# Open-Shell review (2026): is it any good? > Free classic-style Start menu and Explorer tweaks for Windows Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Open-Shell is a set of free Windows add-ons that bring back older interface parts, chiefly a classic-style Start menu. It also adds a toolbar and a status bar to Windows Explorer. The project continues the Classic Shell software by Ivo Beltchev and is published under the MIT license on GitHub. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** Open-Shell - **Website:** https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/ - **Runs on:** Windows - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want a help desk, as support is GitHub issues, Discussions, Gitter and Discord. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Open-Shell is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** The whole project is free; releases are published on GitHub. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | All components, with stable releases and nightly builds on GitHub. | Read from https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Open-Shell before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Windows users who prefer the older Start menu layout - People who want a free, MIT-licensed alternative to paid Start menu tools ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Open Shell brings back a classic-style Start menu and some Explorer toolbar and status bar tweaks, free. It runs only on Windows and support comes from GitHub and chat rooms. - **Value for money: A.** Free, which is below anything in the category. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright with no cap, released on GitHub. - **Features: B.** Classic 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: B.** No rating on record. Install it and the menu replaces the default. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Windows only. Windows only; no Mac, Linux, phone or web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Open-Shell's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - Open-Shell's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 154 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 27. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 107 of 186) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). - Open-Shell has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Open-Shell is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 154 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade. - You could not: A launcher wired into the operating system. - You could not: A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Open source, Launcher ## Alternatives - [StartAllBack](https://toolgpa.com/tools/startallback): Windows 11 taskbar, Start menu and Explorer restyling tool. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/open-shell-vs-startallback) - [Fences](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fences): Windows desktop organizer that groups icons into shaded areas. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fences-vs-open-shell) - [Microsoft PowerToys](https://toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-powertoys): Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/microsoft-powertoys-vs-open-shell) - [Everything](https://toolgpa.com/tools/everything): Instant file and folder name search for Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/everything-vs-open-shell) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/ - https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/open-shell Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).