT	Tiling	No	No	built-in		No	No	Yes

See also

• Comparison of X Window System desktop environments
• | Comparison of X window managers at Mark Hobley's GNU laboratory (From the United Kingdom of Great Britain Only)