Tofi review
An open-source Wayland launcher for executable and desktop-app search with fuzzy matching.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Tofi is an open-source application launcher for Linux desktops using Wayland compositors that support the layer-shell protocol. It suits users who want a minimal way to find and launch commands or desktop applications, particularly in Sway and wlroots-based environments. Rather than searching files or syncing a launcher across devices, it concentrates on presenting selectable items and starting the chosen application.
Its input and launch options give it flexibility within that narrow role. Tofi can read newline-separated items from standard input, list executables available in the user’s PATH, or build application lists from desktop files. In drun mode, it can launch selected applications directly. Matching can be normal, prefix-based, or fuzzy, while usage history sorts run and drun results. These options make it useful both as a command launcher and as a compact desktop-app menu, without extending into file search.
Presentation is configurable through themes, colors, borders, layouts, positioning, and custom configuration files. That gives users control over how the launcher appears and fits into a Wayland desktop, but the platform scope is specific: Tofi is for Linux and Wayland compositor setups, not a cross-platform launcher. The published product details describe it as open-source software and do not set out paid tiers. Choose Tofi if you want a configurable, focused launcher for commands and desktop applications in a compatible Wayland environment; consider another tool if you need file search, cloud sync, or a broader discovery feature set.
Tofi pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Launches executables from PATH and apps defined by desktop files.
- Offers normal, prefix, and fuzzy matching plus usage-history sorting.
- Lets users customize themes, layouts, positioning, and configuration files.
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on Linux systems using Wayland compositors.
- Does not provide file search or cloud sync.
- Its feature set centers on launching and presentation rather than broader app discovery.
Tofi fact sheet, pricing and score →
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