Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

awesome VS Sway

Compare awesome VS Sway and see what are their differences

awesome logo awesome

A dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages.

Sway logo Sway

Sway is a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager, but for Wayland instead of X11.
  • awesome Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-19
  • Sway Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-20

awesome features and specs

  • Highly Configurable
    Awesome is extremely configurable, allowing users to customize their environment to fit their specific workflow.
  • Lightweight
    As a tiling window manager, Awesome is very lightweight and consumes minimal resources, which is ideal for older hardware or minimal setups.
  • Lua Scripting
    Configuration is done through Lua scripting, which provides powerful and flexible customization options.
  • Tiling and Dynamic Layouts
    Awesome offers both tiling and floating window management with dynamic layouts that adjust based on user preference.
  • Active Community
    The Awesome community is active and supportive, providing ample documentation and user-contributed modules and configurations.

Possible disadvantages of awesome

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive configurability and scripting-based setup, Awesome can be challenging for newcomers to get accustomed to.
  • Limited Graphical Configuration Tools
    Configuration is done mainly through text files and scripts, which can be daunting for users who prefer graphical interfaces.
  • Sparse Default Configuration
    The default configuration of Awesome is fairly minimal, requiring significant setup time to create a personalized environment.
  • Performance Overhead with Complex Scripts
    While Lua scripting is powerful, highly complex scripts can introduce performance overhead, potentially impacting the system's responsiveness.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Certain applications that are designed with floating window managers in mind may not function optimally with Awesome's tiling system.

Sway features and specs

  • Wayland Compatibility
    Sway is a compositor for Wayland, providing better performance and security compared to the X11 system.
  • i3 Compatibility
    Sway is designed to be compatible with i3 window manager configurations, making it easy for i3 users to transition.
  • Lightweight
    Sway is known for being lightweight and efficient, using fewer system resources compared to other compositors.
  • Customizability
    Similar to i3, Sway offers extensive customization options for users to tailor their environment.
  • Active Development
    Sway has an active development community, ensuring regular updates, bug fixes, and new features.
  • Enhances Security
    Being built on Wayland, Sway provides better isolation of processes, improving overall system security.

Possible disadvantages of Sway

  • Limited Application Support
    Some applications, especially older ones, may not be fully compatible with Wayland, causing issues when running on Sway.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    New users, particularly those unfamiliar with i3, might find Sway's configuration and usage initially challenging.
  • Wayland Limitations
    Wayland, while improving, still lacks some features and extensions available in X11, which might affect some workflows.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Wayland compositors like Sway can sometimes have issues with specific hardware, particularly older or less common configurations.
  • Fewer Tiling Window Manager Users
    The number of users preferring tiling window managers is smaller, potentially making it harder to find community support compared to more popular desktop environments.

awesome videos

Surface Go Review - It’s Awesome

More videos:

  • Review - RICO (PC) - Why it's Awesome - Review
  • Review - Awesome review of the 80's Hollow Handled Survival Knife!!
  • Review - My God is Awesome- Charles Jenkins

Sway videos

Sway beats Powerpoint for these 4 reasons (Microsoft Office 365).

More videos:

  • Review - VOD REVIEW: IS FAZE SWAY BEING COACHED 🎮 BY FAZE BIZZLE WORTH IT? (Full Game)
  • Review - Microsoft Sway Hands On Review!
  • Review - Sway by Mitchell Bubble
  • Tutorial - SWAY HOUSE TOUR FORTNITE

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to awesome and Sway)
Window Manager
50 50%
50% 50
Health And Fitness
0 0%
100% 100
Linux
59 59%
41% 41
Utilities
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using awesome and Sway. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare awesome and Sway

awesome Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Awesome is a free & open-source next-generation tiling manager for X that is designed to be fast and adaptable, with a focus on developers, power users, and anyone who wants to have more control over their graphical environment.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
awesome is a free and open-source next-generation tiling manager for X built to be fast and extensible and it is primarily aimed at developers, power users, and anyone who would like to control their graphical environment.
Source: www.tecmint.com
5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux
Awesome has a unique take on the concept of a tiling window manager. It is probably the most user-friendly on the list. Much like i3, it claims to have well-documented code to make it very easy to dig right into for modifications. It adheres to FreeDesktop standards (Desktop notifications system, system tray, etc.) and has great keybindings which make navigating with it...

Sway Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Sway is a tiling Wayland i3-compatible window manager that dynamically arranges app windows to rationally maximise desktop space. It is free, open-source, and lightweight. By default, it arranges windows in a grid and supports practically all of the i3 commands.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
Sway is a free, open-source, and lightweight tiling Wayland i3-compatible window manager that automatically arranges app windows to logically maximize desktop space. It arranges windows into a grid by default and supports almost all the commands included in i3.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Sway seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 53 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

awesome mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of awesome yet. Tracking of awesome recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Sway mentions (53)

  • Pomodoro Timer: Waybar and uair
    I am currently using uair integrated in to my Waybar running on my sway window manager. I use it similar to the way I use watson (both as a CLI tool with Waybar integrations), so it is a good fit for me. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • "We understand" ;)
    This is partially why I use tools like i3 (/ sway). I like the tool; it works extremely well for me; the design has stayed the same for 20 years; there's no profit motive to come along and fuck everything up. It just works. It is boring in the best way possible. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Framework 13 with AMD Ryzen 7040 Series Makes for a Great Linux Laptop
    I've tested using i3 but never fully got into it. But my plan for the F13 is to try out Hyprland[0] and perhaps Sway[1]. [0] https://hyprland.org/ [1] https://swaywm.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Rethinking Window Management in Gnome
    Sway does all those things very well: https://swaywm.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Just ran Sway on openSUSE. Complete noob. I need help.
    Read the manual on https://swaywm.org/. There are tons of youtube videos showcasing basic configuration and usage. This is extremely basic stuff you need to do yourself. Source: over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing awesome and Sway, you can also consider the following products

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

dwm - dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

Pacifica - Stress and anxiety relief through beautiful CBT tools

Openbox - Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

Synctuition Meditation Program - Synctuition Meditation Program is a world’s most leading meditation app that comes with brand new 3D sounds that enhance the quality of sleep significantly.

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning