Fences vs Rainmeter (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Fences if

• Fits if your Windows desktop is buried under shortcuts and loose files
• Works for people who want new files on the desktop filed into boxes by rules

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it's Windows 10 and 11 only
• Not for you if you dislike software that switches off, because the subscription copy stops working when it lapses
• Tight if you have more than one PC, since the Single plan covers one device and up to 5 PCs need Multi-Device
• Watch out: the $29.99 Steam license is permanent but stops at 6.x updates, and more devices are a $19.99 add-on
• Watch out: Multi-Device and Object Desktop prices aren't shown in US dollars, and business pricing is built per order

Pick Rainmeter if

• Fits if you want live system stats on a custom Windows desktop
• Works for hobbyists who like editing their own skins

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you are on Mac or Linux, as it is Windows only
• Not for you if you want a finished look out of the box, as only a few starter skins ship with it
• Watch out: skins from outside rainmeter.net are downloaded at your own risk, the site warns
• Too light for support, as help comes from forums and Discord

Fences

• Windows 10 and 11 only, including ARM devices; no Mac or Linux version is listed.
• A copy bought as a subscription stops working if the subscription is allowed to lapse.
• A permanent license covers Fences 6 and its 6.x updates but not later major versions, and the Steam edition is permanent-license only.
• The Single plan covers one device; running Fences on up to 5 PCs needs the Multi-Device plan or a 5-pack license.

Rainmeter

• Windows 7 or above only.
• Skins from sources other than rainmeter.net are downloaded at the user's own risk, as the site warns.
• Beyond a few starter skins, getting a finished look usually means finding or building skins and tweaking them by hand.

Fences

Fence groups

Desktop icons, files and folders sit in shaded areas whose size, color, transparency and sorting can be changed. A fence can be rolled up to keep its contents out of sight until needed.

Automatic sorting rules

Rules place new desktop items into fences by file type, name, time or target location, for example collecting every screenshot in one fence.

Folder Portals

Mirror any folder, including cloud and network folders, onto the desktop as a fence, so its contents can be reached without opening File Explorer.

Peek

Pressing the Windows key and Space brings your fences on top of all open windows for quick access to files, folders and applications.

Tabs, Icon Tint and Chameleon

Fences 6 stacks several fences together as tabs, applies a uniform color tint to desktop icons, and can fade icons into the background to reduce visual noise.

Business deployment

Fences 6 for Business adds tooling to deploy configurations from network drives, content locking, single-key activation and centralized activation management.

Rainmeter

Desktop skins

Displays customizable skins directly on the desktop, such as clocks, weather, system meters and audio visualizers.

Hardware usage meters

Skins can read system statistics like CPU, memory and network use.

Own skins

Skins are written in a simple language, so users can modify existing ones or build new ones.

Community skin library

The vendor points to DeviantArt, Reddit, its own forums and Discord as places to find skins.

Light resource use

The site says it uses very little hardware resources on Windows 7 through Windows 11.

Documentation

A getting-started guide and a documentation site cover the skin language and the app.

Fences

• Single$9.99

  per year (US dollar price in the page's metadata)

  A 1 Year Subscription for one device, kept on the latest version. Read from India, the page showed ₹1,025.22 with ₹1,206.00 crossed out.

• Multi-Device₹2,411.00

  per year, as shown to a visitor in India

  A 1 Year Subscription with one key and 5 simultaneous activations. The US dollar price could not be read.

• Fences 6 on Steam$29.99

  one-time purchase (US Steam store)

  A permanent license for Fences 6 with a 1 PC activation limit. It gets 6.x updates but not later major versions. A Multi-Device Upgrade add-on is $19.99.

• Object Desktop₹4,820.82

  per year, as shown to a visitor in India

  Stardock's suite of more than a dozen apps including Fences, with up to 5 active installs. Shown with ₹6,026.00 crossed out.

• Fences 6 for BusinessCustom

  Priced in an order builder by number of licenses, with volume discounts, single or per-machine keys and a year of maintenance and premium support.

Rainmeter

• Free$0

  Open source under the GNU GPL v2 license; no paid edition is listed.

Fences

• Other savings

  Upgrade pricing for owners of earlier versions

  Owners of Fences 3, 4 or 5 can check their eligibility on the product page for a discounted upgrade to Fences 6. The amount is shown after the check.

Rainmeter

No public discounts listed.