Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PortableApps.com VS Start Menu X

Compare PortableApps.com VS Start Menu X and see what are their differences

PortableApps.com logo PortableApps.com

PortableApps.com is a website offering many free, commonly used Windows applications that have been...

Start Menu X logo 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.
  • PortableApps.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-02
  • Start Menu X Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20

PortableApps.com features and specs

  • Portability
    PortableApps.com allows users to carry their software and settings on a USB drive, enabling them to work on different computers without needing to install software anew.
  • No Installation Required
    Applications from PortableApps.com do not require installation on the host machine, which simplifies software management and avoids modifying system files and settings.
  • Privacy and Security
    Since applications run from a portable drive, users can ensure their personal data and app settings are not left on public or shared computers.
  • Space Efficiency
    Many portable apps are designed to be lightweight, consuming less disk space compared to their installed counterparts.
  • Ease of Updates
    PortableApps.com offers a built-in updater that keeps all portable applications current, streamlining the maintenance process.

Possible disadvantages of PortableApps.com

  • Performance Issues
    Running applications from a USB drive can be slower compared to running them from a local hard drive, especially if the USB drive is of low quality or an older standard.
  • Compatibility Limitations
    Not all software can be made portable due to dependencies or performance requirements, limiting the selection of available portable apps.
  • Less Integration
    Portable applications may lack deep system integration, affecting some features and functionality that depend on tight coupling with the operating system.
  • Data Corruption Risk
    Using a USB drive intensively has a higher risk of data corruption or loss, especially if the drive is improperly ejected during read/write operations.
  • User Dependency
    If the portable drive is lost, damaged, or stolen, the user loses access to their applications and settings, creating a dependency on the portable medium.

Start Menu X features and specs

  • Customizability
    Start Menu X allows users to customize the start menu to their liking, including changing the layout, adding or removing tiles, and even creating custom groups for applications.
  • Productivity Features
    It offers features aimed at enhancing productivity, such as the ability to resize the start menu, group applications, and efficiently manage installed software.
  • Virtual Groups
    The software provides the ability to organize applications into virtual groups, making it easier to find and launch applications based on categories or user preferences.
  • Teeth Integration
    Start Menu X integrates with the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating system teeth, offering a familiar yet enhanced user experience for navigating and managing applications.
  • Multiple Skins
    The start menu can be themed with multiple skins, allowing users to personalize the look and feel of their interface.

Possible disadvantages of Start Menu X

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive customization options and features, new users might experience a learning curve when first using Start Menu X.
  • Performance Issues
    In some cases, users have reported that the application may cause slight performance issues or slowdowns, especially on older systems.
  • Cost
    While Start Menu X offers a free version, its more advanced features and customization options are locked behind a paywall, requiring the purchase of the Pro version.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Users have reported encountering occasional bugs or stability issues, which may affect the overall experience.
  • Overlap with Built-in Windows Features
    Some of the features provided by Start Menu X may overlap with built-in features of the Windows operating system, which can lead to redundancy.

PortableApps.com videos

PortableApps.com Review

Start Menu X videos

Start Menu X review

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PortableApps.com and Start Menu X)
Note Taking
74 74%
26% 26
LMS
70 70%
30% 30
Windows Tools
100 100%
0% 0
OS & Utilities
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PortableApps.com seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 150 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.

PortableApps.com mentions (150)

  • Ask HN: What tools do you recommend for working on Windows?
    Always put all your portable programs in the "A:\MyPC\Programs\" folder. Always put all your documents in the "A:\MyPC\Documents\" folder. Put driver files and runtime libraries in the "A:\MyPC\Install\" folder. For all three, feel free to create subfolders as needed, either per topic, per group, or however your brain envisions data trees. You can find plenty of portable windows software in the links provided... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Ask HN: Recommended lightweight apps like Paint.NET, Notepad++, SumatraPDF etc.
    If I'm on windows I like portable applications. I always have: https://portableapps.com/ "Installed" and if I'm looking for a program I tend to go here: https://www.portablefreeware.com/ first. There's also sysmenu: https://www.ugmfree.it/ Which has way more programs, and let's not forget nirsoft: https://www.nirsoft.net/ Someone's already mention sysinternals. Much as I like Linux over windows, portable app have... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • I wanna switch browsers, any recommendations
    Until you can makeup your mind about a different browser, do what I normally do & check out this site: https://portableapps.com/ by utilizing this platform the ONLY software that actually gets installed to a users computer is the portableapps setup file so you can utilize the application itself. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Is there a way to package a desktop app so that it can run in "any" environment?
    I would ask over at portableapps.com. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Why do people still use VBA?
    >no software install... https://portableapps.com I think there's even a Lazarus IDE available for every company user who. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

Start Menu X mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Start Menu X yet. Tracking of Start Menu X recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PortableApps.com and Start Menu X, you can also consider the following products

SyMenu - SyMenu is a portable menu launcher and Start Menu replacement to organize your applications quickly...

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.

The Portable Freeware Collection - One of the largest collections of free, portable software on the web.

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.

PStart - PStart is a simple tray tool to start user defined applications.

Open Shell - Open Shell is a fork of the Classic Shell project for Windows that getting back the classic start...