Software Alternatives & Startups

Eclipse IoT VS i3

Compare Eclipse IoT VS i3 and see what are their differences

Eclipse IoT

Eclipse IoT provides the technology needed to build IoT Devices, Gateways, and Cloud Platforms.

Rating
0 reviews
i3

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

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, i3 seems to be a lot more popular than Eclipse IoT. While we know about 93 links to i3, we've tracked only 1 mention of Eclipse IoT.

social mentions
1 vs 93
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
227 vs 112

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Eclipse IoT
i3
Website iot.eclipse.org i3wm.org
Pricing —
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Eclipse IoT 5 features
i3 6 features
  • Open Source
    Eclipse IoT is part of the Eclipse Foundation, emphasizing open-source development which ensures transparency, flexibility, and community-driven improvements.
  • Modularity
    The platform offers a modular approach, allowing developers to pick and choose components as needed for their specific IoT solutions.
  • Large Community
    With a large community of developers and companies, collaboration, support, and shared expertise are readily available.
  • Interoperability
    Eclipse IoT promotes interoperability among devices, applications, and services, which simplifies integration and scalability in IoT ecosystems.
  • Comprehensive Ecosystem
    The ecosystem includes a wide range of projects and tools for different facets of IoT development, including communication protocols, device management, and data processing.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity
    Due to its comprehensive and modular nature, Eclipse IoT can be complex and overwhelming for beginners or small-scale projects.
  • Learning Curve
    The extensive set of tools and libraries can pose a steep learning curve for new developers unfamiliar with the platform.
  • Resource Intensive
    Some components may require significant computational resources, which could be a consideration for resource-constrained IoT devices and environments.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility between different modules and versions can be challenging.
  • Community Support Variability
    While community support is generally robust, the quality and responsiveness can vary between different projects within the ecosystem.
  • Efficient Window Management
    i3 allows for highly efficient window management using a tree data structure, making it easy to snap windows into grids and manage multiple applications simultaneously.
  • Lightweight
    i3 is deliberately simplistic and lightweight, which allows it to run efficiently on older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • Customizability
    Users can extensively customize keybindings and behavior through a plain text configuration file. This allows for a personalized workflow.
  • Keyboard-Centric
    i3 is designed to be used primarily through keyboard shortcuts, which can lead to increased productivity for advanced users.
  • Scriptability
    i3 supports various scripting languages through its IPC (Inter-process Communication) interface, enabling automation of complex workflows.
  • Community and Documentation
    i3 has strong community support and extensive documentation, making it easier for new users to learn and troubleshoot issues.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find i3 difficult to learn and configure, especially if they are accustomed to traditional desktop environments.
  • Lack of GUI Configuration Tools
    i3 relies heavily on manual edits to text files for configuration, lacking user-friendly graphical interfaces for setup and customization.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Features
    i3 does not come with many built-in features available in more comprehensive desktop environments, such as app launchers or system tray support, requiring additional setups.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some applications may not play well with tiling window managers like i3, requiring workarounds or alternative software choices.
  • Minimal Default Appearance
    Without customization, i3 offers a very minimalistic and barebones visual experience, which may not be appealing to all users.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Eclipse IoT
i3

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Eclipse IoT is a good choice for those looking for an open-source, community-driven platform for IoT development.

Why this product is good

  • Eclipse IoT is a robust open-source platform that provides a comprehensive set of frameworks, services, and standards for building IoT solutions. It offers flexibility, community support, and integration capabilities which are beneficial for developers and businesses looking to create scalable IoT applications.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking open-source IoT frameworks
  • Businesses aiming to build scalable IoT solutions
  • Organizations needing community support and contributions
  • Project managers looking for extensive libraries and standards

Overall verdict

  • Yes, i3 is considered a very good window manager for users who appreciate its minimalist and efficient approach. Its lightweight design keeps resource usage low, which can improve performance on less powerful machines.

Why this product is good

  • i3wm is known for its simplicity, speed, and efficient use of screen space, making it a popular choice among power users and developers who prefer a keyboard-driven workspace. Its tiling feature allows for the seamless organization of multiple windows, enhancing productivity and multitasking. Furthermore, it is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor their workspace to their specific needs.

Recommended for

    i3wm is recommended for advanced users, developers, and anyone who prefers a keyboard-centric interface. It is ideal for users who like to customize their environment extensively and are comfortable with configuring software via text files. New users with a willingness to learn may also find it rewarding.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Eclipse IoT 3 videos + Add
i3 5 videos + Add

Open Source Internet of Things: an overview of Eclipse IoT – Eclipse IoT Day @ ThingMonk 2016

More videos

  • - Which OS/RTOS makes sense for your Constrained Device? | Eclipse IoT Day Santa Clara 2019
  • - Eclipse IoT Working Group 10th Anniversary

30k Miles with the BMW i3 - End of Lease Review

More videos

  • - 2016 BMW i3 - Review and Road Test
  • - 2018 BMW i3s Range Extender (REx) Review - The Future Of Cars?
  • - Gaming With Intel's Core i3 9100F - The First Turbo Boosted Desktop i3
  • - The best EV for the money? Used BMW i3 Review

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Eclipse IoT
i3
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

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

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Eclipse IoT no reviews yet
i3 no reviews yet

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Eclipse IoT 1 mention
i3 93 mentions
  • Beginner IoT project: LED Web trigger
    References: Felipe Flop’s website https://www.filipeflop.com/blog/controle-monitoramento-iot-nodemcu-e-mqtt/ accessed on 01/27/2018. Eclipse server for MQTT Broker https://iot.eclipse.org/ accessed on 01/27/2018. Mosquitto... - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • My journey to "I use arch btw"
    In my case, I decided to go with a compositor instead of desktop environment. I have already used others windows tilling managers such as i3wm. This time, I want something that has more features out-of-the-box. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Why I traded my custom "Opinionated Linux" for Omarchy
    I've been using Omarchy as my main setup since June 26, 2025, the day DHH released the first version. Before that I had my own custom Opinionated Linux, mclovin-ARCHived: an Arch + i3wm installer set up exactly the way I liked. It was... - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Omarcacca
    Then few years back, in 2015, I got shown i3wm and used it on my ubuntu-netinstall until 2020, then I switched to Budgie and my personal laptop has been using that ever since. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago

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Alternatives to Eclipse IoT and i3

When comparing Eclipse IoT and i3, you can also consider the following products.

  • Sublime Text

    Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

    Compare Sublime Text to Eclipse IoT or i3:

  • Sway

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

    Compare Sway to Eclipse IoT or i3:

  • Notepad++

    A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

    Compare Notepad++ to Eclipse IoT or i3:

  • 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.

    Compare dwm to Eclipse IoT or i3:

  • GNOME

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

    Compare GNOME to Eclipse IoT or i3:

  • Openbox

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

    Compare Openbox to Eclipse IoT or i3: