i3 vs Sway

i39.4Visit Sway9.3Visit

Higher score i3 #1 in Window Management Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit i3

vs

Sway #2 in Window Management Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Sway

• i3 fits best

  Linux users wanting configurable tiling

• Sway fits best

  Linux users wanting an i3-compatible Wayland option

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Side by side

Feature	i3 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Sway 9.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.3
Ranking	#1 in Window Management Software	#2 in Window Management Software
Best for	Linux users wanting configurable tiling	Linux users wanting an i3-compatible Wayland option
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Linux	Linux
Features i3 4/4 · Sway 2/4
Layout presets	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Application rules	✓	✓
Window grouping	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Virtual desktop controls	✓	✓
Specs
Platforms	linux	linux
Maximum displays	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Switch among tiling, stacking, tabbed, floating, and fullscreen layouts Assign workspaces to screens and windows to workspaces or outputs Save and restore workspace or output layouts with JSON files	Offers tiling, stacked, tabbed, and floating layouts Places matched apps on chosen workspaces or outputs Supports i3 configurations and X11 apps through Xwayland
Cons	Aimed primarily at advanced users and developers Designed for X11 rather than a broad range of desktop platforms Requires configuration to define bindings, app rules, and workspace behavior	Linux only, so it does not fit cross-platform setups Requires familiarity with window-manager configuration Not suited to users seeking a graphical window-management interface
Our verdict	i3 is a free, open-source tiling window manager for X11, aimed primarily at advanced users and developers. It arranges windows in a tree structure and offers horizontal and vertical splits, stacking and tabbed containers, plus floating and… Read the review →	Sway is a tiling Wayland compositor for Linux, designed as a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager. It is aimed at people who want to arrange application windows with keyboard-driven rules and workspaces rather than rely on a… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• i3 — where it wins

  • Switch among tiling, stacking, tabbed, floating, and fullscreen layouts
  • Assign workspaces to screens and windows to workspaces or outputs
  • Save and restore workspace or output layouts with JSON files

  Where it doesn't

  • Aimed primarily at advanced users and developers
  • Designed for X11 rather than a broad range of desktop platforms
  • Requires configuration to define bindings, app rules, and workspace behavior

• Sway — where it wins

  • Offers tiling, stacked, tabbed, and floating layouts
  • Places matched apps on chosen workspaces or outputs
  • Supports i3 configurations and X11 apps through Xwayland

  Where it doesn't

  • Linux only, so it does not fit cross-platform setups
  • Requires familiarity with window-manager configuration
  • Not suited to users seeking a graphical window-management interface

• i39.4/10 · Free plan

  A configurable X11 window manager for Linux users who want precise tiling and workspace control.

  Visit i3Full verdict →
• Sway9.3/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source Wayland compositor for configurable window layouts and i3 users.

  Visit SwayFull verdict →