Qtile
5.8#39 in window management softwareFree planFree planLinuxSelf-hosted
VisitQtile vs spectrwm
What both publish
| Fact | Qtile | spectrwm |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Qtile is written and configured entirely in Python. | It uses a human-readable text configuration file and does not require users to learn a programming language. |
| Installation | The stable version can be installed from PyPI with the command `uv tool install qtile`. | The official installation guide provides source-build instructions and package commands for Debian/Ubuntu, Arch, NixOS and NetBSD, with a separate macOS guide. |
| License | Qtile is distributed under the permissive MIT license. | The code is released under the permissive ISC license, with patches required to use the same license. |
| What it does | Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written and configured in Python. | spectrwm is a compact dynamic tiling and reparenting window manager for X11. |
Qtile plans
- Free and open-sourceFree
spectrwm plans
- spectrwmFree
Pick Qtile if…
Qtile suits Linux users who want a Python-configured tiling window manager or Wayland compositor. The official release is aimed at users who prefer stability, while the development version is for those seeking newer features or planning to hack on Qtile.
Pick spectrwm if…
spectrwm suits people using X11 who want configurable tiling layouts and keyboard- or mouse-based window navigation. It may also fit users who want to define workspaces, regions, and application-launch shortcuts without learning a programming language for configuration.