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Rainmeter

Free#2 of 29 in Desktop Widget Software

Rainmeter: A flexible Windows widget toolkit for system data, feeds, controls, and custom layouts. Ranked #2 of 29 in Desktop Widget Software by our editors (9.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for windows users wanting a free skin ecosystem.

9.3/10Editor score

Visit Rainmeter

Rainmeter9.3 Visit Rainmeter

At a glance

Editor score
9.3 / 10
Pricing
Free plan
Best for
Windows users wanting a free skin ecosystem
Free plan
Yes
Paid from
Free
Supported platforms
Windows
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Free and fully open source under the GNU GPL v2 license
- Covers system data, weather, RSS, notes, launchers, and media controls
- Includes tools for creating and editing custom desktop skins
Where it doesn't
- Supports Windows rather than multiple desktop platforms
- Customization may require more configuration than a simple widget app
- Its feature set is delivered through configurable skins rather than one fixed interface

Our verdict on Rainmeter

Rainmeter is a free, open-source desktop customization tool for Windows users who want configurable information and controls on their desktop. Its skins can display memory and battery data, weather forecasts, and RSS feeds, while also providing notes, to-do lists, application launchers, and media-player controls. Rearrangeable interface elements let users organize these functions into custom desktop layouts. Rainmeter is aimed at people who value control over how desktop widgets look and work, rather than users seeking a fixed, minimal widget panel.

Its strongest distinction is the combination of a skin manager and a skin creation and editing toolkit. Users can work with customizable skins and adjust the placement of desktop elements, while the available widget categories cover monitoring, feeds, weather, planning, launching applications, and media control. This makes Rainmeter suitable for building a desktop workspace around particular information needs, from lightweight system monitoring to a broader collection of personal utilities. The free plan includes the full open-source product and is distributed under the GNU GPL v2 license, so there is no paid tier structure to compare.

Platform fit is the main boundary: Rainmeter is designed for Windows, which makes it a focused choice for that desktop environment rather than a cross-platform widget solution. Its breadth and toolkit favor users comfortable selecting, arranging, and editing skins. Choose Rainmeter if free customization, system information, and a wide range of desktop widget types matter most. Choose an alternative if you need support across desktop platforms or prefer a ready-made interface with less emphasis on skin configuration.

Your product? Our editors can test Rainmeter in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Rainmeter pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on rainmeter.net

All 1 Rainmeter plans and prices →

Rainmeter fact sheet

Free plan	Yes
Paid from	Free
Supported platforms	Windows
Widget categories	memory, battery, RSS feeds, weather forecasts, notes, to-do lists, application launchers, media-player controls
System monitoring	Yes
Custom layouts	Yes
Weather widgets	Yes
Calendar widgets	Not verified
Feed widgets	Yes
Deployment	Desktop
Platforms	Windows
Support	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business (editorial estimate)
Pricing	Free plan (source)
Website	rainmeter.net
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Alternatives to Rainmeter

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Rainmeter vs the competition

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Featured on iTechGuides

Rainmeter is listed in our Desktop Widget Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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.

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update