TaskbarX vs RainbowTaskbar

TaskbarX8.8Visit RainbowTaskbar7.3Visit

Higher score TaskbarX #2 in Taskbar Customization Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit TaskbarX

vs

RainbowTaskbar #13 in Taskbar Customization Software 7.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 6 features Visit RainbowTaskbar

• TaskbarX fits best

  Portable taskbar centering and visual effects

• RainbowTaskbar fits best

  Animated and highly visual taskbar styling

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	TaskbarX 8.8/10 Visit ↗	RainbowTaskbar 7.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	7.3
Ranking	#2 in Taskbar Customization Software	#13 in Taskbar Customization Software
Best for	Portable taskbar centering and visual effects	Animated and highly visual taskbar styling
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Community	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features TaskbarX 5/6 · RainbowTaskbar 4/6
Taskbar positioning	✓	✓
Transparency controls	✓	✓
App grouping controls	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Multi-monitor support	✓	✓
Taskbar sizing	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Portable version	✓	✓
Specs
Platform	Windows	Windows
Our review
Pros	Free, open source, and portable without installation or background services Combines centering, offsets, animations, transparency, blur, and acrylic styles Supports multi-monitor, vertical taskbars, sizing, spacing, segments, and color controls	Free and open-source with a portable Windows version Supports animation, transparency, blur, images, text, and videos Offers multi-monitor controls and shared user-created presets
Cons	Icon centering does not work on modern Windows 11 builds Primarily designed for Windows 10 The GitHub repository is archived and read-only	Available only for Windows Advanced WebView2 configurations may require more setup Focused on taskbar styling rather than broader desktop customization
Our verdict	TaskbarX is a free, open-source Windows utility for customizing taskbar layout and appearance. It centers taskbar icons or places them with custom offsets, and it is aimed at Windows users who want more control over positioning, spacing,… Read the review →	RainbowTaskbar is a free, open-source Windows utility for customizing the taskbar with animated effects, colors, transparency, images, websites, videos, and interactive web configurations. It is aimed at Windows users who want more control… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• TaskbarX — where it wins

  • Free, open source, and portable without installation or background services
  • Combines centering, offsets, animations, transparency, blur, and acrylic styles
  • Supports multi-monitor, vertical taskbars, sizing, spacing, segments, and color controls

  Where it doesn't

  • Icon centering does not work on modern Windows 11 builds
  • Primarily designed for Windows 10
  • The GitHub repository is archived and read-only

• RainbowTaskbar — where it wins

  • Free and open-source with a portable Windows version
  • Supports animation, transparency, blur, images, text, and videos
  • Offers multi-monitor controls and shared user-created presets

  Where it doesn't

  • Available only for Windows
  • Advanced WebView2 configurations may require more setup
  • Focused on taskbar styling rather than broader desktop customization

• TaskbarX8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free, portable Windows 10 taskbar customizer with limited modern Windows 11 support.

  Visit TaskbarXFull verdict →
• RainbowTaskbar7.3/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source choice for highly visual Windows taskbar customization.

  Visit RainbowTaskbarFull verdict →