Software Alternatives & Startups

Vesktop VS ShellNewHandler

Compare Vesktop VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

Vesktop

Vesktop is a custom Discord App aiming to give you better performance and improve linux support - Vencord/Vesktop

Rating
0 reviews
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

Rating
0 reviews
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, ShellNewHandler seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 2 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 2
Work Management popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

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

Vesktop
ShellNewHandler
Website github.com sourceforge.net
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vesktop 5 features
ShellNewHandler 0 features
  • Enhanced Privacy and Performance
    Vesktop is a standalone desktop application that doesn't rely on the official Discord Electron client. It uses a more lightweight approach, often resulting in better performance and reduced resource usage compared to the standard Discord desktop app.
  • Built-in Vencord Integration
    Vesktop comes with Vencord pre-installed, giving users immediate access to a rich ecosystem of plugins, themes, and customization options without needing to manually patch the Discord client.
  • Screen Sharing with Audio on Linux
    One of Vesktop's standout features is native support for screen sharing with audio on Linux, which is a long-standing limitation of the official Discord client on that platform. This makes it especially valuable for Linux users.
  • Open Source and Transparent
    Vesktop is fully open source, allowing the community to audit the code, contribute improvements, and verify that no malicious or unwanted behavior is present. This fosters trust and community-driven development.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Vesktop supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent and enhanced Discord experience across all major desktop operating systems.

Possible disadvantages

  • Violation of Discord's Terms of Service
    Using Vesktop and Vencord involves client modification, which is against Discord's Terms of Service. This means users risk account suspension or termination, although enforcement has historically been rare.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    Since Vesktop is an unofficial third-party client, it may experience bugs, crashes, or compatibility issues that don't exist in the official Discord app, especially after Discord pushes updates that change their internal APIs.
  • Delayed Feature Parity
    When Discord introduces new features or UI changes, Vesktop may take time to catch up or adapt, leaving users temporarily without access to the latest official functionality.
  • Smaller Community and Support
    Compared to the official Discord client, Vesktop has a much smaller user base and support network. Users may find it harder to get help with issues, and documentation may be less comprehensive.
  • Security Risks from Third-Party Plugins
    While Vencord's core plugins are reviewed, the ecosystem of community plugins can introduce security risks. Users who install unvetted plugins could potentially expose their accounts or systems to vulnerabilities.

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis

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

Vesktop
ShellNewHandler

Overall verdict

  • Vesktop is a well-regarded, community-built alternative Discord desktop client that combines Vencord's client-side mods with better performance and Linux support, making it a solid choice for users seeking a lighter, more customizable experience.

Why this product is good

  • It's a lightweight, faster alternative to the official Discord client, using less memory and resources.
  • It comes with Vencord preinstalled, offering built-in plugins, themes, and quality-of-life customizations.
  • It has significantly better Linux support, including proper screen sharing with audio (a common pain point with official Discord on Linux).
  • It's free and open source, giving transparency and community-driven development.
  • It respects privacy better by stripping out some of Discord's telemetry through Vencord.

Recommended for

  • Linux users who want reliable screen sharing with audio
  • Users who want a lighter, more performant Discord client
  • People who enjoy customizing their Discord experience with themes and plugins
  • Privacy-conscious users looking to reduce telemetry
  • Open-source enthusiasts who prefer community-maintained software

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vesktop 1 video + Add
ShellNewHandler 0 videos + Add

HOW to INSTALL VENCORD CLIENT | Vesktop: BetterDiscord Alternative

No ShellNewHandler 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
Vesktop
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Vesktop and ShellNewHandler. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

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

Vesktop 0 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions

Tracking Vesktop since Apr 2026.

  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to Vesktop and ShellNewHandler

When comparing Vesktop and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.