dwm VS KDE

Compare dwm VS KDE and see what are their differences

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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.

KDE

The KDE® Community is a free software community dedicated to creating an open and user-friendly computing experience, offering an advanced graphical desktop, a wide variety of applications for communication, work, education and entertainment and …

Landing page //
2021-09-12

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2023-09-23

dwm

Website: dwm.suckless.org

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KDE

Website: kde.org

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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.

KDE features and specs

Customizability
KDE offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor the desktop environment to their preferences. You can change everything from themes and icons to window behavior and desktop effects.
Feature-Rich
KDE is packed with features, including a wide range of pre-installed applications such as Dolphin file manager, Konsole terminal emulator, and Kontact personal information manager.
Performance
KDE has made significant strides in optimizing performance, making it suitable for both high-end and older hardware. The environment is faster and more responsive compared to its previous iterations.
Active Development
KDE enjoys robust community support and frequent updates. This continuous development ensures the environment remains up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.
Integration
KDE applications are well-integrated, providing a cohesive user experience. Apps like the KDE Connect seamlessly connect your desktop with your mobile device.

Possible disadvantages of KDE

Complexity
The abundant customization options can be overwhelming for new users, making KDE harder to configure and navigate compared to simpler environments.
Resource Usage
Despite improvements in performance, KDE can still be resource-intensive, requiring more RAM and CPU compared to lighter desktop environments like XFCE or LXQt.
Inconsistency
While KDE applications integrate well with each other, third-party applications might not blend as seamlessly, leading to occasional inconsistencies in the user experience.
Learning Curve
New users may face a steep learning curve due to the vast number of configuration options and features available in KDE.
Dependency Overhead
Installing KDE applications on non-KDE systems can introduce a large number of dependencies, which might bloat the system and lead to potential conflicts.

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

+ Add

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

KDE videos

+ Add

KDE Plasma 5 Deep Dive (Late 2019) | Linux Desktop Reviews

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to dwm and KDE)

dwm

KDE

Linux

57 57%

Linux

43% 43

Window Manager

86 86%

Window Manager

14% 14

Operating Systems

0 0%

Operating Systems

100% 100

Utilities

100 100%

Utilities

0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using dwm and KDE. 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 dwm and KDE

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 isn’t the only way you can manage your windows. It’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.

Source: www.maketecheasier.com

KDE Reviews

6 Best Linux Desktop Environments to Try in 2022

KDE is also popular as the Plasma desktop. KDE is a very lightweight desktop and highly customizable. Now you can connect your phone with the computer via KDE Connect. KDE’s browser integration connects your phone to your browser to establish a smooth communication fast.

Source: www.linuxjournal.com

Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020

I call it the super DE for a reason. If you compare KDE with a group of people, KDE is the richest and the heaviest one. In terms of UI customization, KDE has it all. From transparent windows to blurred backgrounds, glass-look, to animations, and much more.

Source: www.journaldev.com

The 12 Best Linux Desktop Environments

KDE Plasma is one of the best Linux desktop environments for those who want to play with their system’s interface. KDE offers various features, but some users always complain that it is not stable enough, and it is also a bit heavier. Apart from it, all on-screen components work as a widget, which is movable and resizable.

Source: linuxhint.com

The Best Desktop Environments For Linux (We Tested Them So That You Don’t Have To)

Some Linux distros using KDE as the default are openSUSE, Kubuntu and KDE Neon. You may also refer to one of our tutorials to install KDE on Ubuntu, if that’s what you want.

Source: itsfoss.com

Social recommendations and mentions

KDE might be a bit more popular than dwm. We know about 77 links to it since March 2021 and only 67 links to dwm. 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 / 2 months ago
Shifted 3 Shapes – 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 / 5 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 / 11 months 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 / 12 months ago
Show HN: Hancho – 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 / about 1 year ago

KDE mentions (77)

Anyone using the KDE webchat?
I am trying to use the KDE webchat on element at https://webchat.kde.org/#/login. I made an account at identity.kde.org, but it does not let me log in to the chat client. Create an account does not work and asks me to create an account at kde.org. Does anyone know how this is supposed to work? Thanks. Source: over 1 year ago
Looking for user-friendly personal computing oriented distro
This is a hard one, but after giving it a decent amount of thought I've narrowed it down to openSUSE Tumbleweed with either GNOME or KDE as the desktop environment. Source: almost 2 years ago
KDE/XMonad work laptop
You need to be running xorg, not wayland, first of all. You can follow the tutorial at kde.org: https://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials/Using_Other_Window_Managers_with_Plasma. Source: almost 2 years ago
Should i switch?
I'm glad to hear that you use Krita (and I may assume you use Blender for animations). Both are free and open source software that is available on Linux (even better, Krita is made by the KDE project, makers of all sorts of open source projects, including Plasma, one of the most complete user interfaces for Linux out there). Source: almost 2 years ago
KDE publishes the new "KDE for developers" page, where you can find advice on and links to tools, frameworks and libraries that will help you build powerful and cool-looking apps using KDE technologies
I like the concept of these "KDE for ..." pages, I think the whole https://kde.org/for/ collection should be promoted way more prominently on the front page https://kde.org/. Also, a lot of regionalized "/for" pages lists only 3 (out of 4) subpages, and some even list only a single one, this seems like a major oversight (at least list them in English if their entries weren't translated to other languages). Source: almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

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

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

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

KDE Plasma Desktop - Plasma Workspaces is the umbrella term for all graphical environments provided by KDE.

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

Xfce - Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.

KDE Plasma Desktop vs dwm

KDE Plasma Desktop vs KDE