Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

GNOME VS Open Shell

Compare GNOME VS Open Shell and see what are their differences

PrivacyNotes
Zero-knowledge encrypted notes, tasks, journals, files, and passwords in one app. Your keys never leave your device. One-time price, no subscription. Hosted in Switzerland. featured
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.
Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

GNOME logo GNOME

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

Open Shell logo Open Shell

Open Shell is a fork of the Classic Shell project for Windows that getting back the classic start...
  • GNOME Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12
  • Open Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-07

GNOME features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    GNOME provides a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for both new and experienced users.
  • Accessibility Features
    GNOME includes robust accessibility features, such as screen readers and high-contrast themes, which are essential for users with disabilities.
  • Extensible Through Extensions
    Users can customize and extend GNOME's functionality through a wide range of extensions available from the GNOME Extensions website.
  • Active Development Community
    GNOME has a large and active development community, ensuring continuous improvements, regular updates, and swift bug fixes.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    GNOME is not limited to a single Linux distribution but can be used across various distributions, providing consistent experience.
  • Focus on Performance
    Recent versions of GNOME have focused on performance improvements, making the desktop environment more responsive and efficient.

Possible disadvantages of GNOME

  • Resource Intensive
    GNOME can be more resource-intensive compared to other desktop environments, potentially slowing down performance on older or lower-spec hardware.
  • Limited Customization Out-of-the-Box
    While extensible, GNOMEโ€™s default settings offer limited customization options, requiring users to install additional extensions for advanced tweaks.
  • Compatibility Issues with Some Applications
    Certain applications may not integrate well with GNOME's interface guidelines, leading to a less seamless user experience.
  • Current Design Controversy
    GNOME's design decisions, including the move to GNOME 3, have sparked controversy and dissatisfaction among some users accustomed to older versions.
  • Dependency on Wayland
    GNOME's preference for the Wayland display server protocol over X11 can cause compatibility issues and limitations for certain users and applications.

Open Shell features and specs

  • Customization
    Open Shell provides extensive customization options, allowing users to modify the Start menu to fit their preferences, from design to functionality.
  • Familiar Interface
    It offers a classic start menu which is familiar to users of older Windows versions, making it easier for them to navigate.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, it allows for community contributions, making it more transparent and potentially more secure.
  • No Cost
    Open Shell is free to use, providing a cost-effective solution for users who want a different Start menu experience without paying for software.
  • Regular Updates
    The project is fairly well-maintained, receiving updates that add new features and fix potential issues, improving user experience over time.

Possible disadvantages of Open Shell

  • Compatibility Issues
    There could be compatibility problems with certain Windows updates or third-party applications, requiring troubleshooting and fixes.
  • Learning Curve
    While it offers many customization options, new users might find the settings and customization process overwhelming and confusing initially.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, it relies heavily on community support rather than professional customer service, which can be a drawback for users needing prompt assistance.
  • Resource Usage
    Though generally lightweight, Open Shell can consume additional system resources, which might be impactful on less powerful machines.

Analysis of GNOME

Overall verdict

  • Yes, GNOME is generally considered good due to its efficiency, ease of use, and active development community. It is a reliable choice for those looking for a polished and intuitive desktop environment on Linux.

Why this product is good

  • GNOME is known for its user-friendly interface, accessibility features, and strong focus on usability, making it suitable for a wide range of users including both beginners and experienced individuals. It offers a clean and modern design, regular updates, and a strong community for support and contributions.

Recommended for

  • New Linux users seeking an easy-to-navigate desktop environment
  • Design enthusiasts who appreciate a clean and minimalist UI
  • Developers who prefer a stable and customizable workspace
  • Users who require accessibility features and keyboard navigation
  • Anyone looking for a consistent and cohesive desktop experience

Analysis of Open Shell

Overall verdict

  • Open Shell is considered a good tool for those who desire a more traditional Start Menu experience on modern Windows versions. It is reliable, versatile, and generally well-received by the community for resurrecting the familiar interface from previous Windows iterations.

