Palace vs Fresco

Palace8.9Visit Fresco8.8Visit

Higher score Palace #5 in Desktop Wallpaper Software 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Palace

vs

Fresco #6 in Desktop Wallpaper Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Fresco

• Palace fits best

  Users wanting broad platform coverage and scheduling

• Fresco fits best

  Linux users wanting a complete live-wallpaper app

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Side by side

Feature	Palace 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Fresco 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#5 in Desktop Wallpaper Software	#6 in Desktop Wallpaper Software
Best for	Users wanting broad platform coverage and scheduling	Linux users wanting a complete live-wallpaper app
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$8 one-time	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Linux, Chrome extension
Support	Email, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Palace 5/6 · Fresco 5/6
Live wallpapers	✓	✓
Automatic rotation	✓	✓
Multi-monitor support	✓	✓
Video wallpapers	✓	✓
Interactive wallpapers	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Performance controls	✓	✓
Specs
Platform coverage	Multi_platform	Linux
Our review
Pros	Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web Handles video, GIF, WebM, and GLSL shader wallpapers Adds per-display schedules, rotation, effects, and multi-monitor spanning	Supports video, GIF, image, slideshow, and playlist wallpapers Per-monitor settings, scheduling, fullscreen pause, and battery-aware pausing Free and open source with VA-API or NVDEC playback acceleration
Cons	There is no free plan Requires an $8 one-time purchase The product is proprietary rather than open source	Desktop support is focused on Linux Wayland support covers selected compositors The browser companion is provided as a Chrome extension
Our verdict	Palace is a cross-platform wallpaper manager and media engine for people who want more control than a static desktop background. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web access, with tools for organizing wallpapers into… Read the review →	Fresco is a free, open-source desktop wallpaper application for Linux users who want more than a static background. It supports video, GIF, image, slideshow, and playlist wallpapers, with per-monitor configuration for multi-display setups.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Palace — where it wins

  • Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web
  • Handles video, GIF, WebM, and GLSL shader wallpapers
  • Adds per-display schedules, rotation, effects, and multi-monitor spanning

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no free plan
  • Requires an $8 one-time purchase
  • The product is proprietary rather than open source

• Fresco — where it wins

  • Supports video, GIF, image, slideshow, and playlist wallpapers
  • Per-monitor settings, scheduling, fullscreen pause, and battery-aware pausing
  • Free and open source with VA-API or NVDEC playback acceleration

  Where it doesn't

  • Desktop support is focused on Linux
  • Wayland support covers selected compositors
  • The browser companion is provided as a Chrome extension

• Palace8.9/10 · Paid

  A broad wallpaper manager for scheduled, multi-display backgrounds across major platforms.

  Visit PalaceFull verdict →
• Fresco8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source Linux wallpaper app with broad live-wallpaper and monitor controls.

  Visit FrescoFull verdict →