Rofi
Rofi is a free utility for switching windows, launching applications, opening an SSH login dialog, and providing menu workflows.
What Rofi is
Rofi is a free utility for switching windows, launching applications, opening an SSH login dialog, and providing menu workflows. It supports keyboard and mouse navigation, filtering by typing, and tokenized search. Depending on the selected mode, it can handle windows, applications, SSH, keys, scripts, and combined workflows. A special script mode serves as a drop-in dmenu replacement. Configuration options include a system configuration file, a Rasi theme file, and command-line settings. Rofi builds with X11 and Wayland backends when available, and either can be disabled during a build. Installation guidance covers several Linux distributions and FreeBSD; on macOS, the documented route is MacPorts. The downloads page lists release archives, with version 1.7.9 as its newest listed release. Development versions have no tarball release; the installation instructions explain how to obtain and compile one. Rofi is listed for Linux and macOS, with no paid plans listed.
Good
- Free plan is available.
- Supports window switching and application launching.
- Includes an SSH mode and dmenu replacement mode.
- Configuration can use files or command-line options.
Watch out
- Development versions have no tarball release.
- macOS installation guidance lists MacPorts.
- Newest listed release is version 1.7.9.
Who it suits
Rofi suits Linux and macOS users who want keyboard- or mouse-navigated window switching and application launching. Its script mode and SSH workflow may also suit people who use dmenu-style scripts or connect to remote machines.
Verdict
Rofi combines window and application navigation with SSH and script-oriented modes. Its configuration and backend options offer several ways to adapt it to a setup.
Plans and prices
From Rofi's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Rofi | Free | No paid plans listed; development version has no tarball release |
The facts
Each one read from Rofi's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Backends
- Rofi builds with X11 and Wayland backends when available, and the build can disable either backend.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Configuration can be set through a system configuration file, a Rasi theme file, or command-line options.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Development downloads
- The downloads page says no tarball is released for development versions and directs users to the installation instructions to obtain and compile one.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Modes
- Available modes include window, windowcd, run, drun, ssh, keys, script, and combi.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Rofi is a window switcher, application launcher, SSH dialog, dmenu replacement, and more.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Release downloads
- The downloads page lists release archives, with version 1.7.9 as its newest listed release.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Script integration
- For script integration, Rofi provides a special mode that works as a drop-in replacement for dmenu.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Search and navigation
- It supports keyboard and mouse navigation, type to filter, and tokenized search.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- The opened official documentation pages do not state security certifications or compliance claims.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation links to a GitHub issue tracker and a GitHub discussions forum.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Workflow
- Rofi can switch between windows, start applications, or log in to a remote machine via SSH.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Linux installation
- The installation guide lists packages or install commands for Debian or Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux, Gentoo, openSUSE, and FreeBSD.checked 4 Oct 2026
- macOS installation
- The installation guide says Rofi can be installed on macOS via MacPorts.checked 4 Oct 2026
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