Software Alternatives & Reviews

Classic Shell VS Open Shell

Compare Classic Shell VS Open Shell and see what are their differences

Classic Shell logo Classic Shell

Classic Shell was developed for Windows 8 since that was the first version of the popular operating system to forgo the iconic Start menu.

Open Shell logo Open Shell

Open Shell is a fork of the Classic Shell project for Windows that getting back the classic start...
  • Classic Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • Open Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-07

Classic Shell videos

Classic Shell with Windows 10!

More videos:

  • Review - Classic Shell Review | Make Windows 8 Like Windows 7 with Classic Shell
  • Review - Classic Shell 4.0.2 Review

Open Shell videos

Classic Menu for Windows 10 with Open Shell

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Classic Shell and Open Shell)
Note Taking
53 53%
47% 47
LMS
51 51%
49% 49
OS & Utilities
49 49%
51% 51
Bookmarks
62 62%
38% 38

User comments

Share your experience with using Classic Shell and Open Shell. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Classic Shell seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 18 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.

Classic Shell mentions (18)

  • Scrollbars Are Becoming a Problem
    There's a great add-on called... ClassicShell http://classicshell.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • What software would be used to remove the red elements and change the layout of the tray icon?
    Windows Classic Shell is what I have used for over a decade. It brings back the old start menu and can be customized. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Microsoft is turning Windows 11's Start Menu into an advertisement delivery system
    ClassicShell is no longer being developed. OpenShell succeeded it. (c.f., http://classicshell.net/). Source: over 1 year ago
  • Is it possible to install windows 8.1 on the surface pro 5?
    Http://classicshell.net/This lets you pick UI goodness you want. Source: over 1 year ago
  • looking for a taskbar replacement
    Other, non-rainmeter options that I'm aware of include TranslucentTB and Classic Shell (note: Open Shell is the newer version, but I'm unsure if it has the same features). Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Open Shell mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Open Shell yet. Tracking of Open Shell recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Classic Shell and Open Shell, you can also consider the following products

Start Menu X - Start Menu X with Start Button. Power users know how inconvenient and time-consuming it is to launch programs from the system menu.

StartIsBack - StartIsBack returns Windows 10 and Windows 8 a real fully featured start menu and start button, behaving exactly like the ones in Windows 7. It's totally awesome and easy solution for your new Windows woes.

Start8 - Start8 returns the familiar Start menu to Microsoft's latest Windows 8 operating system.

Start Menu Reviver - Free Download! Recover and update your computer with Driver Reviver and Registry Reviver. Easily update software, unlock new functionality and remove hardware device errors and clean, repair and optimize your registry in a few simple mouse clicks!

Start11 - Start11 is a program that gives you the flexibility to customize your PC’s start menu and Windows taskbar with a tile-based interface that scrolls between large display images.

StartAllBack - StartAllBack is software that helps to customize the start menu to Windows 7 & 8.