Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Xfce

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.

Xfce

Xfce Reviews and Details

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

Screenshots and images

  • Xfce Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-04

Features & Specs

  1. Lightweight

    Xfce is known for its minimal resource usage, making it an excellent choice for older machines and systems with limited resources.

  2. Fast Performance

    Due to its lightweight nature, Xfce provides fast and responsive performance, even on less powerful hardware.

  3. Highly Customizable

    Xfce offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to tweak the desktop environment to fit their preferences.

  4. Stable and Reliable

    Xfce has a reputation for being stable and reliable, reducing the likelihood of crashes and other issues.

  5. Active Development

    The project benefits from an active community of developers and regular updates, which helps keep the desktop environment secure and up-to-date.

  6. Good Balance

    Xfce strikes a good balance between functionality and simplicity, providing essential features without becoming bloatware.

  7. Low Learning Curve

    Thanks to its intuitive interface, Xfce is relatively easy for new users to pick up and understand quickly.

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Videos

Fully functional? - Xfce 4.14 First Impressions

Debian 10 XFCE Review

Xfce Desktop Overview

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 Xfce and what they use it for.
  • distro hopping
    Pick up your Desktop Environment based on your computer's specs, NOT on your visual preferences. (HINT: XFCE consumes way less system resources than GNOME and KDE). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Lightweight dev tools.
    Itโ€™s a bit of an interesting challenge and has forced me to re-examine some of my tool usage. I started by a minimal install of Debian โ€œbookwormโ€ with the XFCE Desktop Environment which chews through much fewer resources than the default GNOME 43 based environment (although more than LXDE - but there still has to be room for aesthetics). - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • I Still Use Windows 95 (archived, 2008)
    Luckily you can get an efficient, clean Desktop Environment that works well and is actively developed: Xfce ( https://xfce.org/ ) I think you will like it. It has a very early-2000's feel IMO. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • best lightweight linux distro for old laptop and gaming
    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
  • Only one of the four XFCE4's desktop/workspace got hung and now I can't use wallpaper
    Another resource for help might be xfce.org. It's a low traffic site, but responsive. Source: about 3 years ago
  • A few problems/qustions that I personally have regarding linux as a noob user.
    That's neither a distro nor a linux question TBH and yes, of course you can remove a distro theme. Just use the configuration tools available. Documentation for the desktop environment can be found on the development websites of said DE's so kde.org gnome.org xfce.org etc.etc. Ad nauseam. Source: about 3 years ago
  • A good day, and, a noob day
    Xfce: quite similar to Mate, but it has nothing to do with it or GNOME. It is also lightweight and you can also rearrange the panels and it's contents to what you like, but by default it has a top panel with a windowsy-like interface, but with a sort of dock on the bottom. Has bit more options and it is beloved by many becasue it is meant to be a modular system, meaning that the panels, window manager, panel... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Need Mentorship
    Xfce: Developed by a worldwide community, it is a more modest and simpler desktop environment. It is designed to be lightweight, so it is perfect for older or low power computers (or to leave more room for your apps). It is also customizable (not as much as Plasma, but much more than GNOME). Source: over 3 years ago
  • what desktop manager do you prefer?
    You can try xfce! It's a balance between customization and lightweightness Btw, it's not called a desktop manager, it's called a desktop environment. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Everything is so small i cant read Ubuntu 20.04
    That suggests you may be running Xfce and not GNOME (the default desktop environment). AFAIR Xfce doesn't provide a scaling option in its settings. You'll probably have to use xrandr directly. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Dracula theme problem
    This looks like either a bug in xfce's theme engine or a bug in the theme. I'd report this directly to both parties (the dracula maintainers and the xfce maintainers). Source: almost 4 years ago
  • First time using pure Debian
    So sounds like GNOME is one thing. Less / not applicable if you use XFCE ... Debian 11.3, the latest stable point release, has the latest XFCE 4.16. Https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/release-notes/ch-whats-new.en.html#idm120 Https://xfce.org/. Source: about 4 years ago
  • New Submission
    { "id": 0, "name": "XFCE", "description": "XFCE mouse or Xue is a mascot of the XFCE desktop environment.", "website": "https://xfce.org/", "subreddit": "/r/xfce", "center": [ 66.5, 754.5 ], "path": [ [ 70.5, 751.5 ], [ 61.5, 752.5 ], [ 62.5, 757.5 ... Source: about 4 years ago
  • What's the good window manager for a beginner?
    If you want a full-featured solution, you're talking about a desktop environment. You have several good options there: GNOME, Plasma, and Cinnamon are very popular (if a bit more resource heavy) ones. Popular lighter desktop environments include XFCE and MATE. Source: about 4 years ago
  • VirtualBox on Artix (Arch-based Linux): Install
    Well, let's start the application. In my desktop environment, Xfce4, the menu is in [System] - [Oracle VM VirtualBox]:. - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago
  • Text/browser layouts too small. Solutions?
    Manjaro comes with 3 different desktop environments, so is yours gnome desktop environment, which looks like this: https://www.gnome.org/. Or is it kde, which looks like this https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/. Or is it xfce, and this one looks like this https://xfce.org/. Source: over 4 years ago
  • How good could Linux be if there was only one big distro?
    Don't like the desktop or windows manager? You can replace them with gnome, kde plasma, xfce or about half a dozen others. Source: over 4 years ago
  • What is the default theme
    If you take a look at XFCE's website, the default theme is Greybird with a mix of Adwaita and the proper Greybird as the xfwm4 theme. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • What is the default theme
    Adwaita I believe is the default, that's what it looks like on xfce.org. Source: almost 5 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of Xfce

