bspwm VS i3-gaps

Compare bspwm VS i3-gaps and see what are their differences

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bspwm

A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

i3-gaps

i3-gaps is a fork of i3wm, a tiling window manager for X11.

Landing page //
2023-09-14

Landing page //
2023-09-14

bspwm features and specs

Highly Configurable
Bspwm is known for its high level of customizability, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of their window management experience through simple scripts and configuration files.
Efficient Use of Screen Space
As a tiling window manager, Bspwm automatically arranges windows in a way that maximizes screen real estate, minimizing overlap and unused space.
Lightweight
Bspwm is extremely lightweight, making it suitable for older hardware and systems with limited resources. It does not come with additional software bloat.
Scriptable with Unix Philosophy
Bspwm adheres to the Unix philosophy of 'doing one thing well'. It functions without managing keybindings, allowing users to use other programs (like sxhkd) for keybinding management, which offers greater flexibility.
Active Community Support
Bspwm has an active community and comprehensive documentation, which helps new users get started and troubleshoot any issues they might encounter.

Possible disadvantages of bspwm

Steep Learning Curve
The configuration process can be complex and overwhelming for beginners. Unlike more mainstream window managers, bspwm requires learning various scripts and commands.
Lack of GUI Configuration Tools
Bspwm does not come with graphical configuration tools, which might be inconvenient for users who prefer a GUI for managing settings.
Sparse on Built-in Features
Since bspwm follows the Unix philosophy closely, it lacks many built-in features and utilities that other window managers might offer. Users need to set up additional tools for tasks such as wallpaper management or system trays.
Compatibility Issues
Some applications that expect a floating window manager might not work well with bspwm, requiring extra configuration or using alternative software.
Limited Out-of-the-box Experience
Bspwm does not come with a pre-configured environment, which can be a disadvantage for users looking for a ready-to-use experience out of the box.

i3-gaps features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis of bspwm

Overall verdict

Yes, bspwm is generally considered to be a good window manager for users who value minimalism and customization. It is highly praised for its performance, simplicity, and the level of control it provides. However, it may not be the best choice for beginners due to the initial learning curve and the need for manual configuration.

Why this product is good

Bspwm is a tiling window manager that is highly configurable and minimalistic, designed to operate efficiently without relying on extensive system resources. It handles windows based on binary space partitioning, providing users with an easy way to organize their workspace. Its scriptability and flexibility allow users to tailor their environment precisely to their preferences, which is particularly appealing to advanced users who appreciate control over their system's behavior.

Recommended for

Advanced Linux users who prefer a minimalistic and efficient tiling window manager
Users who enjoy customizing their desktop environment and scripting configurations
Individuals who want to maximize screen real estate and improve their productivity through efficient workspace management

bspwm videos

+ Add

Switching To Bspwm - Initial Thoughts

i3-gaps videos

+ Add

What's On My Linux Laptop? Jan '18 [arch + i3-gaps]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to bspwm and i3-gaps)

i3-gaps

Window Manager

89 89%

Window Manager

11% 11

Linux

87 87%

Linux

13% 13

Utilities

88 88%

Utilities

12% 12

Productivity

100 100%

Productivity

0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using bspwm and i3-gaps. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare bspwm and i3-gaps

bspwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022

Support for multiple windows, limited support for EWMH, automatic mode for automatically determining the location of app tiles, and configuration and control via messages are among the characteristics of bspwm.

Source: www.hubtech.org

13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux

bspwm’s features include support for multiple windows, partial support for EWMH, automatic mode for automatically setting the position of app tiles, and it is configured and controlled through messages, among others.

Source: www.tecmint.com

i3-gaps Reviews

We have no reviews of i3-gaps yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, bspwm seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

bspwm mentions (21)

well... thinkpads are awesome
Over on Linux, I’ve been learning kinda a-lot about linux tools and workflows. I've recently got into window managers, bspwm was my first one and I'm thinking of moving towards a Arch+Hyprland setup in future. Setting it up was way easier than I thought, and I got inspired by a YouTuber named jvscholz, who’s all about minimalism and productivity. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
What WM should I use?
Use BSPWM. It supports right clicks by default and its modular. You might want to look for status bars that work with it, slstatus does not work. Good luck, supremacist! Source: about 2 years ago
What are some OpenSource apps that are the best of their kind?
I had not heard of bspwm but I am a fan of telling WMs. Looking at the documentation now, I really like the pragmatic approach lol https://github.com/baskerville/bspwm. Source: about 2 years ago
Got some questions before moving to linux...
I am not familiar with that distro at all, so no idea. KDE Plasma is fine, I use it myself (with BSPWM as my window manager, but that's irrelevant). Source: over 2 years ago
MacBook Setup - OS Ventura 13.1 - Samsung QLed 43” - VM: yabai - Terminal: Hyper
There's a paradigm shift required for a lot of people to start using automatic tiling window managers. Yabai is basically a bspwm port for MacOS and it follows the rules of binary space partitioning. In fact, bspwm has a great diagram on its github readme that illustrates how it works. This will limit the number of windows you can have on any given desktop. To overcome this limitation you use multiple desktops. A... Source: over 2 years ago

i3-gaps mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of i3-gaps yet. Tracking of i3-gaps recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing bspwm and i3-gaps, you can also consider the following products

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

dwm - dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

qtile - Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written in Python.

awesome - A dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages.

Sway - Sway is a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager, but for Wayland instead of X11.

Xmonad - xmonad is a dynamically tiling X11 window manager that is written and configured in Haskell.