Software Alternatives & Reviews

Polychromatic VS OpenRGB

Compare Polychromatic VS OpenRGB and see what are their differences

Polychromatic logo Polychromatic

Graphical front end and tray applet for configuring Razer peripherals on GNU/Linux.

OpenRGB logo OpenRGB

OpenRGB is an all-in-one network-based software development kit that allows you to use third-party software to control all of your RGB.
  • Polychromatic Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14
  • OpenRGB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

Polychromatic videos

Polychromatic Review | Show and Tell | Polychromatic Gameplay

More videos:

  • Review - Polychromatic Review
  • Review - Polychromatic Xbox One Review

OpenRGB videos

how to start up openrgb with windows

More videos:

  • Demo - OpenRGB 0.3 - Setup and Demo on Windows

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Polychromatic and OpenRGB)
Gaming
21 21%
79% 79
Note Taking
20 20%
80% 80
Automation
100 100%
0% 0
OS & Utilities
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Polychromatic and OpenRGB. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenRGB seems to be a lot more popular than Polychromatic. While we know about 198 links to OpenRGB, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Polychromatic. 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.

Polychromatic mentions (4)

  • Hardware Brand
    I've tried multiple different brands of keyboards and mice and all of them worked well with Linux, often even if Linux wasn't advertised on the box (I wouldn't bet on that though). More well known brands have better support e.g. Razer has OpenRazer and Polychromatic. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Razer blackwidow keyboard backlights
    I re-installed open-razer on Ubuntu and also installed Polychromatic. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Work towards a standard appindicator protocol has started (with support from GNOME and KDE)
    Some apps are still using appindicator like Polychromatic (https://github.com/polychromatic/polychromatic) and it's a buggy mess. I hope this time they make something good and not something totally crap that is going to be a problem for the next few years that a new crew will have to fix. Source: over 2 years ago
  • DeathAdder Essential mouse: how to program buttons on Linux?
    I installed OpenRazer driver and Polychromatic. Also I see this maybe related issue. Source: over 2 years ago

OpenRGB mentions (198)

  • programs have multiple tabs open and 300mb of ram usage
    I don’t think you need any special software for the cooler, CAM just handles the RGB and I think the display on the block. If you can live without that (OpenRGB can potentially handle the RGB, not sure about the display) then you should be able to get rid of it (assuming NZXT let you uninstall it without needing a reinstall, unlike Asus and Armory Crate…). Source: 5 months ago
  • MSI Center Mystic Light LEDKeeper2.exe High CPU Usage
    Openrgb.org works on all 3 of my MSI boards, Razor KB and mouse too. Small and simple. Source: 5 months ago
  • td500 mesh fans
    If you've connected the ARGB Header to your Motherboard, you'll have to use some software like OpenRGB, but if not - try pressing the "Reset" button (located on the left-hand side of the Front Panel) which hopefully will switch between RGB modes. Source: 6 months ago
  • Windows Dynamic Lighting RGB control on Linux ?
    Controlling RGB devices on Linux has always been kinda finicky. Too much proprietary nonsense and Windows-only software. With so many vendors jumping on this open standard would it potentially open up way more devices to be controlled by one app on Linux? Would a project like OpenRGB be able to get this working? I'm not a developer, so apologies if this ultimately means nothing. Source: 7 months ago
  • RGB strip options for MAG B650 Tomahawk w/ WIFI
    You could try OpenRGB and see if it detects and allows you to change your lights. Source: 8 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Polychromatic and OpenRGB, you can also consider the following products

OpenRazer - An entirely open source driver and user-space daemon that allows you to manage your Razer peripherals on GNU/Linux.

Artemis RGB - An overview of the guides that'll teach you how to use Artemis

Razer Synapse - Razer Synapse is unified configuration software that allows users to rebind controls or assign...

Logitech G Hub - Logitech G HUB is new software to help you get the most out of your gear. Quickly personalize your gear per game.

ckb-next - ckb-next is an open-source driver for Corsair keyboards and mice.

Razer device configuration tool - Next generation Razer device configuration tool bringing the Razer gaming experience to the free...