1
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Sway offers an i3-compatible tiling compositor for Wayland-based desktop sessions.
Alternatives
The Best river Alternatives in 2026
24 alternatives0 free · 13 open source
Looking for something like river? Here are 24 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 13 are open source.
river separates the Wayland compositor from the window manager, allowing a compatible manager to be chosen.
Top picks at a glance
First suggestionSwaySway offers an i3-compatible tiling compositor for…Another optionArch WikiSway is an i3-compatible tiling compositor for Wayland…
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sway | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Arch Wiki | — | Not stated | Web |
| 3 | LabWC | — | Yes | — |
| 4 | Mango | — | Not stated | Windows |
| 5 | wayfire | — | Yes | — |
| 6 | Waybar | — | Yes | — |
| 7 | SecureUxTheme | — | Yes | Windows |
| 8 | Wayland Compositor Index | — | Not stated | Web |
| 9 | Arch Wiki | — | Not stated | Web, Windows |
| 10 | Hyprland | — | Not stated | Linux, Web |
All river alternatives
2
Arch Wiki
wiki.archlinux.org/title/SwayAlso covers desktop customization
Sway is an i3-compatible tiling compositor for Wayland, documented in the ArchWiki.
3
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
labwc provides a Wayland compositor that stacks windows rather than tiling them.
4
Mango
github.com/mangowm/mangoAlso covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project
Mango provides a Wayland compositor built on dwl and includes several window layouts.
5
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Wayfire offers a modular Wayland compositor with extension points and customizable behavior.
6
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Waybar provides a customizable status bar for Wayland compositors such as Sway and wlroots-based environments.
7
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
SecureUxTheme patches Windows theme verification in memory to allow unsigned styles without modifying system files.
8
Wayland Compositor Index
wiki.archlinux.org/title/WaylandAlso covers desktop customization
The ArchWiki explains the Wayland display server protocol and links to a compositor comparison.
9
Arch Wiki
wiki.archlinux.org/title/HyprlandAlso covers desktop customization
Hyprland is a tiling Wayland compositor with dynamic tiling and a custom renderer, documented in the ArchWiki.
10
Hyprland
hypr.landAlso covers desktop customization
Hyprland provides dynamic tiling and Wayland features through a compositor with plugin support.
11
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
The awesome project provides a window manager for the desktop with a Lua configuration interface.
12
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Arrange desktop windows as leaves in a binary tree with bspwm, a tiling window manager that responds to X events.
13
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
SwayFX extends the Sway compositor with visual effects through changes to its rendering layer.
14
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Awesome Hyprland curates a list of community resources for the Hyprland compositor.
15
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
This repository contains the source for wearewaylandnow.com, an opinionated site about the Wayland desktop environment.
16
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Awesome Wayland collects resources related to the Wayland display system.
17
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
Ironbar is a customizable GTK4 status bar for Wayland, written in Rust.
18
Also covers desktop customization · same kind of open-source project · open source
nwg-look edits GTK settings for desktop environments using the wlroots Wayland environment.
19
Also covers desktop customization
Awesome is a highly configurable and extensible window manager for X, described as fast and framework-based.
20
Window Manager Index
wiki.archlinux.org/title/Window_managerAlso covers desktop customization
The ArchWiki explains window managers and links to a comparison of tiling window managers.
21
Qtile
qtile.orgAlso covers desktop customization
Configure Qtile with Python and use its full-featured tiling window manager for arranging windows.
22
i3wm
i3wm.orgAlso covers desktop customization
i3 is a tiling window manager for X11 with documented code and Xinerama support.
23
xmonad
xmonad.orgAlso covers desktop customization
xmonad provides a dynamically tiling window manager for X11, written and configured in Haskell.
24
Reference Card
i3wm.org/docs/refcard.htmlAlso covers desktop customization
This i3 reference card lists keyboard shortcuts for common window manager actions.
No alternatives match this filter.
Alternatives to similar tools
awesomewm24 alternativesWearewaylandnow24 alternativesWindow Manager Index24 alternativesArch Wiki24 alternativesWayland Compositor Index24 alternativesAwesome Hyprland24 alternatives
What is the best alternative to river?
Based on features, tags and platforms, the closest alternatives to river are Sway, Arch Wiki, and LabWC.
Are there open-source alternatives to river?
Yes: Sway, LabWC, wayfire, and Waybar.
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative