Paddock
Paddock is a free, open-source Windows desktop app that organizes icons into styled zones.
What Paddock is
Paddock is a free, open-source Windows desktop app that organizes icons into styled zones. Users can resize zones and set transparency, background color, corner radius, and title visibility for each one. Icons can be sorted by name, modification date, file type, or file size in ascending or descending order. Zones can be hidden or shown from the tray icon or with the default Ctrl+F12 shortcut, and rolled up to their title strips. Users can save named layout profiles, switch between them, and export them as .paddock files. Paddock adds Windows context menus for icons, including Open, Open With, and Properties. Desktop items moved into zones are stored in hidden folders under the Desktop; removing a zone or dragging an item out returns it to the desktop without deleting or overwriting files. Items dragged in from elsewhere are referenced in place. Paddock requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later, or Windows 11. One limitation: a new zone does not automatically collect icons already underneath it. Instead, users can draw zones on free space and use Fill from Desktop, or drag icons into them.
Good
- Zones have individual styling controls.
- Sort by four icon attributes.
- Save and export named layouts.
- Removing a zone does not delete its items.
- Free and open source under the MIT license.
Watch out
- Available for Windows only.
- New zones do not collect underlying icons automatically.
- No multi-monitor support.
Who it suits
Paddock suits Windows users who want to arrange desktop icons in customizable zones and save different layouts. It requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later, or Windows 11.
Verdict
Paddock offers zone-based organization, styling, and saved layouts without a listed price. Its Windows-only support and the need to fill or populate new zones manually are worth considering.
Plans and prices
From Paddock's own pricing page, checked 7 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free and open source · MIT license · Windows desktop app |
The facts
Each one read from Paddock's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Distribution
- The README describes publishing a self-contained single Paddock.exe that does not require the .NET runtime on the target machine.checked 7 Oct 2026
- File handling
- Desktop items moved into zones are stored in hidden folders under the user's Desktop, and Paddock says removing a zone or dragging an item out returns it to the desktop without deleting or overwriting files.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Known limitation
- Icons underneath a newly created zone are not collected automatically; users can instead draw zones on free space and use Fill from Desktop or drag icons into them.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Layout profiles
- Users can save named layout profiles, switch between them, and export them as .paddock files to share.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Other locations
- Items dragged in from outside the desktop are referenced in place rather than relocated.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Paddock is a free, open-source desktop icon organizer for Windows that groups icons into styled zones.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Quick controls
- Users can hide or show zones from the tray icon or with the Ctrl+F12 hotkey by default, and can roll zones up to their title strips.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- Paddock requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later, or Windows 11; the README lists the .NET 8 SDK for building.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Security and privacy
- The README describes local file and settings locations but does not state security certifications or compliance claims.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Sorting
- Icons can be sorted by name, date modified, file type, or file size, in ascending or descending order.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support and diagnostics
- The README says settings and paddock.log are stored in %AppData%/Paddock and can be reached through the tray menu's Open Settings Folder option.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Zones and styling
- Users can create resizable zones and set per-zone transparency, background color, corner radius, and title visibility.checked 7 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Windows shell integration
- Paddock provides native Windows context menus for icons, including Open, Open With, and Properties.checked 7 Oct 2026
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