Best subtle Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from window management software ranked against subtle on the same published basis.
- 1subtle vs i3
- 2subtle vs awesome
- 3subtle vs Qtile
- 4subtle vs yabai
- 5subtle vs bug.n
- 6subtle vs Amethyst
- 7subtle vs DisplayFusion
- 8subtle vs komorebi
- 9subtle vs spectrwm
- 10subtle vs Sway
- 11subtle vs niri
- 12subtle vs dwm
- 13subtle vs Hyprland
- 14subtle vs AeroSpace
- 15subtle vs XMonad
- 16subtle vs StumpWM
- 17subtle vs bspwm
- 18subtle vs Openbox
- 19subtle vs herbstluftwm
- 20subtle vs IceWM
subtle 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 |
| 11 | niri | 6.9 | 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 |
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Questions about subtle alternatives
What is the best alternative to subtle?
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 subtle?
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.