TaskbarX vs Start11

TaskbarX8.8Visit SStart118.1Visit

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

vs

S Start11 #6 in Taskbar Customization Software 8.1/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 6 features Visit Start11

• TaskbarX fits best

  Portable taskbar centering and visual effects

• Start11 fits best

  Start menu and taskbar customization together

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Side by side

Feature	TaskbarX 8.8/10 Visit ↗	SStart11 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.1
Ranking	#2 in Taskbar Customization Software	#6 in Taskbar Customization Software
Best for	Portable taskbar centering and visual effects	Start menu and taskbar customization together
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Community	Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features TaskbarX 5/6 · Start11 0/6
Taskbar positioning	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Transparency controls	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
App grouping controls	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Multi-monitor support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Taskbar sizing	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Portable version	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Platform	Windows	Not checked yet
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	Offers classic, modern, professional, app, and launcher Start menu styles. Customizes taskbar appearance, position, pinned items, and context menus. Includes backup, restore, kiosk locking, scripting, and deployment tools.
Cons	Icon centering does not work on modern Windows 11 builds Primarily designed for Windows 10 The GitHub repository is archived and read-only	Paid software with no free plan. Designed for Windows 10 and 11, including ARM systems. Each listed plan includes 30 days of support, not 24/7 support.
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 →	Start11 is a Windows desktop customization application from Stardock Corporation that replaces and enhances the Start menu while adding controls for the taskbar. It suits people and organizations that want Start menu layouts and taskbar… 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

• Start11 — where it wins

  • Offers classic, modern, professional, app, and launcher Start menu styles.
  • Customizes taskbar appearance, position, pinned items, and context menus.
  • Includes backup, restore, kiosk locking, scripting, and deployment tools.

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid software with no free plan.
  • Designed for Windows 10 and 11, including ARM systems.
  • Each listed plan includes 30 days of support, not 24/7 support.

• TaskbarX8.8/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit TaskbarXFull verdict →
• SStart118.1/10 · Paid

  Start11 pairs flexible Start menu layouts with extensive Windows taskbar controls.

  Visit Start11Full verdict →