Hyprland vs Sway (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hyprland and Sway share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Hyprland if
- Fits if you want tiling with window animations on Linux
- Works for people who script their desktop through plugins or IPC
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or macOS, as it is Linux only
- Not for you if you need X11 apps to just work, since they depend on compatibility layers
- Too light for anyone who wants settings screens, because setup is text config
- Watch out: plugins are written in C++
Pick Sway if
- Fits if you used i3 and are moving to Wayland
- Works for Linux users who want a plain keyboard-first tiling setup
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or macOS, as the site gives no version for them
- Not for you if you want graphical settings, since setup is by config file
- Tight if you are new to Linux, because documentation is mainly manpages
- Watch out: it is Wayland only, so X11 sessions need i3 instead
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHyprlandGood | 2.6GPASwayGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download under the BSD-3-Clause license with no paid edition. | AFree to download under the MIT license with no paid edition. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free to download and run, with no cap and no paid edition. | AThe whole program is free to download and run, with no cap and no paid edition. |
| Features | BDynamic tiling, plugins, IPC, groups, special workspaces and gestures, with no core gap on the listing. | BAn i3-compatible tiling grid driven from the keyboard, with nothing missing on the listing for a tiling manager. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record, and setup is by editing text config files. | DNo rating on record, and it is set up through a config file and manpages. |
| Platforms and integrations | DLinux on Wayland only, with no other operating system and no integrations listed. | DLinux on Wayland only, with no other operating system and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | a tiling Wayland desktop with animations | an i3-style tiling setup on Wayland |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hyprland and Sway. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hyprland has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sway has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other window managers and launchers on the chart, none scores higher than Hyprland for less, and none scores higher than Sway for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Where they differ
At a glance
| Hyprland | Sway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Hyprland project | Sway project |
| Price read from | hypr.land | swaywm.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hyprland
- Wayland only, so apps that need X11 depend on compatibility layers.
- Setup is done by editing text config files.
Sway
- Wayland only; the site gives no Windows or macOS version.
- Documentation is mainly manpages, and setup is by config file.
Key features
Hyprland
- Dynamic tiling
- Automatic tiling with several layouts that can be fine-tuned.
- Animations
- Offers animated window transitions that the site highlights.
- Live-reloading config
- Configuration changes apply when the file is saved.
- Plugins
- Official and community plugins, which can be written in C++.
- IPC and gestures
- Socket-based IPC, global shortcuts, window groups, special workspaces and touchpad gestures.
Sway
- i3 compatibility
- Reads existing i3 configuration and supports most i3 features.
- Tiling grid
- Arranges windows logically in a grid by default, controllable from the keyboard.
- Wayland compositor
- Runs as a Wayland compositor rather than on X11.
- Manpage documentation
- Documented through manpages, with a wiki and support chat linked.
Plans
Hyprland
Free$0
Free software; the project publishes its source and lists no paid edition.
Sway
Free$0
Free software; the project publishes its source and lists no paid edition.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyprland or Sway?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hyprland and Sway are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Hyprland or Sway?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hyprland and Sway have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.