Table of contents
i3
A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.
As i3 is an open source project, you can find more
open source alternatives and stats
on LibHunt.
Efficient Window Management
i3 allows for highly efficient window management using a tree data structure, making it easy to snap windows into grids and manage multiple applications simultaneously.
Lightweight
i3 is deliberately simplistic and lightweight, which allows it to run efficiently on older hardware or systems with limited resources.
Customizability
Users can extensively customize keybindings and behavior through a plain text configuration file. This allows for a personalized workflow.
Keyboard-Centric
i3 is designed to be used primarily through keyboard shortcuts, which can lead to increased productivity for advanced users.
Scriptability
i3 supports various scripting languages through its IPC (Inter-process Communication) interface, enabling automation of complex workflows.
Community and Documentation
i3 has strong community support and extensive documentation, making it easier for new users to learn and troubleshoot issues.
Yes, i3 is considered a very good window manager for users who appreciate its minimalist and efficient approach. Its lightweight design keeps resource usage low, which can improve performance on less powerful machines.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if i3 is good.
Check the traffic stats of i3 on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of i3 on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of i3's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of i3 on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about i3 on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
I've been using Omarchy as my main setup since June 26, 2025, the day DHH released the first version. Before that I had my own custom Opinionated Linux, mclovin-ARCHived: an Arch + i3wm installer set up exactly the way I liked. It was total control over the OS: me deciding what goes in, keeping every piece (i3wm, polybar, picom, kitty, dotfiles) up to date and making sure they all talked to each other for the... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
Then few years back, in 2015, I got shown i3wm and used it on my ubuntu-netinstall until 2020, then I switched to Budgie and my personal laptop has been using that ever since. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
I switched to the i3 tiling based window manager. Because it's a whole different environment and thinking, it was very different from what I was used to. The volume buttons were working on my keyboard, but I didn't get any visual feedback. Furthermore, the volume percentage could go down below zero and increase up to more than hundread percent. There were times when I was confused why the keys stopped working, but... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
This is partially why I use tools like i3 (/ sway). I like the tool; it works extremely well for me; the design has stayed the same for 20 years; there's no profit motive to come along and fuck everything up. It just works. It is boring in the best way possible. Source: over 2 years ago
I use MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid-2014) with Manjaro as OS using i3 as a window manager. It isn't perfect, but I'm thrilled with it. I have been a Mac OS user for the last 15 years and wouldn't change what I have now for a Mac OS because I don't need more than what I'm using for development. Source: about 3 years ago
For daily usage I really like kubuntu with i3wm, but it takes some configuration and getting used to the shortcuts, but it's well worth it. Source: about 3 years ago
Some window managers are meant to be used as-is, and provide a minimalist yet functional environment that use very little resources or give power users an almost HUD-like interface. Examples of those window managers are OpenBox and i3wm for X, and Weston and Hyprland for Wayland. Source: about 3 years ago
I did use i3 exclusively for a few years. The reasons I chose it were. Source: about 3 years ago
Well, it depends. It was better experience than FreeBSD 7.2 that's for sure. :) It was running Xorg with https://i3wm.org, a web-server, XMPP-server, PostgreSQL, few bots and dovecot / postfix (e-mail server). It was doing fine routing internet for 2PCs and a WiFi router for 10 years until its HDD died. For gaming... erm... I was able to play something like Theme Hospital or Syndicate Wars in dosbox. You have to... Source: about 3 years ago
Here's another big one. I have an inflammatory condition that occasionally makes using a mouse painful and a trackpad very inaccurate. On a Mac, I'm just screwed. On Windows, I'm more screwed than I used to be (through XP, Windows was completely navigable via the keyboard, as was Office). On BSD or Linux, I can replace the GUI with programs like Sway or i3, which not only makes the UI more keyboard-friendly,... Source: over 3 years ago
This one's a bit trickier. Usually, what newer Linux users are told is that what they're probably after is a new Desktop Environment or Window Manager. If you're frustrated with the way Gnome Desktop (https://www.gnome.org/) works, then looking at KDE Plasma (https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/) may be a good idea and vice-versa. Some users find that they prefer working almost solely with the keyboard rather than a... Source: over 3 years ago
This sounds like a keychain issue. No recent i3 experience so check the wiki and https://i3wm.org. Source: over 3 years ago
The ideal place to use Shadow (for me) is on a 2013 macbook pro that Apple has shuffled off of it's update line. The library of apps that work on it is dwindling, but it's still a capable machine. I put Manjaro Linux with i3wm on it and it's been covering all of my gaming and Windows related tasks quite well this way. Source: over 3 years ago
