StartAllBack review (2026): is it worth $4.99?
Windows 11 taskbar, Start menu and Explorer restyling tool
Black Friday: is there a StartAllBack sale?
StartAllBack report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for an older-style Windows 11 taskbar and Start menu
StartAllBack gives Windows 11 a taskbar, Start menu and Explorer closer to the older ones, for $4.99 once. After the 30-day trial the Start menu goes blank and a reminder shows at every boot until you activate it.
Who StartAllBack is for
- Fits if you miss the older Windows taskbar and Start menu
- Works for businesses that want group-policy control over the Start menu
Who StartAllBack is not for
- Skip it if you are on Windows 10 or earlier, as that is a different product, StartIsBack
- Watch out: after the 30-day trial the Start menu goes blank until you activate a key
- Not for you if you use Mac or Linux, as it is Windows only
- Watch out: new versions for new Windows releases may need a licence upgrade payment, and activation is tied to your hardware
Why StartAllBack gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for money$4.99 once for personal use, far under the category's cheaper quarter. Businesses pay $50 for 10 PCs.
- CFree plan and trialA 30-day trial with no feature limits, and no card is mentioned. After that, a limited mode with a blank Start menu.
- CFeaturesRestores taskbar labels and placement, a Start menu, Explorer commands and old-style context menus. It does one job on Windows 11 only, and Windows 10 and 8 need StartIsBack.
- BEase of useNo rating on record. You install it and the taskbar changes, with options to adjust.
- DPlatforms and integrationsWindows 11 only for this product. No other platform and no integrations.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from StartIsBack's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make StartAllBack? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/startallback#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/startallback.svg" alt="StartAllBack: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where StartAllBack stands among desktop utilities
StartAllBack's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 17 of the 96 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 24 of 96) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 97 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. StartAllBack’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 96, level with 72
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 96, level with 37
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 96, level with 67
- BEase of useAbove 34 of 96, level with 62
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 96, level with 61
Keep StartAllBack, or make your own?
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
StartAllBack 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 $4.99, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
What this rests on. StartAllBack’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.
What is StartAllBack?
StartAllBack changes the Windows 11 shell to bring back older layouts. It restores a movable taskbar with labels and adjustable icon sizes, a classic Start menu, the older File Explorer command bar and context menus. The same developer sells StartIsBack for Windows 8 and 10, and one license key works across versions.
Worth knowing
- Windows 11 only for StartAllBack; Windows 10 and 8 use StartIsBack versions.
- After the 30-day trial the Start menu goes blank and a reminder appears at every boot until a key is activated.
- New versions for new Windows releases may need a license upgrade payment, according to the vendor's FAQ.
- Activation is tied to the PC's hardware, and one key activates a limited number of computers.
Key features
- Taskbar restore
- Shows labels on task icons, sets icon size and margins, and moves the taskbar to the top, left or right edge.
- Start menu
- Brings back a Start menu that opens programs and system places in one click, with its own search.
- File Explorer and Control Panel
- Restores a revamped ribbon and command bar, a bottom details pane and the older search box.
- Context menus
- Replaces the Windows 11 menus with rounded acrylic ones that the vendor says open faster.
- Styles and recoloring
- Offers Windows 7, Windows 8 and third-party taskbar and Start menu styles and recolors UI in many windows apps.
- Light footprint
- The vendor says it uses less RAM and starts fewer processes than the default shell.
StartAllBack pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, StartAllBack is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $4.99 one-time for a personal license.
- Starts at
- $4.99 one-time for a personal license
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 30-day trial with no feature limits; afterward it runs in a limited mode with a blank Start menu
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $4.99one-time, personal use | License key stated to work with any StartIsBack version, including StartAllBack. Personal use only; the site also mentions a family pack. |
| Business, 10 PCs | $50.00one-time for 10 PCs | Required for business use. Adds group policies, priority email support and future optional updates; 100 PCs is $450 and 1,000 PCs is $3,000. |
Read from startisback.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with StartAllBack before you buy.
StartAllBack alternatives
- StartAllBack vs Files
Free plan · from $12.99 one-time
- StartAllBack vs Fences
Free trial · from $9.99/yr
Common questions
Does StartAllBack have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. StartAllBack is listed for Windows.
Does StartAllBack have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. StartAllBack is listed for Windows.
Is StartAllBack open source?
StartAllBack is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does StartAllBack 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.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.