Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

dwm VS Amethyst

Compare dwm VS Amethyst and see what are their differences

dwm logo 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.

Amethyst logo Amethyst

A tiling window manager for macOS
  • dwm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-12
Not present

dwm features and specs

  • Lightweight
    dwm is extremely lightweight, resulting in minimal use of system resources. It is designed to have no unnecessary bloat, making it suitable for older hardware or low-spec systems.
  • Customizable
    dwm is highly customizable, with the configuration being done through editing the C source code. This allows for deep customization to meet specific user preferences.
  • Simplicity
    The software is designed with simplicity in mind. It has a straightforward design and a gentle learning curve for users familiar with tiling window managers.
  • Tiling Window Management
    dwm automatically arranges windows in a tiling format, which can help improve productivity by making better use of screen real estate and reducing the need to manually arrange windows.
  • Community Support
    A robust community following and good documentation provide ample support for troubleshooting and extending dwm. Many patches and tips are shared among users.

Possible disadvantages of dwm

  • Steep Initial Learning Curve
    For users not familiar with tiling window managers or who are used to traditional desktop environments, the initial setup and usage might be challenging.
  • Manual Compilation for Configuration
    Configuration changes require editing the source code and recompiling the window manager. This can be inconvenient for users who prefer a dynamic configuration option.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Functionality
    dwm does not come with many features available in other window managers by default. Users might need to apply patches or write custom scripts to get additional functionality.
  • Fewer Graphical Tools
    Since dwm focuses on simplicity and minimalism, it lacks graphical configuration tools, which might deter non-technical users or those who prefer GUI-based management.
  • Compatibility
    Some applications may not play well with dwm's tiling mechanism, requiring additional configuration or even the use of floating mode for specific apps.

Amethyst features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Amethyst is free to use and open source, which means you can inspect the code, contribute to its development, or modify it to suit your needs.
  • Window Tiling
    Amethyst provides automatic window tiling, which can significantly enhance productivity by organizing open applications without manual resizing.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
    The application offers customizable keyboard shortcuts, allowing users to efficiently manage their window layout without relying on the mouse.
  • Customization
    Amethyst allows varying levels of customization, including different layout options, to match individual preferences for window management.
  • Lightweight
    The software is lightweight, ensuring it doesn't use unnecessary system resources, which helps keep performance impacts minimal.

Possible disadvantages of Amethyst

  • MacOS Only
    Amethyst is only available for macOS, which limits its usability to users who are on Apple's ecosystem.
  • Learning Curve
    For users not familiar with tiling window managers, there may be a learning curve in becoming efficient with Amethyst.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While Amethyst is great for basic window tiling, it may lack some advanced features found in other dedicated tiling managers.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    Some users may experience compatibility issues with specific applications, which may not behave well when tiled automatically.
  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up and configuring Amethyst to perfectly match personal workflows might require editing configuration files, which can be complex for some users.

Analysis of dwm

Overall verdict

  • dwm is considered a good choice for users who value performance, simplicity, and customizability. However, it might not be suitable for everyone due to its steep learning curve and the requirement to modify its source code for customization.

Why this product is good

  • dwm (dynamic window manager) is known for its minimalistic design and efficient use of system resources. It is highly customizable through its source code, allowing users to tailor it to their needs. Being a product of the suckless community, it adheres to simplicity and clarity in its design philosophy, making it a favorite among users who prefer a no-frills, elegant solution to window management.

Recommended for

    dwm is recommended for advanced users, programmers, and those who enjoy configuring software from the ground up. It's suitable for people who appreciate minimalism and have experience or a willingness to delve into coding and patching to achieve their desired setup.

dwm videos

dwm (suckless) - why I prefer it to i3 [ricing FreeBSD & OpenBSD]

More videos:

  • Review - Super MINIMALIST tiling window manager - dwm
  • Review - Suckless's dwm: So easy even a caveman could do it!

Amethyst videos

No Amethyst videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to dwm and Amethyst)
Linux
100 100%
0% 0
Window Manager
85 85%
15% 15
OSX Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Utilities
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare dwm and Amethyst

dwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Spectrwm is a fast, compact, and brief reparenting and tiling window manager for X11 that is inspired by xmonad and dwm. It was created to address the problems that xmonad and dwm have. Also check Fulfillify alternatives
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
spectrwm is a small, dynamic, xmonad, and dwm-inspired reparenting and tiling window manager built for X11 to be fast, compact, and concise. It was created with the aim of solving the issues of xmonad and dwm face.
Source: www.tecmint.com
5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux
DWM is, well, a dynamic window manager. Tiling isnโ€™t the only way you can manage your windows. Itโ€™s also possible to lay the windows out in a floating or monocle style. All modifications to DWM can be done within its source code. Easy keyboard shortcuts allow for a great navigation experience while managing windows.

Amethyst Reviews

Best 6 Mac Window Managers
Until Apple brings better window management to Macs, these third-party tools are the best way to improve organization and productivity. Most of them let you snap windows into position by dragging them to the edge of your displayโ€”similar to the window snapping found in Microsoft Windows. But others, like Amethyst, Mosaic, and Moom, offer some interesting alternatives....
Source: mackeeper.com
The 6 Best Mac Window Management Tools
If you don't like to drag and drop windows to arrange them all the time, you should try Amethyst. Amethyst has predefined layouts that you can cycle through a keyboard shortcut, which is, by default, Option + Shift + Space bar.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, dwm seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 67 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.

dwm mentions (67)

  • The Future Is Niri
    Hm, I am using [dwm](https://dwm.suckless.org/) with a custom keybinding to shift to the left or right workspace. That seems similar enough, other than the fact that changing the split ratio will affect all workspaces on dwm while on Niri it most likely will not ... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Shifted 3 Shapes โ€“ Making a w3M Logo
    I associate this style with the suckless foundation, even though it is distinct from e.g. The dwm logo. https://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • AT&T says criminals stole phone records of 'nearly all' customers in data breach
    Https://dwm.suckless.org/ > This keeps its userbase small and elitist.. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Tinygrad 0.9.0
    The only one I can think of the dwm window manager (https://dwm.suckless.org/), that used to prominently mention a SLOC limit of 2000. Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the landing page anymore, not sure if it's still in effect. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Hancho โ€“ A simple and pleasant build system in ~500 lines of Python
    This is sort of the suckless approach. Most (all?) of their projects are customized by editing the source and recompiling. From their window manager, dwm: dwm is customized through editing its source code, which makes it extremely fast and secure - it does not process any input data which isn't known at compile time, except window titles and status text read from the root window's name. You don't have to learn... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

Amethyst mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Amethyst yet. Tracking of Amethyst recommendations started around Mar 2024.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing dwm and Amethyst, you can also consider the following products

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

Moom - Move your mouse over the green zoom button in any window, and Moom's mouse control overlay will appear (as seen in the above animation).

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

Hammerspoon - This is a tool for powerful automation of OS X.

Openbox - Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

Swish - Insanely great window management