Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Sway review

Free#2 of 65 in Window Management Software

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

9.3/10Editor score
Visit Sway
Sway9.3 Visit Sway

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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 conventional desktop window layout. The project is free and open source, and Sway is distributed through Linux distributions or can be compiled from source.

Its main strength is layout and placement control. Windows can be tiled, stacked, tabbed, or floated; application-matching criteria can direct windows to workspaces or outputs. Named workspaces support switching and movement, and multiple outputs can have workspace placement. Keyboard and mouse bindings provide control, while a scratchpad can temporarily hide and restore windows. For existing i3 users, configuration compatibility may ease a move to a Wayland compositor. Xwayland support also accommodates X11 applications within that environment.

Sway fits Linux users who specifically want a keyboard-oriented tiling compositor and are comfortable working with configuration. Its Wayland, wlroots, Xwayland, and i3 configuration ecosystem is relevant to that choice, but it remains Linux-only and focused on window management rather than broader desktop features. Choose it if configurable layouts, app rules, workspaces, and output placement are central to your setup; look elsewhere if you need a cross-platform window manager or prefer a graphical interface for arranging windows.

Sway pros and cons

  • 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

Sway fact sheet, pricing and score →

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 · How we research and update