So when I said "window manager based Linux" I was mostly referring to the stereotypes of the Linux window manager; which 1 person not even having a mouse; staring apps; moving windows doing everything with their keyboard. If you wanna look a bit more into window managers for windows the only "okay" one that I've personally used is bug.n and for Linux there's tons; but my personal fav is I3. Source: over 3 years ago
This is basically a status bar content implementation that speaks the i3bar protocol, for the i3 window manager, and is designed to be used as a replacement for i3's own i3status. I've written plugins for things like: date/time, disk free space, pulseaudio volume, CPU usage, free RAM, weather, Bitcoin ticker, etc. I use Linux and OpenBSD regularly, so the plugins cover compatibility with at least those two. ... Source: over 3 years ago
I have noticed in one of your comments in this thread that you are looking for novel ideas of the UI look. As others commenters stated, you might be interested in tiling window managers like i3 [0] or sway [1]. They are truly a gem for productivity and sometimes for an eye [2]. However, I love the concept of scrollable window manager like PaperWM [3] is. When I had a smaller screen (24" 16:9) I was complaining a... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
I started off using i3wm a while back which made the migration to swaywm pretty seamless. Most of the migration/config was finding wayland-native alternatives for various utilities (screenshot, notification daemon, some applications) but there are lots of helpful blog posts (below). Source: over 3 years ago
Since Sway is a port of https://i3wm.org/ to Wayland, for enlightening I suggest you look for info on the latter. Source: over 3 years ago
i3 is probably the most well-documented and well-supported, and has a pretty simple configuration syntax. Source: over 3 years ago
It is a suggestion to install i3wm https://i3wm.org/ instead of gnome/KDE/xfce etc.. Check out some videos first, you might not like it.. Forces you to take a step back and rethink how you interact with your desktop. Source: over 3 years ago
> Dock to a different dock (hot-desking; same brand and size of monitor) and the entire display options need to be re-written - no option to preserve it Does anything do this properly? I use i3[0], and wrote some super janky automation to preserve my layouts when I switched from dock to no dock and back. It has the concept of layouts that can be stored/loaded. So I had a script that would dump the layout, I had to... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
i3, a prominent tiling window manager within the Linux ecosystem, continues to garner significant attention and varied feedback from the community, reflecting its status and influence among open source software enthusiasts. As a quintessential tool in the world of minimalistic and efficient user interfaces, i3 stands out amidst a robust landscape populated by several notable competitors, including dwm, Sway, Openbox, bspwm, awesome, Xfce, and qtile.
The primary allure of i3 lies in its simplicity and configurability. Users appreciate the ease with which they can modify the environment, tailoring everything from window behavior to keyboard shortcuts, thereby enabling a highly personalized and efficient workflow. The straightforward configuration of i3 allows users to alter the visual and functional elements of their desktop with precision, a quality that is often emphasized in user discussions.
However, perceptions of i3's lightweight nature generate mixed reactions. Despite expectations that a tiling window manager like i3 would significantly minimize system resource usage due to fewer graphical elements, some users report comparable resource consumption to more traditional desktop environments like Mate. This surprise element can sometimes lead to re-evaluations of the assumed benefits brought by such minimalist interfaces.
The cross-compatibility and the straightforward transition experience with the i3-compatible Wayland manager, Sway, are often mentioned in user discussions. This compatibility is particularly valued by those seeking to adopt Wayland without relinquishing the familiar i3 ecosystem.
Despite these positive sentiments, the adaptation curve to i3's environment, heavily reliant on keyboard navigation, can pose a challenge, particularly for newcomers or those transitioning from environments dominated by mouse interaction. Users frequently cite the necessity of a mental shift in how they approach desktop interaction, which, while initially daunting, often yields significant productivity benefits.
The open-source nature of i3 guarantees a consistent design philosophy devoid of commercial influence, which many users find appealing. This aspect is seen as a strength in maintaining a stable and predictable user experience over the years. For power users and developers, i3 provides an environment that supports a seamless workflow, enhancing productivity and reducing clutter, which is often conducive to coding and other technical tasks.
Moreover, i3 is frequently recommended within the Linux community as a robust alternative for users dissatisfied with more complex desktop environments like GNOME or KDE. It offers a compelling case for those who prefer a keyboard-centric interface, devoid of the intricate features that may be superfluous for their needs.
Overall, public opinion on i3 within technical circles underscores its effectiveness as a tiling window manager. Its strengths in customization, stability, and community support solidify its status, while the challenges it presents in terms of configuration and adaptation serve as important considerations for prospective users. As a fixture of the Linux open-source landscape, i3โs simplicity and efficiency continue to endear it to a diverse user base dedicated to refined control over their computing environments.
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Is i3 good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss i3 here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.
