Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sway

Sway is a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager, but for Wayland instead of X11.

Sway

Sway Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether Sway is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • Sway Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-20

Features & Specs

  1. Wayland Compatibility

    Sway is a compositor for Wayland, providing better performance and security compared to the X11 system.

  2. i3 Compatibility

    Sway is designed to be compatible with i3 window manager configurations, making it easy for i3 users to transition.

  3. Lightweight

    Sway is known for being lightweight and efficient, using fewer system resources compared to other compositors.

  4. Customizability

    Similar to i3, Sway offers extensive customization options for users to tailor their environment.

  5. Active Development

    Sway has an active development community, ensuring regular updates, bug fixes, and new features.

  6. Enhances Security

    Being built on Wayland, Sway provides better isolation of processes, improving overall system security.

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Videos

Sway beats Powerpoint for these 4 reasons (Microsoft Office 365).

VOD REVIEW: IS FAZE SWAY BEING COACHED ๐ŸŽฎ BY FAZE BIZZLE WORTH IT? (Full Game)

Microsoft Sway Hands On Review!

Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about Sway and what they use it for.
  • Pomodoro Timer: Waybar and uair
    I am currently using uair integrated in to my Waybar running on my sway window manager. I use it similar to the way I use watson (both as a CLI tool with Waybar integrations), so it is a good fit for me. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • "We understand" ;)
    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
  • Framework 13 with AMD Ryzen 7040 Series Makes for a Great Linux Laptop
    I've tested using i3 but never fully got into it. But my plan for the F13 is to try out Hyprland[0] and perhaps Sway[1]. [0] https://hyprland.org/ [1] https://swaywm.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Rethinking Window Management in Gnome
    Sway does all those things very well: https://swaywm.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Just ran Sway on openSUSE. Complete noob. I need help.
    Read the manual on https://swaywm.org/. There are tons of youtube videos showcasing basic configuration and usage. This is extremely basic stuff you need to do yourself. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Thinking about doing distro hop after half a year any recommendations?
    While both the Pop Shell and Material shell extensions offer very easy access to window tiling on GNOME, they're not as powerful as the likes of Sway or Hyprland. Source: about 3 years ago
  • tiling window manager
    If I wanted to run a tiling WM now I'd try out sway, which bills itself as a drop-in replacement for i3 on Wayland. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Asahi Linux To Users: Please Stop Using X.Org
    Sway is supposed to be a drop-in replacement for i3. And they're probably the biggest outside of Gnome and KDE, so the support should be pretty good -- they maintain wlroots, which is what all the smaller Wayland compositors use. Source: about 3 years ago
  • My full desktop mode rice. Replaced KDE with i3 and mapped everything I need to use it to controls with steam input.
    If you like i3, you might want to try https://swaywm.org/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Switching between desktop mode and game mode restarts?
    I got fed up enough that I put a launcher for a "Desktop Mode" inside gaming mode. (I actually use use a tiling window manager called Sway instead of KDE because I've always felt I wasn't a real Linux dude if I didn't have rice). Source: about 3 years ago
  • Why Use Linux?
    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
  • Linux vs. Mac
    - iCloud sync. I use an iPhone and frequently make use of iMessage, photos, and clipboard syncing between devices. I know that you can replicate a lot of that with Android and Linux, but at this point I'm pretty deep in Apple's ecosystem and am unlikely to switch away anytime soon. The biggest thing I miss is having a good tiling window manager experience. I have a desktop running Sway[0] and really love it. I've... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • I3 Lock Blur
    I know this is gonna be downvoted, but if you decide to move to sway in the future, you have swaylock-effects to do exactly that. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Replacing Win 11 with Arch on my laptop
    Once you start w/the Tiling WMs, everything else seems bloated and ineffecient. I3WM makes it easy to test Wayland too as ou can fire up a SWAY session instead and it will use your I3 configs. Source: over 3 years ago
  • anyone knows how can i get waydroid running on i3
    If you really want to use waydroid then you can give Sway a go. It's an i3 drop-in replacement for Wayland. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Can I get rid of my desktop environment and run programs from the terminal?
    Have a look at a tiling window manager such as sway On that website you can see a small demo video, I think this is most likely what you are looking for. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Why didn't i discover this earlier
    i3wm is completely xorg based so Firefox is unable to use wayland client(don't get me wrong Firefox xorg client also works fine and completely usable), however there is sway wm if you want, which is wayland based and this trick will work. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Elementary OS 7
    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
  • Anyone here use tiling window managers?
    Hi! HHKB user since 2004. Linux user since '95. I've been using tiling window managers for about 20 years. I've tried a few. Ratpoison first, then ion, then xmonad, then spectrwm (which is my favourite), but since I moved to wayland a couple of years ago, I've settled on sway (https://swaywm.org/). Meta-Return spawns a terminal (https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot, which is blazingly fast, using very little resources).... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Manjaro i3 user thinking of trying out Gnome looking for a bit of help
    GNOME is great but it'll never behave like i3. If you want something similar to i3 that works on Wayland, you've got Sway. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Window size & placement [Wayland/GNOME]
    If you don't specifically care about using gnome you can probably still run some gnome services but just use sway/wlroots as your window manager/wayland compositor and use command criteria to assign windows to specific workspace and resize and move them, and configure keybindings or use sway-msg cli tool to manually arrange. Source: over 3 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of Sway

