Skip to content
ToolGPA

Alternatives · Windows & Launchers

Awesome alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Awesome alternative is Vicinae (2.8 GPA). It's also the best free one.

Awesome compared with 5 alternatives: i3, Sway, Hyprland, Vicinae and Ulauncher.

Awesome is free to use. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.

Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
AwesomeThis toolFreeFreeLinux
i3FreeFreeLinux
SwayFreeFreeLinux
HyprlandFreeFreeLinux
VicinaeFreeFreemacOS, Windows, Linux
UlauncherFreeFreeLinux

Price against what you get

Awesome has no paid plan and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.

i3, Sway, Hyprland, Vicinae and Ulauncher score higher without starting lower.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessAwesomei3SwayHyprlandVicinae

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of window managers and launchers, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Awesome

  1. i3

    Tiling window manager for X11 on Linux and BSD

    • i3 is free.

    Suits: Linux users who want a keyboard-driven tiling layout on X11

    i3 vs Awesomei3 pricing and details

  2. Sway

    i3-compatible tiling Wayland compositor

    • Sway is free.

    Suits: i3 users moving from X11 to Wayland

    Sway vs AwesomeSway pricing and details

  3. Hyprland

    Dynamic tiling Wayland compositor with animations

    • Hyprland is free.

    Suits: Linux users who want a tiling compositor with visual effects

    Hyprland vs AwesomeHyprland pricing and details

  4. Vicinae

    Keyboard-driven launcher for Linux, macOS and Windows

    • Vicinae is free.
    • Vicinae also lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Vicinae also covers launcher, clipboard manager and calculator.

    Suits: Linux users who want a Raycast-style launcher

    Vicinae vs AwesomeVicinae pricing and details

  5. Ulauncher

    Open-source application launcher for Linux with extensions

    • Ulauncher is free.
    • Ulauncher also covers launcher.
    • Ulauncher does not cover window management, which Awesome does.

    Suits: Linux desktop users who want a lightweight launcher

    Ulauncher vs AwesomeUlauncher pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Awesome

  • X11 only; the project site shows 4.3 as the stable docs version and its page was last edited in 2022.
  • Needs configuration in Lua to get much beyond the defaults.
Awesome pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Awesome?

The alternatives to Awesome in this directory are i3, Sway, Hyprland, Vicinae and Ulauncher. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Awesome.

Is there a free alternative to Awesome?

Yes. i3, Sway, Hyprland, Vicinae and Ulauncher are free to use.

Which Awesome alternatives work on Windows?

The Awesome listing does not include a Windows app. Vicinae lists one.

Which Awesome alternatives work on macOS?

The Awesome listing does not include a macOS app. Vicinae lists one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.