Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Window Management Software

awesome vs bug.n

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score awesome #4 in Window Management Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit awesome
bug.n #20 in Window Management Software 7.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit bug.n

awesome leads on 1 check, bug.n on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreawesome · 9.1/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresawesome · 4 of 4

awesome scores higher on our rubric for window management software: 9.1 against 7.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #20.

awesome offers window grouping; bug.n doesn't.

awesome is the better fit for linux users who want Lua customization. bug.n is the better fit for windows users wanting free tiling and saved sessions.

  • awesome fits best

    Linux users who want Lua customization

  • bug.n fits best

    Windows users wanting free tiling and saved sessions

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature awesome 9.1/10 Visit ↗ bug.n 7.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 7.4
Ranking #4 in Window Management Software #20 in Window Management Software
Best for Linux users who want Lua customization Windows users wanting free tiling and saved sessions
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Linux Windows
Integrations 4 integrations 1 integrations
Features awesome 4/4 · bug.n 3/4
Layout presets ✓ ✓
Application rules ✓ ✓
Window grouping ✓ (best) —
Virtual desktop controls ✓ ✓
Specs
Platforms linux windows
Maximum displays Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Offers both tiling and floating layouts, with per-screen tags.
  • Lua configuration supports application rules and fine-grained window control.
  • Includes custom widgets, status bars, and D-Bus support.
  • Switch between tile, monocle, and floating layouts.
  • Manage windows across virtual desktops and multiple monitors.
  • Save monitor, view, layout, and window state between sessions.
Cons
  • Designed for X, rather than a general-purpose desktop environment.
  • Lua-based configuration may not suit users seeking a mostly graphical setup.
  • The latest stable release listed by the project is version 4.3, dated 28 January 2019.
  • Stable v9 is no longer actively maintained.
  • Runs on Windows only.
  • Window groups are not supported.
Our verdict

For Linux users who want control over how windows are arranged and managed, awesome is a free, open-source window manager for X. It combines tiling and floating layouts with keyboard-driven operation, multiple-screen support, and…

Read the review →

bug.n is an open-source tiling window manager add-on for the Windows Explorer shell. It automatically resizes and positions windows, with tile, monocle, and floating modes. Its combination of configurable layouts, tagged views for virtual…

Read the review →
  1. awesomeWindow Management Software 9.1Free plan
  2. bug.nWindow Management Software 7.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • awesome — where it wins

    • Offers both tiling and floating layouts, with per-screen tags.
    • Lua configuration supports application rules and fine-grained window control.
    • Includes custom widgets, status bars, and D-Bus support.

    Where it doesn't

    • Designed for X, rather than a general-purpose desktop environment.
    • Lua-based configuration may not suit users seeking a mostly graphical setup.
    • The latest stable release listed by the project is version 4.3, dated 28 January 2019.

  • bug.n — where it wins

    • Switch between tile, monocle, and floating layouts.
    • Manage windows across virtual desktops and multiple monitors.
    • Save monitor, view, layout, and window state between sessions.

    Where it doesn't

    • Stable v9 is no longer actively maintained.
    • Runs on Windows only.
    • Window groups are not supported.

More comparisons

All window management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update