dwm VS i3

Compare dwm VS i3 and see what are their differences

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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.

i3

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

Landing page //
2021-09-12

Landing page //
2021-09-19

dwm

Website: dwm.suckless.org
$ Details: -

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i3

Website: i3wm.org
$ Details

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dwm features and specs

Lightweight
dwm is extremely lightweight, resulting in minimal use of system resources. It is designed to have no unnecessary bloat, making it suitable for older hardware or low-spec systems.
Customizable
dwm is highly customizable, with the configuration being done through editing the C source code. This allows for deep customization to meet specific user preferences.
Simplicity
The software is designed with simplicity in mind. It has a straightforward design and a gentle learning curve for users familiar with tiling window managers.
Tiling Window Management
dwm automatically arranges windows in a tiling format, which can help improve productivity by making better use of screen real estate and reducing the need to manually arrange windows.
Community Support
A robust community following and good documentation provide ample support for troubleshooting and extending dwm. Many patches and tips are shared among users.

Possible disadvantages of dwm

Steep Initial Learning Curve
For users not familiar with tiling window managers or who are used to traditional desktop environments, the initial setup and usage might be challenging.
Manual Compilation for Configuration
Configuration changes require editing the source code and recompiling the window manager. This can be inconvenient for users who prefer a dynamic configuration option.
Limited Out-of-the-Box Functionality
dwm does not come with many features available in other window managers by default. Users might need to apply patches or write custom scripts to get additional functionality.
Fewer Graphical Tools
Since dwm focuses on simplicity and minimalism, it lacks graphical configuration tools, which might deter non-technical users or those who prefer GUI-based management.
Compatibility
Some applications may not play well with dwm's tiling mechanism, requiring additional configuration or even the use of floating mode for specific apps.

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.

dwm videos

+ Add

dwm (suckless) - why I prefer it to i3 [ricing FreeBSD & OpenBSD]

i3 videos

+ Add

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to dwm and i3)

dwm

i3

Linux

43 43%

Linux

57% 57

Window Manager

36 36%

Window Manager

64% 64

Utilities

46 46%

Utilities

54% 54

Productivity

100 100%

Productivity

0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using dwm 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 dwm and i3

dwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022

Spectrwm is a fast, compact, and brief reparenting and tiling window manager for X11 that is inspired by xmonad and dwm. It was created to address the problems that xmonad and dwm have. Also check Fulfillify alternatives

Source: www.hubtech.org

13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux

spectrwm is a small, dynamic, xmonad, and dwm-inspired reparenting and tiling window manager built for X11 to be fast, compact, and concise. It was created with the aim of solving the issues of xmonad and dwm face.

Source: www.tecmint.com

5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux

DWM is, well, a dynamic window manager. Tiling isn’t the only way you can manage your windows. It’s also possible to lay the windows out in a floating or monocle style. All modifications to DWM can be done within its source code. Easy keyboard shortcuts allow for a great navigation experience while managing windows.

Source: www.maketecheasier.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

i3 might be a bit more popular than dwm. We know about 90 links to it since March 2021 and only 66 links to dwm. 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.

dwm mentions (66)

Shifted 3 Shapes – Making a w3M Logo
I associate this style with the suckless foundation, even though it is distinct from e.g. The dwm logo. https://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
AT&T says criminals stole phone records of 'nearly all' customers in data breach
Https://dwm.suckless.org/ > This keeps its userbase small and elitist.. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
Tinygrad 0.9.0
The only one I can think of the dwm window manager (https://dwm.suckless.org/), that used to prominently mention a SLOC limit of 2000. Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the landing page anymore, not sure if it's still in effect. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
Show HN: Hancho – A simple and pleasant build system in ~500 lines of Python
This is sort of the suckless approach. Most (all?) of their projects are customized by editing the source and recompiling. From their window manager, dwm: dwm is customized through editing its source code, which makes it extremely fast and secure - it does not process any input data which isn't known at compile time, except window titles and status text read from the root window's name. You don't have to learn... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
Sent – simple plaintext presentation tool
> Their philosophy[1] says nothing of the sort Their philosophy doesn't, but their page for dwm[0] does :D "Because dwm is customized through editing its source code, it's pointless to make binary packages of it. This keeps its userbase small and elitist. No novices asking stupid questions. There are some distributions that provide binary packages though." [0] https://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months 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