Microsoft PowerToys vs Open-Shell (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Open-Shell grades higher than Microsoft PowerToys: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Open-Shell grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft PowerToys
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11
Free
Open-Shell
Free classic-style Start menu and Explorer tweaks for Windows
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Microsoft PowerToys if
- Fits if you want window layouts, a launcher and key remapping from one free install
- Works for people who rename files in bulk or resize images from the right-click menu
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, or on Windows 10 older than version 2004
- Not for you if you need key remaps at the log-in screen, per keyboard, or with PowerToys closed
- Tight if you wanted AI pasting to just work: it's off by default, and online providers need your own API key and may charge
- Watch out: FancyZones can't snap some apps, and elevated apps need PowerToys run as administrator
Pick Open-Shell if
- Fits if you want the old Windows Start menu back
- Works for people who like skins and a customised start button
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a help desk, as support is GitHub issues, Discussions, Gitter and Discord
- Watch out: the GitHub page warns against versions older than 4.4.196 on Windows for ARM because login can fail after reboot
- Watch out: the classic copy dialog applies to Windows 7 only
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, as it is Windows only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMicrosoft PowerToysGood | 3.0GPAOpen-ShellVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing. Every utility is free and open source under the MIT licence, a download anyone can run, with no paid edition to be nudged towards. | AFree, which is below anything in the category. |
| Free plan and trial | AAll of it is free, from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet, with no cap anywhere. The one thing that can cost money is pasting with AI, and only if you connect an online model provider that charges for usage. | AFree outright with no cap, released on GitHub. |
| Features | BMore than 30 utilities in one install, covering jobs people usually buy separate apps for: window layouts, a launcher, key remapping, bulk renaming, a colour picker, OCR off the screen. What keeps it off top marks is the rough edges, like remaps that stop when PowerToys isn't running. | BClassic Start menu, Explorer toolbar and status bar, skins and custom start buttons, with stable and nightly builds. The classic copy dialog works on Windows 7 only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and there's setting up to do: you enable the utilities you want, draw FancyZones layouts in its grid or canvas editor, and define your own remaps. Apps running elevated need PowerToys run as administrator before FancyZones will snap them. | BNo rating on record. Install it and the menu replaces the default. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only: Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, on x64 or ARM64. Advanced Paste can connect to OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Mistral or Ollama, and it installs through WinGet. Nothing for Mac or Linux. | DWindows only. Windows only; no Mac, Linux, phone or web version. |
| Best for | a free box of Windows extras from Microsoft | a classic Start menu on Windows |
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: Microsoft PowerToys and Open-Shell. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft PowerToys also covers window management, file management and keyboard and mouse remapping.
In commonFree planWindowsOpen sourceLauncher
At a glance
| Microsoft PowerToys | Open-Shell | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Every utility is free and open source; there is no paid edition. Optional AI pasting can incur usage charges from the model provider you connect. | The whole project is free; releases are published on GitHub. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Open-Shell |
| Price read from | learn.microsoft.com | open-shell.github.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Microsoft PowerToys
- Windows only: it needs Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer on a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 processor.
- Paste with AI is off by default and needs a model provider; online providers require your own API key and may charge for usage.
- Keyboard Manager remaps apply only while PowerToys is running, do not work on the log-in screen and cannot differ between keyboards.
- FancyZones cannot snap some listed apps, and apps running elevated need PowerToys to run as administrator.
Open-Shell
- Windows only. The classic copy dialog applies to Windows 7 alone.
- The GitHub page warns against installing versions older than 4.4.196 on Windows for ARM, because login can fail after a reboot.
- Support is through GitHub issues, Discussions, Gitter and Discord rather than a vendor help desk.
Key features
Microsoft PowerToys
- FancyZones
- A window manager for custom zone layouts. Hold Shift while dragging a window to snap it into a zone, or let Win+arrow keys move windows between zones. Layouts are built in a grid or canvas editor.
- Command Palette
- A launcher opened with Win+Alt+Space that starts apps, runs commands, searches files and the web, calculates and switches windows. Community extensions install from a built-in Extension Gallery.
- Keyboard Manager
- Remaps single keys and shortcuts, globally or for one app, and can map a key or shortcut to a text sequence, an app launch or a URI.
- Advanced Paste
- Pastes clipboard content as plain text, Markdown, JSON or a file, extracts text from images with local OCR, and can transform text through an optional AI provider that you configure.
- File Explorer tools
- PowerRename renames files in bulk with search and replace or regular expressions, Image Resizer resizes images from the right-click menu, and File Locksmith shows which processes are using a file.
- Screen and text tools
- Color Picker samples colors anywhere on screen, Text Extractor copies on-screen text with OCR, Screen Ruler measures pixels, and ZoomIt zooms, annotates and records the screen for presentations.
Open-Shell
- Classic Start menu
- A classic-style Start menu for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11.
- Explorer toolbar
- Adds a toolbar to Windows Explorer.
- Explorer status bar
- Shows file size and disk space in the Explorer status bar.
- Skins and custom start buttons
- The project site has guides for skinning the Start menu and for custom Start buttons.
- Stable and nightly builds
- A stable release and a nightly build are both offered for download.
Plans
Microsoft PowerToys
PowerToys$0
All utilities, installed from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Free and open source under the MIT license.
Open-Shell
Free$0
All components, with stable releases and nightly builds on GitHub.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft PowerToys or Open-Shell?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Microsoft PowerToys and Open-Shell are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Microsoft PowerToys or Open-Shell?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Microsoft PowerToys and Open-Shell 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.