Microsoft PowerToys vs Windhawk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft PowerToys and Windhawk share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and 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.
Microsoft PowerToys
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11
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 Windhawk if
- Fits if you want to change small things in Explorer or the taskbar
- Works for people who can read a mod's source before installing it
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac or Linux, as only Windows is listed
- Watch out: mods come from community authors, so what each one changes depends on who wrote it
- Watch out: some mods target specific Windows versions, like the Windows 11 Start menu styler
- Skip it if you want one supported tool, since there is no vendor help desk on record
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMicrosoft PowerToysGood | 2.8GPAWindhawkGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 under GPL-3.0. Nothing to pay, below any category price. |
| 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 to download with no cap. No trial clock and no paid tier. |
| 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. | BA mod marketplace with per-program targeting and options for each mod, running in the background. The job is wide and the listing shows no gap. |
| 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. | CNo rating on record. Mods install in a couple of clicks, but you have to pick and trust them one by one. |
| 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; no Mac or Linux version. Windows only; no Mac or Linux version is listed, and no phone or web one. |
| Best for | a free box of Windows extras from Microsoft | tweaking the Windows shell with community mods |
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 Windhawk. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft PowerToys also covers launcher, file management and keyboard and mouse remapping.
In commonFree planWindowsOpen sourceWindow management
At a glance
| Microsoft PowerToys | Windhawk | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Free to download; the project is released under the GPL-3.0 license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Ramen Software |
| Price read from | learn.microsoft.com | windhawk.net |
| 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.
Windhawk
- Windows only; no macOS or Linux version is listed.
- Mods are written by community authors, so what a mod changes depends on its author.
- Some mods target specific Windows versions, such as the Windows 11 Start menu styler.
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.
Windhawk
- Mod marketplace
- Browse and install community mods from inside the app. The home page features mods such as a Start menu styler and a vertical taskbar for Windows 11.
- Mods as source code
- Each mod comes as source code that you can read before installing, so you can check what it does.
- Per-program targeting
- Every mod lists the programs it applies to, for example explorer.exe or StartMenuExperienceHost.exe.
- Options for each mod
- Mods are customized through options in the interface; the vendor says no computer expertise is needed.
- Runs in the background
- The vendor says it is designed to run constantly without a noticeable impact on the system.
Plans
Microsoft PowerToys
PowerToys$0
All utilities, installed from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Free and open source under the MIT license.
Windhawk
Free$0
Free to download and use, with all listed mods.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft PowerToys or Windhawk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Microsoft PowerToys and Windhawk are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Microsoft PowerToys or Windhawk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Microsoft PowerToys and Windhawk 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.