bspwm VS i3

Compare bspwm VS i3 and see what are their differences

LibHunt

LibHunt tracks mentions of software libraries on relevant social networks. Based on that data, you can find the most popular projects and their alternatives. featured

Contents:

» Base Details
» Videos
» Reviews
» Alternatives

bspwm

A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

i3

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

Landing page //
2023-09-14

Landing page //
2021-09-19

bspwm

Website: github.com
$ Details: -

Edit details

i3

Website: i3wm.org
$ Details

Edit details

bspwm features and specs

Highly Configurable
Bspwm is known for its high level of customizability, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of their window management experience through simple scripts and configuration files.
Efficient Use of Screen Space
As a tiling window manager, Bspwm automatically arranges windows in a way that maximizes screen real estate, minimizing overlap and unused space.
Lightweight
Bspwm is extremely lightweight, making it suitable for older hardware and systems with limited resources. It does not come with additional software bloat.
Scriptable with Unix Philosophy
Bspwm adheres to the Unix philosophy of 'doing one thing well'. It functions without managing keybindings, allowing users to use other programs (like sxhkd) for keybinding management, which offers greater flexibility.
Active Community Support
Bspwm has an active community and comprehensive documentation, which helps new users get started and troubleshoot any issues they might encounter.

Possible disadvantages of bspwm

Steep Learning Curve
The configuration process can be complex and overwhelming for beginners. Unlike more mainstream window managers, bspwm requires learning various scripts and commands.
Lack of GUI Configuration Tools
Bspwm does not come with graphical configuration tools, which might be inconvenient for users who prefer a GUI for managing settings.
Sparse on Built-in Features
Since bspwm follows the Unix philosophy closely, it lacks many built-in features and utilities that other window managers might offer. Users need to set up additional tools for tasks such as wallpaper management or system trays.
Compatibility Issues
Some applications that expect a floating window manager might not work well with bspwm, requiring extra configuration or using alternative software.
Limited Out-of-the-box Experience
Bspwm does not come with a pre-configured environment, which can be a disadvantage for users looking for a ready-to-use experience out of the box.

i3 features and specs

Efficient Window Management
i3 allows for highly efficient window management using a tree data structure, making it easy to snap windows into grids and manage multiple applications simultaneously.
Lightweight
i3 is deliberately simplistic and lightweight, which allows it to run efficiently on older hardware or systems with limited resources.
Customizability
Users can extensively customize keybindings and behavior through a plain text configuration file. This allows for a personalized workflow.
Keyboard-Centric
i3 is designed to be used primarily through keyboard shortcuts, which can lead to increased productivity for advanced users.
Scriptability
i3 supports various scripting languages through its IPC (Inter-process Communication) interface, enabling automation of complex workflows.
Community and Documentation
i3 has strong community support and extensive documentation, making it easier for new users to learn and troubleshoot issues.

Possible disadvantages of i3

Steep Learning Curve
New users may find i3 difficult to learn and configure, especially if they are accustomed to traditional desktop environments.
Lack of GUI Configuration Tools
i3 relies heavily on manual edits to text files for configuration, lacking user-friendly graphical interfaces for setup and customization.
Limited Out-of-the-Box Features
i3 does not come with many built-in features available in more comprehensive desktop environments, such as app launchers or system tray support, requiring additional setups.
Compatibility Issues
Some applications may not play well with tiling window managers like i3, requiring workarounds or alternative software choices.
Minimal Default Appearance
Without customization, i3 offers a very minimalistic and barebones visual experience, which may not be appealing to all users.

bspwm videos

+ Add

Switching To Bspwm - Initial Thoughts

i3 videos

+ Add

30k Miles with the BMW i3 - End of Lease Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to bspwm and i3)

i3

Window Manager

31 31%

Window Manager

69% 69

Linux

31 31%

Linux

69% 69

Utilities

47 47%

Utilities

53% 53

Productivity

100 100%

Productivity

0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using bspwm and i3. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare bspwm and i3

bspwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022

Support for multiple windows, limited support for EWMH, automatic mode for automatically determining the location of app tiles, and configuration and control via messages are among the characteristics of bspwm.

