The best window managers, according to hackers
30 window managers were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 12 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended window managers with the badge. Each figure is 5 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Highly configurable, lets you build desktop
Free, highly configurable Wayland tiling window manager that people praise for keyboard-driven workflows and multi-monitor, gaming support. Common caveat: setup takes effort and breaking changes on updates.
Keyboard shortcuts for moving windows
Free open-source macOS app that adds keyboard shortcuts and snapping to arrange windows, fixing weak native window handling. Critics call it a hack and say it lacks full tiling.
Attractive visuals with nostalgic appeal
Free Linux window manager praised for its nostalgic look, light footprint and virtual desktops; critics cite crashes and a rough fit with modern workflows.
All 30 window managers, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hyprland | 82 | 33 | 71% | 12 | 1 mo4 owners | Approved |
| 2 | Rectangle for macOS | 67 | 3 | 96% | 11 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| 3 | Enlightenment window manager | 51 | 19 | 73% | 8 | — | Approved |
| 4 | FVWM | 28 | 4 | 88% | 8 | 25 yrs7 owners | Approved |
| 5 | AwesomeWM | 26 | 2 | 93% | 11 | 12 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| 6 | dwm | 22 | 3 | 88% | 11 | 10 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| 7 | Window Maker | 21 | 1 | 95% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Tied 8 | Compiz | 15 | 9 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Openbox | 15 | 1 | 94% | 7 | — | Approved |
| 10 | Fluxbox | 12 | 1 | 92% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Tied 11 | KWin | 11 | 8 | 58% | 7 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | InstantSpaceSwitcher | 11 | 1 | 92% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Tied 13 | IceWM | 10 | 1 | 91% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Tied 13 | Mission Control (macOS) | 10 | 20 | 33% | 6 | — | — |
| Tied 13 | EXWM | 10 | 2 | 83% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Tied 16 | TWM | 9 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | — |
| Tied 16 | Blackbox window manager | 9 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 16 | Easy Move+Resize | 9 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 19 | labwc | 8 | 3 | 73% | 7 | — | — |
| Tied 19 | FancyZones | 8 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
| Tied 19 | Moom | 8 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 19 | OmniWM | 8 | 7 | 53% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 19 | Native Instant Space Switching | 8 | 3 | 73% | 1 | — | — |
| Tied 24 | CWM window manager | 7 | 1 | 88% | 7 | — | — |
| Tied 24 | Magnet | 7 | 1 | 88% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 26 | AltSnap | 6 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 26 | Cocoa-Way | 6 | 3 | 67% | 1 | — | — |
| Tied 28 | Cage Wayland compositor | 5 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 28 | Divvy | 5 | 5 | 50% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 28 | AltDrag | 5 | 1 | 83% | 4 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same window manager in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to window managers that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.