Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

monsterwm VS qtile

Compare monsterwm VS qtile and see what are their differences

monsterwm logo monsterwm

tiny but monstrous tiling window manager. Contribute to c00kiemon5ter/monsterwm development by creating an account on GitHub.

qtile logo qtile

Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written in Python.
  • monsterwm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26
  • qtile Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-14

monsterwm features and specs

  • Lightweight
    monsterwm is designed to be a minimalistic and lightweight window manager, which means it has a small memory footprint and can run efficiently on older or resource-constrained systems.
  • Minimal Dependencies
    It has very few dependencies, which simplifies installation and reduces bloat. This makes it appealing for users who want to maintain a clean and efficient system.
  • Customizable
    Despite its minimal nature, monsterwm is customizable. Users can edit the source code directly to adjust the layout, appearance, and behavior to their liking.
  • Tiling Support
    monsterwm supports various tiling layouts out of the box, providing effective management of open windows and improving workspace organization.

Possible disadvantages of monsterwm

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its minimalistic design, new users might find monsterwm challenging to configure and use, especially if they are accustomed to more feature-rich or user-friendly window managers.
  • Lack of Features
    monsterwm intentionally lacks many features found in other window managers, which might not cater to users who need more comprehensive functionality like integrated status bars or GUI configuration tools.
  • Manual Configuration
    Configuration requires altering the source code and recompiling, which might be daunting for users who are not comfortable with coding.
  • Limited Community and Support
    As a relatively niche project, it has a smaller user base and community, which can result in less available support, documentation, and fewer community-contributed patches or extensions.

qtile features and specs

  • Highly Customizable
    Qtile is written in Python, which makes it highly customizable and easy to script. Users can define their own layouts, widgets, and keybindings.
  • Lightweight
    Qtile is designed to be minimalistic and lightweight, which helps in maintaining a low system resource footprint.
  • Active Community
    It has an active open-source community, which means regular updates, a wealth of shared configurations, and user-contributed extensions.
  • Flexibility
    Qtile allows dynamic management of windows, making it flexible for various workflows whether you prefer tiling, stacking, or floating window layouts.
  • Multi-Monitor Support
    It offers excellent support for multi-monitor setups, enabling independent workspaces on each screen.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Qtile provides comprehensive documentation that makes setup and customization more straightforward for both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of qtile

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its high degree of customization and flexibility, new users might find it difficult to get started compared to more traditional desktop environments.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Experience
    The default configuration is minimal, requiring users to spend time tweaking and configuring to meet their specific needs.
  • Dependency on Python
    Because it’s based on Python, performance can be slower compared to window managers written in lower-level languages such as C.
  • Possible Bugs
    As with any open-source project, there can be occasional bugs or regressions in updates, especially considering the highly customizable nature of Qtile.

Analysis of qtile

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Qtile is a good window manager, especially for users who prefer customization and scripting capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • Qtile is a highly configurable tiling window manager written in Python, which makes it attractive to those who are familiar with the language. It provides the flexibility to customize window layouts, key bindings, and startup behavior according to personal preferences. Additionally, its active community and comprehensive documentation make it easier for new users to get started.

Recommended for

    Qtile is recommended for Python programmers, Linux enthusiasts who enjoy customizing their desktop environment, and users looking for a keyboard-driven tiling window manager that can be extensively tailored to their workflow.

monsterwm videos

A VERY quick look at MonsterWM

More videos:

  • Review - Window Manager (monsterwm) event

qtile videos

Obscure Window Manager Project - Qtile

More videos:

  • Review - I tried Qtile (a tiling window manager written in python)
  • Review - Qtile review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to monsterwm and qtile)
Window Manager
29 29%
71% 71
Tool
100 100%
0% 0
Linux
17 17%
83% 83
Utilities
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

monsterwm Reviews

We have no reviews of monsterwm yet.
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qtile Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Custom layouts, commands, and widgets are simple to create in Qtile. It may also be remotely scripted to create workspaces, update status bar widgets, and manipulate windows, among other things. It comes with extensive documentation in case you have any questions.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
Qtile features easy to write custom layouts, commands, and widgets. It can also be scripted remotely in order to set up workspaces, update status bar widgets, manipulate windows, etc. It has comprehensive documentation in case you need clarification along the way.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, qtile seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 6 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.

monsterwm mentions (0)

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

qtile mentions (6)

  • Qtile Logs in to a Blank Screen
    Yes, all the dependencies listed in qtile.org are installed. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • docs.qtile.org down? Any information to be found?
    I think yesterday qtile.org itself seemed to be working properly. Now it is also offline. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • New to Linux and qtile, need help.
    Try python -m py_compile ~/.config/qtile/config.py first. You can find this from https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Qtile#Installation which you should be using as your main resource along with qtile.org. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Free/Total Disk Space Widget?
    I was just curious if there is a Qtile widget that would show how much space I have left on my SSD. I looked through the Qtile widgets on qtile.org and couldn't seem to find anything like this which is actually kind of odd to me. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Issue with installing Qtile?
    I possess followed installation guide from‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‎­the qtile.org. Error occurs when I type command startx. https://preview.redd.it/6x0qri1b4n361.png?width=801&format=png&auto=webp&s=bee71e4eb593c08b56f9fd07b30e9c9eca6fd00f. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing monsterwm and qtile, you can also consider the following products

Compiz - Project information. Maintainer: PS Project Management Team. Driver: Compiz Maintainers. Licence: GNU GPL v2, GNU LGPL v2. 1, MIT / X / Expat Licence.

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

pekwm - pekwm is a window manager that once up on a time was based on the aewm++ window manager, but it has...

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

xfdashboard - xfdashboard provides a GMONE shell dashboard like interface for use with the Xfce desktop.

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.