Source: www.hubtech.org

13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux

bspwm’s features include support for multiple windows, partial support for EWMH, automatic mode for automatically setting the position of app tiles, and it is configured and controlled through messages, among others.

Source: www.tecmint.com

i3 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

Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020

i3-wm is one of my most loved standalone window managers, qualifying it to easily fit under the desktop environment list! The configuration is just very easy, and you can change everything that you see on screen. This includes what information you see on the bottom panel, how windows behave, and keyboard shortcuts to move, align, and set up windows on the screen.

Source: www.journaldev.com

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

5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux

I begun testing i3 just this week. I was always fascinated by the Tiling WM’s as they seem really light on system resources and functional. To my surprise , although i3 is really easy to customize, and works really well (at least for my needs) , I found that it isn’t really that lightweight. I had Mate desktop environment use the same amount of RAM. Maybe I was mislead to...

Source: www.maketecheasier.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, i3 should be more popular than bspwm. It has been mentiond 90 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.

bspwm mentions (21)

well... thinkpads are awesome
Over on Linux, I’ve been learning kinda a-lot about linux tools and workflows. I've recently got into window managers, bspwm was my first one and I'm thinking of moving towards a Arch+Hyprland setup in future. Setting it up was way easier than I thought, and I got inspired by a YouTuber named jvscholz, who’s all about minimalism and productivity. - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago
What WM should I use?
Use BSPWM. It supports right clicks by default and its modular. You might want to look for status bars that work with it, slstatus does not work. Good luck, supremacist! Source: over 1 year ago
What are some OpenSource apps that are the best of their kind?
I had not heard of bspwm but I am a fan of telling WMs. Looking at the documentation now, I really like the pragmatic approach lol https://github.com/baskerville/bspwm. Source: over 1 year ago
Got some questions before moving to linux...
I am not familiar with that distro at all, so no idea. KDE Plasma is fine, I use it myself (with BSPWM as my window manager, but that's irrelevant). Source: almost 2 years ago
MacBook Setup - OS Ventura 13.1 - Samsung QLed 43” - VM: yabai - Terminal: Hyper
There's a paradigm shift required for a lot of people to start using automatic tiling window managers. Yabai is basically a bspwm port for MacOS and it follows the rules of binary space partitioning. In fact, bspwm has a great diagram on its github readme that illustrates how it works. This will limit the number of windows you can have on any given desktop. To overcome this limitation you use multiple desktops. A... Source: about 2 years ago

i3 mentions (90)

Automatic Visual Feedback for System Volume Change in I3wm via Dunst
I switched to the i3 tiling based window manager. Because it's a whole different environment and thinking, it was very different from what I was used to. The volume buttons were working on my keyboard, but I didn't get any visual feedback. Furthermore, the volume percentage could go down below zero and increase up to more than hundread percent. There were times when I was confused why the keys stopped working, but... - Source: dev.to / 6 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
what machines have you used for development, and what do you prefer?
I use MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid-2014) with Manjaro as OS using i3 as a window manager. It isn't perfect, but I'm thrilled with it. I have been a Mac OS user for the last 15 years and wouldn't change what I have now for a Mac OS because I don't need more than what I'm using for development. Source: over 1 year ago
Machine for pentesting and general use?
For daily usage I really like kubuntu with i3wm, but it takes some configuration and getting used to the shortcuts, but it's well worth it. Source: over 1 year ago
What's the difference between Gnome and KDE? Do applications written for one work in the other?
Some window managers are meant to be used as-is, and provide a minimalist yet functional environment that use very little resources or give power users an almost HUD-like interface. Examples of those window managers are OpenBox and i3wm for X, and Weston and Hyprland for Wayland. Source: over 1 year ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing bspwm and i3, you can also consider the following products

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.

qtile - Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written in Python.

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

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

Xmonad - xmonad is a dynamically tiling X11 window manager that is written and configured in Haskell.

Sway - Sway is a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager, but for Wayland instead of X11.