The Fences Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Fences in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Fences
The Insider’s Guide
Windows desktop organizer that groups icons into shaded areas
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from Fences’s own pages.
Made by Stardock · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Fences’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Fences’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade
Fences is a Windows desktop organizer from Stardock. It places desktop icons, files and folders in shaded areas called fences, which can be sorted automatically by rules, stacked as tabs or rolled up out of sight. Folder Portals mirror any folder onto the desktop, and Peek brings the fences on top of open windows with a shortcut. Fences 6 is sold as a one-year subscription or as a permanent license for that version, and is also part of the Object Desktop suite.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Fences, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Windows key and Space brings your fences to the front.
- 1
Best for tidying a crowded Windows desktop
Fences is a Stardock app that puts Windows desktop icons into shaded boxes that can sort themselves by rules.
- 2
Paid plans start at $0.83 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $9.99 per year (Single, 1 Year Subscription).
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial download
- 4
It runs on Windows
Windows.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 94
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Fences at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $9.99 per year (Single, 1 Year Subscription)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial download
- Runs on
- Windows
- Made by
- Stardock, since 1991
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for tidying a crowded Windows desktop
Fences is a Stardock app that puts Windows desktop icons into shaded boxes that can sort themselves by rules. It's $9.99 a year for one PC after a 30-day trial, and the subscription copy stops working if you let it lapse. The $29.99 permanent license stops at 6.x updates, more PCs mean a dearer plan whose dollar price isn't shown, and there's nothing for Mac or Linux.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $9.99 a year for one PC works out at 83 cents a month, under half the low end of this category. Rather pay once? Fences 6 on Steam is $29.99, though that licence stops at 6.x updates, and the Multi-Device Upgrade add-on is another $19.99. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There's no free version. You get a 30-day free trial download, and the listing doesn't say whether it asks for a card. After that it's pay or stop. |
| Features | C | Tidying a desktop is a small job and Fences covers it: shaded boxes you resize, colour and roll up, rules that file new items by type, name or time, Folder Portals, Peek on Windows and Space, and tabs in version 6. Nothing outside the desktop, and a lapsed subscription stops it working. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up beyond a normal Windows install, and once the rules are in they do the sorting for you. Windows key and Space brings your fences to the front. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Windows 10 and 11 only, ARM devices included, so a single operating system. No Mac or Linux version is listed, and the listing shows no integrations. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Fences is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Windows users whose desktop is crowded with shortcuts and files
- Keeping game launchers, school work or project files in separate groups
- IT teams that want the same organized desktop on every company PC
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$0.83
A month to start, paid by the year
Fences is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9.99 per year (Single, 1 Year Subscription).
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 Business
Custom
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.
Trying it first
30-day free trial download
Read from stardock.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on stardock.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Windows
Windows desktop organizer that groups icons into shaded areas. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, file management.
Nothing outside the desktop, and a lapsed subscription stops it working.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Windows
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Fences is made by Stardock, and has been around since 1991.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
18/94
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
Fences's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 24 of 94) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $0.83 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 2 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Fences’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 94
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 94
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 94
- BEase of useAbove 33 of 94
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 55 desktop utilities. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Fences is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Fences sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $9.99 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could not
- A file manager working directly on your disk.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Fences’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
DisplayFusion, Microsoft PowerToys, Files and Hazel
The 4 tools Fences is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
DisplayFusion
Free plan · from $34 one-time
Multi-monitor taskbars, wallpaper and window control for Windows.
- DisplayFusion has a free plan. Fences does not, though it has a free trial.
- Fences also covers file management.
- DisplayFusion also covers window management and display control.
- 2.8GPA
Microsoft PowerToys
Free
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11.
- Microsoft PowerToys has a free plan. Fences does not, though it has a free trial.
- Fences can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Microsoft PowerToys is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Files
Free plan · from $12.99 one-time
Open-source file manager for Windows with tabs and dual pane.
- Files has a free plan. Fences does not, though it has a free trial.
- Fences can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Files is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.0GPA
Hazel
Free trial · from $42 one-time
Rule-based automatic file organization for the Mac.
- Only Fences lists a Windows app.
- Only Hazel lists a macOS app.
- Hazel also covers workflow automation and disk cleanup.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Fences free?
No, Fences is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial download.
How much does Fences cost?
Fences lists 5 plans. Single: $9.99 per year (US dollar price in the page's metadata).
What platforms does Fences work on?
Fences is available on Windows.
Does Fences offer any discounts?
Fences publicly lists the following: Upgrade pricing for owners of earlier versions.
Does Fences have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Fences is listed for Windows.
Does Fences have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Fences is listed for Windows.
Is Fences open source?
Fences is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Who makes Fences?
Fences is made by Stardock. It dates from 1991.
What are the alternatives to Fences?
The closest alternatives to Fences in our directory are DisplayFusion, Microsoft PowerToys, Files and Hazel.
How does Fences compare with other desktop utilities?
Fences's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
Is Fences good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Fences A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $0.83 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 2 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Fences?
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Fences’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Stardock's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-17.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Stardock. Prices change, so check stardock.com before you buy.
- stardock.com/products/fences/
- stardock.com/js/buildorder/1.0.0/byo.html?pid=fences6-corp&qty=1&st=support-subscription&kt=single&productPath=fences&bookingid=
- store.steampowered.com/app/3165690/Fences_6/?cc=us&l=english
- forums.stardock.com/534855/fences-6-upgrade-faq
- stardock.com/news/535945/stardock-releases-fences-6
- stardock.com/blog/511861/how-to-try-any-stardock-software-for-free
- stardock.com/about/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Fences, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/fences
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Fences: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/fences
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/fences/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded desktop utilities after Fences, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Desktop Utilities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 95 desktop utilities we grade, compared
- LocalSend Insider's GuideOpen-source file sharing between nearby devices, no cloud3.2 GPA
- Ninite Insider's GuideInstalls and updates many Windows apps at once3.2 GPA
- 7-Zip Insider's GuideFree, open-source file archiver with the 7z format3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Fences’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Fences is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Stardock. Prices and plans change: check stardock.com before you buy.