Rainmeter vs Wallpaper Engine (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Rainmeter and Wallpaper Engine share a 2.6 GPA, and only Rainmeter has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Rainmeter grades higher on the free plan. Wallpaper Engine grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Wallpaper Engine
Animated live wallpapers for Windows, bought once on Steam
From $4.99 one-time
Which one is for you
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
Pick Wallpaper Engine if
- Fits if you want animated backgrounds on a Windows desktop
- Works for people who want to build and share their own wallpapers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try before buying, as there is no trial
- Not for you if you use Mac or Linux, as the main app is Windows 10 and 11 only
- Watch out: Steam is needed to download or upload Workshop wallpapers and to install updates
- Watch out: the Android app can't make wallpapers, it only receives them
How we grade them
| 2.6GPARainmeterGood | 2.6GPAWallpaper EngineGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, open source under GPL v2 since 2001, under 60% of the cheaper quarter. | A$4.99 once, no subscription, and one purchase covers all your computers. That is far under the category's cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free, with no paid edition listed. | FNo free plan and no trial. The Android app is free but only works with wallpapers sent from a Windows computer. |
| Features | CSkins, hardware meters and a skin language. The finished look depends on skins you find or write, so it is a toolkit more than a finished product. | BLive wallpapers, a Workshop library, automatic pausing, playlists, an editor and RGB sync. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The site says a finished look usually means finding or building skins and tweaking them by hand. | BNo rating on record. You install it from Steam and subscribe to wallpapers. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows 7 or above only. No Mac, Linux or phone version. | BWindows 10 and 11, plus an Android companion app. The Android app only receives wallpapers, and the listed integrations are Steam, iCUE and Chroma. |
| Best for | custom desktop skins on Windows | animated wallpapers on a Windows desktop |
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: Rainmeter and Wallpaper Engine. How we grade
Where they differ
- Rainmeter is open source, according to its own site.
- Wallpaper Engine can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Rainmeter also covers system monitor.
- Wallpaper Engine also covers templates.
In commonWindowsWorks offline
At a glance
| Rainmeter | Wallpaper Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 one-time |
| Free plan | The full app is free, open source software under the GNU GPL v2 license. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Rainmeter | Wallpaper Engine Team |
| Price read from | rainmeter.net | store.steampowered.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Wallpaper Engine
- The main app is Windows 10 and 11 only; the Android app only receives wallpapers sent from a Windows computer.
- Steam is needed to download or upload Workshop wallpapers and to install updates, though core features run without it.
- The price was read from the Steam store listing, which the vendor's site links to for purchase.
Key features
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.
Wallpaper Engine
- Live wallpapers
- Animate your own images or import videos and websites as desktop wallpapers.
- Steam Workshop library
- The vendor says hundreds of thousands of wallpapers are free to subscribe to through the Steam Workshop.
- Automatic pausing
- Pauses or unloads the wallpaper while a game or maximized app is running, and can pause on laptop battery power.
- Playlists and slideshows
- Changes the wallpaper at set intervals or times of day, at sign-in, or when a chosen app launches.
- Editor
- Builds animated scenes with a particle system editor and SceneScript for custom behavior.
- RGB lighting sync
- Can control Corsair iCUE and Razer Chroma hardware to match the wallpaper.
Plans
Rainmeter
Free$0
Open source under the GNU GPL v2 license; no paid edition is listed.
Wallpaper Engine
Wallpaper Engine$4.99
one-time, no subscription
Windows app with Steam Workshop wallpapers, install on as many computers as you like. The Android app is free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Rainmeter or Wallpaper Engine?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Rainmeter is free, and Wallpaper Engine starts at $4.99 one-time.
Which has a free plan, Rainmeter or Wallpaper Engine?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Rainmeter has a free plan. Wallpaper Engine does not.
Which platforms do Rainmeter and Wallpaper Engine run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Wallpaper Engine lists an Android app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.