Classic Shell
Ranked 3 of 3 start menu replacements by recommenders
Free tool that restores a Windows 7-style Start menu, praised for speed and for fixing Windows 8 interface problems. One critic notes some programs cannot be launched from recent or pinned lists without the mouse.
Free tool that restores a Windows 7-style Start menu, praised for speed and for fixing Windows 8 interface problems. One critic notes some programs cannot be launched from recent or pinned lists without the mouse.
6 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 83%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Fixes Windows 8 interface problems
“The solution to Windows 8 UI issues was aptly named, Classic Shell”
Comment from 4 Jun 2026 in “The placeholder name for the Windows 8 experience was "modern"” “libre software solved it with ease today with Classic Shell”
Comment from 11 Feb 2026 in “How did Windows 95 get permission to put the Weezer video Buddy Holly on the CD?” Superior, satisfying Start menu
“Classic Shell (with its superior Start menu)”
Comment from 11 Jan 2026 in “I dumped Windows 11 for Linux, and you should too” “use Classic Shell, which I'm satisfied with”
Comment from 29 Nov 2025 on Hacker News
Other start menu replacements people recommend
The two most recommended other start menu replacements, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiteStep | 10 | 1 | 91% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Start11 by Stardock | 7 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Classic ShellThis page | 5 | 1 | 83% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
All 6 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I can't start certain programs from the MRU or pinned list without the mouse”
“The solution to Windows 8 UI issues was aptly named, Classic Shell”
“libre software solved it with ease today with Classic Shell”
“Classic Shell (with its superior Start menu)”
“with win7 reactivity (opens literally the next frame, in no small parts thanks to the absence of animation)”
“use Classic Shell, which I'm satisfied with”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.