Walltone
Walltone is a free, GPL-3.0 wallpaper and theme manager for Linux.
What Walltone is
Walltone is a free, GPL-3.0 wallpaper and theme manager for Linux. It supports static images, video wallpapers, and animated Wallpaper Engine content, and can browse sources including Pexels, Unsplash, Wallhaven, and Wallpaper Engine. Users can set wallpapers per display, arrange monitor layouts, and adjust scaling. Walltone can generate light and dark Base16 and Material You color schemes from a wallpaper; a built-in color picker allows adjustments and theme exports for other apps. Tag filters, search, sorting, and Boolean filters help organize wallpaper choices. Video playback includes mute and scaling controls, while Wallpaper Engine content has controls for volume, FPS, audio, parallax, fullscreen pause, and texture clamping. The app can capture video or animated wallpapers as still images for login managers or GRUB. Access to online libraries requires relevant API keys, including a Steam Web API key for Wallpaper Engine. Listed installation routes include the Arch Linux AUR, a Nix flake, or building from source. Requirements include Linux and Node.js 18+, alongside playback and screenshot dependencies; the GitHub Releases page lists no releases.
Good
- Supports static, video, and animated wallpapers
- Can configure wallpapers per display
- Generates light and dark color schemes
- Offers wallpaper search, tags, sorting, and filters
Watch out
- Online wallpaper sources require API keys
- Requires Linux, Node.js 18+, and listed dependencies
- GitHub Releases page lists no releases
Who it suits
Walltone suits Linux users who want to manage static, video, or animated wallpapers, especially across multiple displays. It may also suit users who want wallpaper-derived color themes for other apps.
Verdict
Walltone combines wallpaper management with color-theme generation and multi-display controls. Its setup requirements and API-key needs are worth checking before installation.
Plans and prices
From Walltone's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Walltone | Free | Linux application · GPL-3.0 |
The facts
Each one read from Walltone's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API keys
- The README says users can add API keys for Pexels, Unsplash, and Wallhaven to access their online libraries, and a Steam Web API key for Wallpaper Engine.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Color themes
- It generates Base16 and Material You color schemes in light and dark variants from wallpapers.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The README lists Arch Linux AUR, Nix flake, and building from source on Linux as installation methods.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Install options
- The README describes installation through the Arch User Repository, a Nix flake, or building from source on Linux distributions.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Online source setup asks users to add API keys for Pexels, Unsplash, and Wallhaven; Wallpaper Engine setup uses a Steam Web API key.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository identifies the project as GPL-3.0 licensed.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Multi-monitor
- It supports per-display wallpaper configuration, visual monitor layout, and scaling options.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Multiple monitors
- Users can configure wallpapers per display and adjust monitor layout and scaling.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Online sources
- It can browse and download wallpapers from Pexels, Unsplash, Wallhaven, and Wallpaper Engine.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Online wallpaper sources
- It can browse and download wallpapers from Pexels, Unsplash, Wallhaven, and Wallpaper Engine.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Organization
- The app provides tag-based filtering, search, sorting, and Boolean filters.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Walltone is a wallpaper and theme manager for Linux with online wallpaper browsing.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Walltone is a wallpaper and theme manager for Linux that supports images, videos, and Wallpaper Engine content.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Release downloads
- The GitHub Releases page says there are no releases.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Screenshots
- It can capture video or animated wallpapers and use static images for login managers or GRUB.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Setup requirements
- The README lists Linux, Node.js 18+, and utilities including swaybg, mpvpaper, cage, grim, ffmpeg, and steamcmd among its system requirements.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to GitHub Issues for bug reports and GitHub Discussions for discussion.checked 11 Oct 2026
- System requirements
- The listed requirements include Linux, Node.js 18+, and dependencies for static, video, and Wallpaper Engine playback and screenshot generation.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Templates
- Its template engine supports placeholders and full JavaScript evaluation.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Theme export
- Users can fine-tune generated colors with a built-in color picker and export themes for other apps.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Wallpaper controls
- Video controls include mute and scaling, while Wallpaper Engine controls include volume, FPS, audio, parallax, fullscreen pause, and texture clamping.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Wallpaper formats
- It supports static images, video wallpapers, and animated Wallpaper Engine content.checked 11 Oct 2026
Alternatives to Walltone
- 1

Backdrops
Free planAndroidiOSWebmacOS8.0$1.99 one-time - 2

Vivid Walls
Free planWebmacOSWindows7.5$9.99 one-time - 3

DesktopHut
Free planAndroidWebExtensionmacOS7.3Free plan - 4
Hydra
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted7.3Free plan - 5
EarthDesk
iOSmacOSWindows7.2From $14.99 a year - 6
Day & Night
Free planmacOS7.1$0.99 one-time