Sway, a tiling window manager for Wayland, is gaining traction among Linux enthusiasts who are seeking an i3-compatible, open-source, and lightweight solution for managing desktop space. Designed as a drop-in replacement for i3 under Wayland, Sway has been well-received due to its robust feature set, its adherence to open-source principles, and its dynamic window arrangement capabilities. Public opinion about Sway is predominantly positive, highlighting its efficacy, ease of use, and alignment with the principles of Linux minimalism.

Sway excels in maximizing desktop space by automatically arranging windows in a grid pattern, and it supports nearly all of the commands available in i3, allowing users to transition smoothly with minimal configuration effort. This compatibility with i3 is acknowledged as a significant advantage, as it enables users who are accustomed to i3's work environment to maintain their workflow when migrating to Wayland.

Users appreciate Sway for its predictability and reliability, often describing it as "boring in the best way possible." This stability is attributed to the absence of commercial pressures, ensuring that the software remains true to its roots over time. Its design philosophy aligns with the open-source ethos, preventing unnecessary changes that might disrupt user experience.

Enthusiasts of tiling window managers frequently advocate for Sway over more conventional desktop environments like GNOME or KDE due to its efficiency and keyboard-centric operation, which is especially appealing to users with conditions that make mouse use difficult. Sway's keyboard-friendly interface and seamless integration with the Wayland display protocol cater to power users who seek a customizable and non-intrusive window management solution.

The general consensus among users on community forums indicates a high level of satisfaction with Sway's performance. Its integration with utilities like Waybar and the support of command-line interface tools enhance its appeal to users who prioritize efficiency and resource optimization in their computing environments. Moreover, Sway's maintenance of wlroots โ€“ the foundation for many smaller Wayland compositors โ€“ underscores its significance within the Linux ecosystem, offering robust support for a collaborative open-source community.

However, while Sway is acclaimed for its capabilities, there is an understanding within the community that a learning curve exists for new users. Many recommend consulting documentation and tutorial videos to grasp its full potential. New adopters are advised to engage with community resources to ease the transition and optimize their use of Sway's features.

In conclusion, Sway stands out as a compelling option for users seeking a tiling window manager that embodies the principles of efficiency, open-source ethics, and minimalism. Its strong community support and fidelity to fundamental design principles ensure that it continues to be a popular choice among Linux users transitioning to Wayland.

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Is Sway good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss Sway 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.