
Desktop Widgets
Desktop Widgets is a marketplace of desktop mini-apps for trading, research, monitoring, and automation.
What Desktop Widgets is
Desktop Widgets is a marketplace of desktop mini-apps for trading, research, monitoring, and automation. The site describes one-click installation and native execution on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while its homepage promotes a Windows runtime and says macOS and Linux are coming soon. Traders, operators, researchers, and developers are named as users who can combine mini-apps into an always-on workstation.
Developers can build TypeScript widgets with @desktopwidgets/sdk and Claude, GPT, or another model. Publishing tools include an MCP server, REST API, and CLI. Uploaded widgets await review; automatic publishing through signing is planned for Phase 3. The runtime is described as sandboxed by default, with gate-enforced capabilities. The 7-day free trial costs nothing, includes all 31 widgets and themes, allows three device activations, and requires no credit card. Professional costs $34.99, paid once; Enterprise costs $149.99, paid once. Both paid plans include one year of updates, with optional paid maintenance renewals afterward.
Good
- Seven-day trial includes all 31 widgets.
- No credit card is required for the trial.
- Developers can build TypeScript widgets.
- Enterprise includes multi-seat management.
Watch out
- Homepage says macOS and Linux are coming soon.
- Paid licenses include one year of updates.
- Further updates require optional paid maintenance renewals.
- Uploaded widgets are pending review.
Who it suits
Desktop Widgets may suit traders, operators, researchers, and developers who want a collection of desktop mini-apps. Developers can also use the listed SDK and publishing tools to create widgets.
Verdict
Desktop Widgets combines a mini-app marketplace with tools for building and publishing widgets. Check platform availability and the post-year maintenance terms against your needs.
Plans and prices
From Desktop Widgets's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free | 7-day full access · 3 device activations · all 31 widgets · all themes and customisation · no credit card · 7 days |
| Professional Maintenance | $12.99 a year | Continued updates for Professional license · annual |
| Professional | $34.99, paid once | 3 device activations · Windows, Linux and macOS · all 31 widgets · offline activation · 1 year updates · email support · one-time |
| Enterprise Maintenance | $49.99 a year | Continued updates for Enterprise license · annual |
| Enterprise | $149.99, paid once | 10 device activations · Windows, Linux and macOS · all 31 widgets · offline activation · 1 year updates · priority support · enterprise SLA · multi-seat management · one-time |
The facts
Each one read from Desktop Widgets's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Activation limits
- Professional permits three device activations and Enterprise permits ten.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CLI
- The dwpublish command-line tool packages a .dwpkg and is marketed as CI-friendly.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Creator payouts
- Creators are promised an 85% share, Stripe Connect payouts, weekly payments and no clawbacks.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Feature request: network speed
- A reviewer requested a widget showing internet speed.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Feature request: visual customization
- A reviewer asked for more elaborate designs and color controls that match the wallpaper.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Install experience
- The site says mini-apps install in one click and run natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The site names traders, operators, researchers, and developers as users who can combine mini-apps into an always-on workstation.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The pricing page says licenses are perpetual, cryptographically signed, and hardware-bound.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License duration
- The pricing page says the application continues working forever after maintenance renewal ends.checked 15 Oct 2026
- License security
- Licenses are described as cryptographically signed and hardware-bound.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: calendar reliability
- A reviewer reported that the calendar sometimes showed the wrong day and required removing and re-adding the widget; the developer said version 1.3 fixed it.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: file widget usability
- A reviewer who paid for a subscription said they could not place files into the file dock and could not find instructions.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: pricing perception
- One reviewer called the app expensive and asked for a free basic option instead of making many widgets paid.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: widget persistence
- A reviewer said widgets could disappear after the Mac was idle for a while or after an update.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Maintenance
- The pricing page says each license includes one year of updates, after which optional paid maintenance renewals provide further updates.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Marketplace review
- Uploads are pending review, and the site says automatic publishing through signing is planned for Phase 3.checked 11 Oct 2026
- MCP integration
- An MCP server exposes eight agent-callable tools for building, validating, previewing, packaging and publishing widgets.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Native runtime
- Widgets run natively on Windows, macOS and Linux.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Offline activation
- Both paid plans list offline activation.checked 15 Oct 2026
- One-click installation
- The marketplace advertises one-click installation for community-built mini-apps.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- App-store criticism: premium coverage
- Another reviewer complained that many items were restricted to Pro users and felt some should not be paid features.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Cross-platform package
- The site says one manifest and the same APIs target Windows, macOS and Linux.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Platform availability
- The homepage promotes a Windows runtime and says macOS and Linux are coming soon, while also describing marketplace apps as running on all three systems.checked 11 Oct 2026
Money
- Limit: trial conversion
- A reviewer said widgets that initially appeared free became premium after a week; the developer described the product as a seven-day trial.checked 15 Oct 2026
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