Xfce, a prominent desktop environment in the Linux ecosystem, continues to garner favorable opinions from both new and experienced users. Its position as a lightweight and performance-oriented desktop environment is consistently highlighted across various technical discussions and reviews, making it a preferred choice for users with older hardware or those seeking efficiency over visual complexity.

Performance and Resource Usage

A recurring sentiment in recent discussions is Xfce's ability to operate efficiently on limited hardware resources, positioning it as an optimal choice for environments where system resources are a constraint. Compared to more resource-intensive desktop environments like GNOME and KDE Plasma, Xfce is frequently praised for its lightweight nature, allowing systems to allocate more processing power to applications rather than the desktop environment itself. This characteristic is particularly beneficial for older systems or environments demanding high performance without the overhead of graphic-intensive interfaces.

User Interface and Customization

While Xfce is not acclaimed for cutting-edge design, its interface is recognized as both practical and user-friendly, embodying a classic desktop metaphor that appeals to those with a preference for traditional UI paradigms. Although aesthetic customizations are not as extensive out-of-the-box as those offered by KDE Plasma, Xfce provides enough flexibility to satisfy those who appreciate a balance between simplicity and personalization. Users frequently mention the requirement for third-party tools to achieve advanced customizations, which might deter those who seek extensive in-built options.

Community and Development

Xfce's development is supported by a dedicated, albeit small, community. This factor has been cited as a reason for less frequent updates compared to larger projects like GNOME and KDE. However, the community's commitment ensures reliability, and recent updates continue to improve the environment's stability and usability. Some users report minor issues but note that the responsive community and available documentation often provide solutions or workarounds.

Comparison with Other Desktop Environments

In comparison to its peers, Xfce is often positioned alongside MATE, another environment championing a lightweight approach with a traditional interface. However, Xfce distinguishes itself through its modularity and efficiency, making it a favored choice for users seeking a straightforward, no-frills environment. While some reviewers suggest alternatives like LXDE for even lower resource usage, Xfce maintains a preferred equilibrium of functionality, performance, and aesthetics for many.

Conclusion

Overall, Xfce maintains a substantial and enduring appeal within the Linux community. It is frequently recommended for users who prioritize performance and stability, particularly on older or underpowered hardware. Its sleek architecture and resource efficiency outperform many other desktop environments, despite a development pace that some users wish were faster. As interest in minimalistic and performance-centric distributions grows, Xfce's reputation appears poised to remain strong among the array of Linux desktop environment options.

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