Dashboard
Dashboard is a free, open-source widget desktop dashboard for Linux.
What Dashboard is
Dashboard is a free, open-source widget desktop dashboard for Linux. Its 12 built-in widgets cover a clock, calendar, todo list, notes, Pomodoro, countdown, links, weather, system status, htop, AI chat, and log tail. Widgets can be dragged and resized, with layout and widget state preserved across restarts. The frameless window supports a custom title bar, an opaque or adjustable-opacity background, and a wallpaper image. Weather uses Open-Meteo for current conditions, city search, and Celsius or Fahrenheit selection without an API key. AI Chat provides multi-turn conversations through the OpenAI API and allows model, system prompt, and API key settings. System Status reads live CPU, memory, disk, and network rates from /proc. Log Tail follows a file or systemd journal with unit filtering and line buffering. AppImage and sandboxed Flatpak releases bundle all widgets and Qt. Runtime Qt plugins can be added without restarting, and the SDK provides an IWidget interface and scaffolding script. The project uses GPL-3.0.
Good
- Free and open-source under GPL-3.0
- Includes 12 built-in widgets
- Layouts persist across restarts
- Weather needs no API key
- AppImage and sandboxed Flatpak releases
Watch out
- Supports Linux only
- No feed widget is available
- AI Chat requires the OpenAI API
- Custom plugins require shared libraries or SDK work
Who it suits
Dashboard suits Linux desktop users who want a configurable arrangement of planning, weather, chat, and system-monitoring widgets. Developers can use its SDK or runtime plugin support to create additional widgets.
Verdict
Dashboard combines personal organization, system information, weather, logs, and chat in a movable Linux desktop layout. Its free open-source model suits users who want built-in widgets plus options for plugins and custom development.
The facts
Each one read from Dashboard's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI chat integration
- The AI Chat widget provides multi-turn chat through the OpenAI API and allows configuration of the model, system prompt, and API key.checked 8 Oct 2026
- AI integration
- The AI Chat widget supports multi-turn chats through the OpenAI API and lets users configure the model, system prompt, and API key.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Canvas
- Widgets can be dragged and resized, and the layout and widget state persist across restarts.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Customization
- The frameless window supports a solid background with opacity or a user-provided wallpaper image.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Custom widgets
- Developers can build widgets using the maker's SDK, which provides the IWidget interface and a scaffolding script.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Developer support
- The widget SDK includes a scaffolding script for generating a widget project.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- The maker offers AppImage and Flatpak builds; it describes Flatpak as sandboxed and both formats as bundling all 12 widgets and Qt.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The site offers AppImage and Flatpak releases; both bundle all 12 widgets and Qt.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker presents Dashboard for Linux desktop users who want to arrange built-in widgets or create their own plugins.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Layout
- Users can drag and resize widgets, and the layout and widget state persist across restarts.checked 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is released under the GPL-3.0 License.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Log monitoring
- Log Tail can follow a log file or the systemd journal, with configurable unit filter and line buffer.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Log viewing
- Log Tail can follow a log file or the systemd journal, with configurable unit filtering and line buffering.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Plugins
- Custom widgets can be added as shared libraries in the plugins directory and appear without restarting the app.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Dashboard is a customizable widget-based desktop dashboard for Linux.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Sandboxing
- The Flatpak release is described as sandboxed.checked 9 Oct 2026
- System information
- System Status reads live CPU, memory, disk, and network rates from /proc.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Weather integration
- The weather widget gets current conditions from Open-Meteo without requiring an API key.checked 9 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Dashboard is a customizable widget-based desktop dashboard for Linux.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Widgets
- It includes 12 built-in widgets, each implemented as a standalone plugin.checked 9 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Appearance
- The frameless window supports a custom title bar and a solid background with opacity or a wallpaper image.checked 8 Oct 2026
Alternatives to Dashboard
- 1
Mango Mirror
Free planAndroidiOSWebLinux7.4From $5.99 a month - 2

Desktop Widgets
APILinuxmacOSWindows7.0From $12.99 a year - 3

Nexus
Free planAndroidiOSWebLinux6.9Free plan - 4
SAWAS Dashboard
Free planAndroidiOSWebWindows6.7Free plan - 5
Duckboard
Free planmacOSWindows6.5$29 one-time - 6
Monitor Flows
Free planAPIWindows6.5From $3 a month
