The Rainmeter Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Rainmeter 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.
Rainmeter
The Insider’s Guide
Free Windows desktop customization tool with community skins
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from Rainmeter’s own pages.
Made by Rainmeter · checked Nov 12, 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 Rainmeter’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Rainmeter’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 35 of the 96 other desktop utilities we grade
Rainmeter puts customizable skins on the Windows desktop, from hardware usage meters to audio visualizers. It ships with a few starter skins, and most people install skins made by the community or write their own in a simple configuration language.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Rainmeter, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The site says a finished look usually means finding or building skins and tweaking them by hand.
- 1
Best for custom desktop skins on Windows
Rainmeter puts skins on your Windows desktop, from clocks to CPU meters, and it is free and open source.
- 2
It is free
Rainmeter has no paid plan at all. The full app is free, open source software under the GNU GPL v2 license.
- 3
It runs on Windows
Windows.
- 4
Desktop skins
Displays customizable skins directly on the desktop, such as clocks, weather, system meters and audio visualizers.
- 5
Hardware usage meters
Skins can read system statistics like CPU, memory and network use.
- 6
Own skins
Skins are written in a simple language, so users can modify existing ones or build new ones.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 35 of 96
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Rainmeter is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Rainmeter at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Windows
- Made by
- Rainmeter, since 2001
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for custom desktop skins on Windows
Rainmeter puts skins on your Windows desktop, from clocks to CPU meters, and it is free and open source. Beyond a few starter skins you have to find or build skins and tweak them by hand, and skins from outside rainmeter.net come at your own risk.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free, open source under GPL v2 since 2001, under 60% of the cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole app is free, with no paid edition listed. |
| Features | C | Skins, 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. The site says a finished look usually means finding or building skins and tweaking them by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Windows 7 or above only. No Mac, Linux or phone version. |
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 Rainmeter is for
- Fits if you want live system stats on a custom Windows desktop
- Works for hobbyists who like editing their own skins
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Windows users who want a custom desktop layout with live system stats
- Hobbyists who like writing or editing their own skins
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Rainmeter is free to use.
The whole app is free, with no paid edition listed.
Free
$0
Open source under the GNU GPL v2 license; no paid edition is listed.
The free plan
The full app is free, open source software under the GNU GPL v2 license.
Read from rainmeter.net on Nov 12, 2026.
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
Free Windows desktop customization tool with community skins. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, works offline, system monitor.
Skins, hardware meters and a skin language.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Windows
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Rainmeter is made by Rainmeter, and has been around since 2001.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/96
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
Rainmeter's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 96 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 25.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 96) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Rainmeter has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 97 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Rainmeter’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 96
- AFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 96
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 96
- CEase of useAbove 4 of 96
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 96
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 52 desktop utilities. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Rainmeter 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.
Keep it
Rainmeter is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could not
- Readings from inside the operating system.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Rainmeter’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
Wallpaper Engine, Microsoft PowerToys, Fences and Stats
The 4 tools Rainmeter is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Wallpaper Engine
From $4.99 one-time
Animated live wallpapers for Windows, bought once on Steam.
- Rainmeter has a free plan. Wallpaper Engine does not.
- Only Wallpaper Engine lists an Android app.
- Rainmeter is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Microsoft PowerToys
Free
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11.
- Rainmeter also covers system monitor.
- Microsoft PowerToys also covers launcher, window management, file management and keyboard and mouse remapping.
- 2.4GPA
Fences
Free trial · from $9.99/yr
Windows desktop organizer that groups icons into shaded areas.
- Rainmeter has a free plan. Fences does not, though it has a free trial.
- Rainmeter is open source, according to its own site.
- Fences can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Stats
Free
Free, open-source system monitor for the Mac menu bar.
- Only Rainmeter lists a Windows app.
- Only Stats lists a macOS app.
- Stats also covers menu bar app.
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 Rainmeter free?
Yes. Rainmeter is free to use.
How much does Rainmeter cost?
Rainmeter lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Rainmeter work on?
Rainmeter is available on Windows.
Does Rainmeter have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Rainmeter is listed for Windows.
Does Rainmeter have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Rainmeter is listed for Windows.
Is Rainmeter open source?
Yes. Rainmeter is open source, according to its own site.
Does Rainmeter work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Who makes Rainmeter?
Rainmeter is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2001.
What are the alternatives to Rainmeter?
The closest alternatives to Rainmeter in our directory are Wallpaper Engine, Microsoft PowerToys, Fences and Stats.
How does Rainmeter compare with other desktop utilities?
Rainmeter's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 96 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 25.
Is Rainmeter good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Rainmeter A for value for money. Rainmeter has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Rainmeter?
Rainmeter is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: Readings from inside the operating system.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Rainmeter’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Rainmeter's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Rainmeter. Prices change, so check rainmeter.net before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Rainmeter, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/rainmeter
- 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, "Rainmeter: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/rainmeter
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/rainmeter/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded desktop utilities after Rainmeter, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Desktop Utilities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 97 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
- PeaZip Insider's GuideFree file archiver for Linux, macOS and Windows3.2 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 Rainmeter’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. Rainmeter is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Rainmeter. Prices and plans change: check rainmeter.net before you buy.