Software Alternatives & Startups
Register | Login

Openbox VS Boxes.dev

Compare Openbox VS Boxes.dev and see what are their differences

O
Openbox

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

Rating
0 reviews
Promote on VibeVoted
Alternatives Is it good?
Boxes.dev

Close your laptop again: run Claude Code and Codex in the cloud

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews
Promote on VibeVoted
Alternatives Is it good?
Storyloft
The all-in-one AI writing and publishing platform for authors. sponsored
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, Boxes.dev seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 5 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 5
Linux popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
78 vs 35

Base details

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

O
Openbox
Boxes.dev
Website openbox.org boxes.dev
Company — Startup from the United States · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in
Linux Window Manager Desktop Environments Open Source +1
Developer Tools Cloud Computing AI VPS +1

About Openbox and Boxes.dev

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

O
Openbox
Boxes.dev

No description of Openbox yet.

Boxes.dev is a cloud development environment for building software with coding agents. It looks like the Codex or Claude desktop apps, but works a bit differently: Everything is in the cloud, so you can close your laptop and nothing stops. Pick up the same sessions from the iOS and Android apps,...

Read more about Boxes.dev

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

O
Openbox 5 features
Boxes.dev 5 features
  • Lightweight
    Openbox is a highly efficient window manager that requires minimal system resources, making it an excellent choice for older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • Customizable
    Openbox offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor the look and feel of their desktop environment to their specific preferences.
  • Fast Performance
    Due to its lightweight nature, Openbox provides fast and responsive performance, resulting in quicker application launches and smoother overall desktop experience.
  • Comprehensive Keybindings
    Openbox supports complex keybindings, enabling power users to create efficient workflow setups through keyboard shortcuts.
  • Extensible
    Openbox can work seamlessly with other tools and additional software, allowing users to extend its capabilities with tools like panels, widgets, and additional plugins.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Openbox requires a more hands-on approach and can be challenging for beginners to set up and configure due to its extensive customization options.
  • Limited Out-of-the-box Features
    Unlike full desktop environments, Openbox does not come with many built-in features, requiring users to install and configure additional software to achieve a fully functional desktop.
  • No Desktop Icons by Default
    Openbox does not support desktop icons natively, so users need to rely on additional tools like 'xfdesktop' or 'pcmanfm' to add this functionality.
  • Minimalistic Appearance
    While some users appreciate the minimalistic look, others might find it too bare-bones compared to more feature-rich environments like GNOME or KDE.
  • Manual Configuration
    Most customizations in Openbox require editing configuration files manually, which can be time-consuming and error-prone for users unfamiliar with text-based configurations.
  • Instant macOS Development Environments
    Boxes.dev allows developers to quickly spin up macOS virtual machines for development purposes, significantly reducing the time needed to set up clean development environments compared to manual configuration.
  • Native Apple Silicon Support
    Boxes.dev is built to run natively on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) Macs, leveraging the Apple Virtualization framework for near-native performance without the overhead of traditional emulation.
  • Easy to Use Interface
    The app provides a streamlined, user-friendly interface for creating and managing macOS virtual machines, making virtualization accessible even to developers who aren't familiar with complex VM tooling.
  • Pre-configured Environments
    Boxes.dev offers the ability to create environments with development tools pre-installed or easily configurable, saving developers significant setup time when they need fresh or isolated macOS instances.
  • Snapshot and Restore Capabilities
    Users can take snapshots of their virtual machines and restore them to previous states, which is invaluable for testing, CI/CD workflows, and safely experimenting with system configurations without risk.

Analysis

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

O
Openbox
Boxes.dev

Overall verdict

  • Openbox is a great choice for users seeking a lightweight and highly customizable window management solution. Its performance benefits on lower-end hardware and flexibility make it a valuable tool for power users and enthusiasts alike.

Why this product is good

  • Openbox is a highly configurable and lightweight window manager for the X Window System. It's known for its speed and simplicity, allowing users to control their desktop environment efficiently. It provides a blank canvas for users wanting to customize their workspace, making it ideal for those who prefer a minimalist setup or have limited system resources. The configuration is done through plain text files, offering flexibility for advanced users who wish to personalize their user experience meticulously.

Recommended for

  • Advanced users looking for customization options
  • Users with older or less powerful hardware
  • Minimalists who prefer a robust yet simplistic interface
  • Linux enthusiasts who enjoy configuring their desktop environment
  • Developers and programmers who want a distraction-free workspace

Overall verdict

  • Boxes.dev appears to be a solid developer-focused tool that streamlines workflows, though its overall value depends on your specific technical needs and team size.

Why this product is good

  • Developer-centric design that integrates smoothly into existing coding workflows
  • Aims to reduce setup and configuration overhead so teams can focus on building
  • Modern, clean interface that appeals to technical users
  • Potential for improved collaboration and faster project spin-up

Recommended for

  • Software developers and engineering teams looking to simplify their tooling
  • Startups needing to move quickly with minimal infrastructure setup
  • Technical users who value streamlined, code-first workflows
  • Small to mid-sized teams seeking better collaboration on development projects

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

O
Openbox 6 videos + Add
Boxes.dev 0 videos + Add

Get Rid Of That Bloated Desktop Environment And Install Openbox

More videos

  • - Manjaro Openbox: First Impressions and Review
  • - Openbox V8S Review- How to get Free TV!!!
  • - Open Box Review (Bx8 M-Audio Speakers) #Openbox #SpeakerReview
  • - Openbox A1 - Review
  • - OPEN BOX - @ikmultimedia TONEX #fyp #opening #openbox #review #guitar

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

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
O
Openbox
Boxes.dev
100% 100%
Linux
0% 0%
0% 0%
Developer Tools
100% 100%
100% 100%
Window Manager
0% 0%
0% 0%
AI
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Openbox and Boxes.dev. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Reviews and articles

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

O
Openbox no reviews yet
Boxes.dev no reviews yet
  • Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020
    www.journaldev.com · Jan 2021

    People who’re deep into Linux, love Openbox’s simplicity. It’s extremely lightweight, and comes with only a text-based right-click menu that lists all your applications. The menu is customizable too, and you can add...

We have no reviews of Boxes.dev yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

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

O
Openbox 0 mentions
Boxes.dev 5 mentions

Tracking Openbox since Mar 2021.

  • Conductor Is Joining Meta
    (disclosure: I'm a founder of yet another T3/Conductor competitor, https://boxes.dev) You might want to do a quick eval of all the products in the space vs your org's needs! There are a lot of options now,... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • Conductor Is Joining Meta
    We built https://boxes.dev specifically for cloud dev / isolated VMs (disclosure, I'm one of the founders). Getting work off your laptop is such a productivity boost when you have parallel threads.... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • Conductor Is Joining Meta
    Tried Conductor in the past but had migrated all of our teams remote development work to http://boxes.dev as it was much more intuitive and easier to manage parallel workstreams. Would highly recommend it... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago

View more

Alternatives to Openbox and Boxes.dev

When comparing Openbox and Boxes.dev, you can also consider the following products.

Loading...