GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack) vs Eww

GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack)9.0Visit EEww7.7Visit

Higher score GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack) #3 in Desktop Widget Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit GadgetPack

vs

E Eww #14 in Desktop Widget Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit Eww

• GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack) fits best

  Windows users wanting a ready-made free gadget collection

• Eww fits best

  Linux power users who code their widgets

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Side by side

Feature	GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack) 9.0/10 Visit ↗	EEww 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	7.7
Ranking	#3 in Desktop Widget Software	#14 in Desktop Widget Software
Best for	Windows users wanting a ready-made free gadget collection	Linux power users who code their widgets
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Linux
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack) 5/5 · Eww 3/5
System monitoring	✓	✓
Custom layouts	✓	✓
Weather widgets	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Calendar widgets	✓	✓
Feed widgets	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows	Linux
Widget categories	sidebar, agenda, CPU and GPU monitoring, battery, calendar, clipboard, clocks, currency, drives, network monitoring, weather, reminders, slideshow, sticky notes, calculator, volume control, unit converter, radio	combo-box-text, expander, revealer, checkbox, color-button, color-chooser, scale, progress, input, button, image, box, overlay, tooltip, centerbox, scroll, eventbox, label, literal, calendar, stack, transform, circular-progress, graph
Our review
Pros	Free access to a broad collection of desktop gadgets System monitoring covers CPU, GPU, drives, network, and power Supports movable gadgets, an optional sidebar, and compatible .gadget files	Open-source and free to use Supports both X11 and Wayland builds Offers broad widget and system-monitoring primitives
Cons	Windows-only support limits cross-platform use Focused on ready-made gadgets rather than custom widget development Gadget quality and compatibility may vary across external .gadget files	Linux-only platform support Requires Yuck plus CSS or SCSS configuration Developer-oriented workflow may not suit casual customization
Our verdict	GadgetPack, formerly 8GadgetPack, restores a desktop gadget platform for Windows 10 and 11. It suits Windows users who want a ready-made set of clocks, calendars, weather tools, system monitors, and everyday utilities without a paid plan.… Read the review →	Eww, short for ElKowar's Wacky Widgets, is an open-source desktop widget system for Linux. It lets users create widgets independently of their window manager, using the Yuck configuration language and CSS or SCSS for styling. The project… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack) — where it wins

  • Free access to a broad collection of desktop gadgets
  • System monitoring covers CPU, GPU, drives, network, and power
  • Supports movable gadgets, an optional sidebar, and compatible .gadget files

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only support limits cross-platform use
  • Focused on ready-made gadgets rather than custom widget development
  • Gadget quality and compatibility may vary across external .gadget files

• Eww — where it wins

  • Open-source and free to use
  • Supports both X11 and Wayland builds
  • Offers broad widget and system-monitoring primitives

  Where it doesn't

  • Linux-only platform support
  • Requires Yuck plus CSS or SCSS configuration
  • Developer-oriented workflow may not suit casual customization

• GadgetPack (formerly 8GadgetPack)9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows gadget collection with monitoring, utilities, and desktop organization.

  Visit GadgetPackFull verdict →
• EEww7.7/10 · Free plan

  A flexible open-source widget system for Linux users who want to code their desktop.

  Visit EwwFull verdict →