Why this product is good

  • Open Shell (formerly known as Classic Shell) is appreciated for its ability to bring back the classic Start Menu functionality to Windows, particularly for users who prefer the interface design and usability of older versions of Windows. It provides a customizable menu, various skins, and additional enhancements for the Start Button, File Explorer, and Internet Explorer. The software is lightweight, free, and open source, allowing for a high degree of personalization and adaptability.

Recommended for

  • Users who prefer the classic Windows Start Menu.
  • Individuals who are not satisfied with the default Start Menu on newer Windows versions.
  • Users seeking a highly customizable and lightweight menu solution.
  • Technical users who appreciate open-source software and want to tweak their system appearance and functionality.
  • Anyone upgrading from older Windows versions who wants to maintain a consistent user interface experience.

GNOME videos

+ Add

Ojambo - Review Gedit Editor (vs 0016)

More videos:

  • Review - Linux Text Editors - Intro to Vim, Gedit, and Nano
  • Review - Ojambo - Gedit Advanced Editor Review (vs 0071)

Open Shell videos

+ Add

Classic Menu for Windows 10 with Open Shell

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GNOME and Open Shell)

GNOME

Open Shell

Text Editors
100 100%
Text Editors
0% 0
Note Taking
0 0%
Note Taking
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
IDE
0% 0
LMS
0 0%
LMS
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using GNOME and Open Shell. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GNOME and Open Shell

GNOME Reviews

Top 10 Free CSV Readers in 2023!
gedit: A text editor that comes pre-installed with many Linux distributions and has a CSV plugin that allows you to view and edit CSV files.
Source: www.retable.io
9 Best Linux Desktop Environments to Use in 2023
GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is a free and open-source software initiative that aims to create network-independent programs based on open-source technologies. Currently, GNOME is the most used Linux desktop environment.
Source: geekflare.com
The 8 Best Ubuntu Desktop Environments (22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Linux)
GNOME Flashback is a trimmed version of GNOME 3 shell based on GNOME 2 desktop. It is a lightweight desktop to help you to get the most out of any low profile PC.
Source: linuxconfig.org
6 Best Linux Desktop Environments to Try in 2022
GNOME is a very popular Linux desktop environment. Many Linux distros use GNOME. GNOME is simple to use and can be customized. The modern and touch-feature-enabled user interface provides an amazing experience. Also, the GNOME desktop can extend its functionalities via GNOME Shell extensions.
Source: www.linuxjournal.com
Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020
MATE was created as a response to the drop in user experience when Gnome 3.x was launched. Being a fork, itโ€™s very similar to Gnomeโ€™s predecessor and adds more features along with additional community support. This desktop environment caught attention when Linux Mint used MATE instead of Gnome 3 for its user interface.
Source: www.journaldev.com

Open Shell Reviews

We have no reviews of Open Shell yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GNOME seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 22 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.

GNOME mentions (22)

  • How to obtain a Mac-style taskbar
    The gnome extensions manager can't download extensions from gnome.org, but the extensions manager on flathub can, in addition to the usual extension settings. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Gnome-extensions site down?
    Looks like all of gnome.org is down. I can't get to extensions or anything else. Source: about 3 years ago
  • GNOME 44 is out now
    Just update. New release includes some features you maybe want, and general improvements. https://gnome.org. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Building own server for the first time, and using Linux for the first time
    Using Xorg and a Window/Desktop Manager (maybe you heard of gnome), you're able to have a functional desktop like Windows. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Introducing GNOME 44, โ€œKuala Lumpurโ€
    That third graph doesn't do a good job of accurately assigning commits to organization. For example, two the largest GNOME contributors for Red Hat are Florian Mรผllner and Jonas ร…dahl. Both of them don't commit using a redhat.com email address. Instead they use gnome.org and gmail.com respectively. So they are incorrectly assigned in the third graph to either Personal or other where they should be with Red Hat. Source: over 3 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 GNOME and Open Shell, you can also consider the following products

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

Fences - Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.

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.

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.

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

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.

Loading...