
DockbarX
Gnome Do
Gnome-Pie
Cairo-Dock
Launchy
Ulauncher
Avant Window Navigator
Synapse is a semantic launcher written in Vala that you can use to start applications as well as find and access relevant documents and files by making use of the Zeitgeist engine.

Wallpaper Engine
Lively Wallpaper
ScreenPlay
Wallspace.app
Backdrop
Vivid Walls
Solace
Live 4K wallpapers for your Mac. Fast, native, and fully customizable.

Which is more popular?
Wallper might be a bit more popular than Synapse. We know about 1 link to it since March 2021 and only 1 link to Synapse.
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Website | launchpad.net | wallper.app |
| Pricing | — | |
| Company | — | Startup from the Czech Republic · 1 - 9 employees · 2025 |
| Listed in |
In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.


No description of Synapse yet.
Wallper is a native macOS app for setting high-quality 4K animated wallpapers. Built for performance and simplicity, it runs entirely locally with no accounts, no telemetry, and no background services. Key features: • 4000+ curated animated wallpapers • Support for multi-monitor setups •...
What each product offers, as listed by its team.


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


Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Synapse is particularly recommended for Linux users who value speed and efficiency in workflow management. It is an excellent choice for those running older systems or anyone looking to simplify their desktop environment by reducing the time spent navigating through traditional application menus.
Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Walkthroughs and reviews on video.
Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Red eTap | Review | Cycling Weekly
More videos
No Wallper videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.
How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.


As answered by people managing Synapse and Wallper.
Wallper's answer:
Wallper combines beautiful live wallpapers with native macOS performance. No clunky wrappers, no subscriptions. It just works smoothly and with complete control for every screen.
Wallper's answer:
Most alternatives are either outdated, heavy on resources, or require a login. Wallper is fast, lightweight, fully local, and respects your privacy. Plus, it’s designed specifically for macOS.
Wallper's answer:
Mac users who care about aesthetics, productivity, and simplicity. Creatives, developers, designers - anyone who wants their desktop to feel alive and personal.
Wallper's answer:
Wallper started as a weekend project. After switching from Windows, we couldn’t believe how limited macOS was when it came to live wallpapers — there just wasn’t a clean, native solution like Wallpaper Engine. We built the first version just for ourselves, to bring our desktops to life again. But as we shared it with friends and online communities, it quickly turned into something much bigger. What began as a personal fix is now a fully featured app used by thousands of Mac users around the world.
Wallper's answer:
Wallper is built entirely in Swift & SwiftUI. Everything is optimized for macOS with no Electron or cross-platform layers.
Wallper's answer:
Used by teams at indie studios and design agencies
Share your experience with using Synapse and Wallper. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.


Azure is a cloud computing platform that serves as a basis for many data solutions. As explained previously in another post on this blog, Synapse Analytics is a rebranded version of the Azure SQL Data Warehouse. Among...
We have no reviews of Wallper yet. Be the first one to post
Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.


Ditch Cosmic's launcher. It is underpowered. The best launcher to this day is still Synapse, even though it is not in active development anymore. It still has great potential and could easily be extended to really fit into Pop while... Source: almost 5 years ago
We launched our macOS app today on Product Hunt - it’s called Wallper, a lightweight tool for setting 4K animated video wallpapers. https://wallper.app. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
When comparing Synapse and Wallper, you can also consider the following products.

DockbarX is a standalone dock that groups and launches applications.
Compare DockbarX to Synapse or Wallper:

Wallpaper Engine enables you to use live wallpapers on your Windows desktop.
Compare Wallpaper Engine to Synapse or Wallper:

Simple, sleek, swift, smart. Do. GNOME Do allows you to quickly search for many items present on your desktop or the web, and perform useful actions on those items. GNOME Do is inspired by Quicksilver & GNOME Launch Box.
Compare Gnome Do to Synapse or Wallper:

What is it? Lively is a Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) for animated desktop wallpapers.
Compare Lively Wallpaper to Synapse or Wallper:

Gnome-Pie is a circular application launcher for Linux.
Compare Gnome-Pie to Synapse or Wallper:

Open-source and cross-platform Wallpaper, Widgets and AppDrawer app.
Compare ScreenPlay to Synapse or Wallper: