Actual Window Manager vs WindowTop (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Actual Window Manager if

• Fits if you run several monitors on Windows
• Works for people who want a taskbar on each screen

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a free tool, as there is no free tier past the 60-day trial
• Pricey if you only need one piece, since the vendor also sells those as separate products
• Watch out: the licence includes only one year of free updates
• Not for you if you use a Mac, Linux or Windows on ARM64

Pick WindowTop if

• Fits if you keep a video or notes window floating above your work
• Works for people who want see-through windows on Windows

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you use it for work on the free edition, as business use needs Pro
• Tight if you want picture-in-picture or anchors free, since those are Pro
• Watch out: the Microsoft Store version has no trial
• Watch out: the vendor says dark mode may be unstable on Windows 10 and glass mode can be slow at 4K

Actual Window Manager

• Windows only; the vendor says ARM64 is not supported.
• The license includes 1 year of free updates; the order page lists the subscription as free for that year only.
• The suite is broad, and the vendor also sells its pieces, such as Actual Multiple Monitors, as separate products.
• There is no free tier; use beyond the 60-day trial needs a license.

WindowTop

• The free edition is for personal, non-commercial use only; business use needs a Pro license.
• Windows only, and 64-bit only; dark mode and glass mode need Windows 10 or later.
• The vendor says dark mode is stable on Windows 11 and may be unstable on Windows 10, and that glass mode can be slow at 4K.
• A Pro license covers 3 computers per user; teams and companies are pointed to a separate license plan.

Actual Window Manager

Taskbar on every monitor

Adds a full taskbar to each display, plus separate wallpapers and screen savers for each monitor.

Virtual desktops

Unlimited additional desktops, with Classic and Independent modes for multiple monitors.

Per-window rules

Sets startup mode, position and priority for individual windows, and can make a window ignore deactivation.

Extra title buttons

Adds buttons such as minimize to tray, move to the next monitor, always on top and resize.

Desktop Divider

Splits a monitor or the whole desktop into tiles that maximized windows fill, with custom layouts that can be switched on the fly.

Desktop mirroring

Shows a window, a monitor or a custom part of the desktop in a separate window on another monitor.

WindowTop

Always on top

Keeps any window above others and can mark it with a colored border whose color and thickness are adjustable.

Opacity and click-through

Makes a window see-through and lets mouse clicks pass through it to what sits behind, for tracing or referencing.

Picture-in-picture and crop

Pro turns a window into a floating view, lets you interact with it there and crop it to a region, which can be detected automatically since version 5.29.

Anchors

Pro places clickable anchors on screen to bring a window forward in one click, which the vendor presents as quicker than Alt+Tab.

Dark mode and glass mode

Applies a dark theme to windows that have none and offers separate opacity and blur settings for backgrounds, text and images.

Saved window settings

Pro remembers per-window settings, such as always on top, and supports white and black lists of programs.

Actual Window Manager

• Single license$59.95

  one-time, per copy

  Includes a 1-year free updates subscription and a 30-day money-back guarantee; volume discounts start at 2 copies (10% off).

WindowTop

• Free$0

  Always on top and opacity for personal, non-commercial use.

• Pro$19

  one-time, for 3 computers per user

  Unlocks picture-in-picture, anchors, saved window settings, fuller dark mode and commercial use. The Microsoft Store version costs more.