Best niri Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from window management software ranked against niri on the same published basis.
- 1niri vs i3
- 2niri vs awesome
- 3niri vs Qtile
- 4niri vs yabai
- 5niri vs bug.n
- 6niri vs Amethyst
- 7niri vs DisplayFusion
- 8niri vs komorebi
- 9niri vs spectrwm
- 10niri vs Sway
- 12niri vs dwm
- 13niri vs Hyprland
- 14niri vs AeroSpace
- 15niri vs XMonad
- 16niri vs StumpWM
- 17niri vs bspwm
- 18niri vs Openbox
- 19niri vs herbstluftwm
- 20niri vs IceWM
- 21niri vs Rectangle
niri alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i3 | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 2 | awesome | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 3 | Qtile | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 4 | yabai | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Mac |
| 5 | bug.n | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 6 | Amethyst | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Mac |
| 7 | DisplayFusion | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 8 | komorebi | 7.6 | No | $9.17/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 9 | spectrwm | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Sway | 7.1 | No | — | Linux |
| 12 | dwm | 6.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 13 | Hyprland | 6.8 | No | — | Linux |
| 14 | AeroSpace | 6.8 | No | — | Mac |
| 15 | XMonad | 6.7 | No | — | Linux |
| 16 | StumpWM | 6.6 | No | — | Linux |
| 17 | bspwm | 6.5 | No | — | Linux |
| 18 | Openbox | 6.4 | No | — | Linux |
| 19 | herbstluftwm | 6.3 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
| 20 | IceWM | 6.3 | No | — | Linux |
| 21 | Rectangle | 6.3 | No | — | Mac |
Make your app an alternative to niri
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled and never changes the order above.
Questions about niri alternatives
What is the best alternative to niri?
i3, number 1 in window management software with a score of 8.2 out of 10. The others here: awesome, Qtile, yabai and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to niri?
i3 is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 8 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.