The ArchWiki explains window managers and links to a comparison of tiling window managers.
xmonad
xmonad provides a dynamically tiling window manager for X11, written and configured in Haskell.
About xmonad
xmonad is a dynamically tiling window manager for X11 that is written and configured in Haskell. Instead of manually aligning and searching for windows, it arranges windows automatically, so work happens through the keyboard and a mouse is unnecessary. Out of the box it is minimal: no window decorations, no status bar and no icon dock. An extension library adds those back, along with support for floating, tabbing and decorated windows. Other capabilities include per-workspace layout algorithms, per-screen custom status bars, multi-head display support and XRandR handling for rotating, adding or removing monitors. Configuration is done in Haskell and can be changed on the fly. The current releases listed on the homepage are xmonad 0.18.1 and xmonad-contrib 0.18.2.
Key features
- Automatic window tiling with per-workspace layout algorithms
- Keyboard-first operation; a mouse is unnecessary
- Multi-head display support with XRandR monitor changes
- Support for floating, tabbing and decorated windows, plus compositing
- Haskell configuration with on-the-fly reconfiguration
- Extension library for window decorations, status bars and icon docks
Best for: Users on X11 who are comfortable configuring a window manager in Haskell and want a keyboard-driven, tiling workflow.
Good for
- Minimal default setup with no window decorations, status bar or icon dock
- Large extension library that adds decorations, status bars and icon docks
- Documentation plus an active mailing list, IRC channel and subreddit
Watch out for
- Configuration is written in Haskell rather than a plain config file
- Status bars, icon docks and window decorations are not included out of the box
xmonad at a glance
- Website
- xmonad.org
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Desktop Customization
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Web, Windows
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
xmonad alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Configure Qtile with Python and use its full-featured tiling window manager for arranging windows.
herbstluftwm arranges windows through a manual tiling window manager for the X window system.
Arrange desktop windows as leaves in a binary tree with bspwm, a tiling window manager that responds to X events.
Open source
24 alternatives
Awesome is a highly configurable and extensible window manager for X, described as fast and framework-based.
Pick
24 alternatives
i3 is a tiling window manager for X11 with documented code and Xinerama support.
Open source
24 alternativesPopular in Desktop Customization
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xmonad FAQ
What is xmonad?
It is a dynamically tiling X11 window manager, written and configured in Haskell, that automates the arranging of windows.
Where do I get xmonad?
The download page lists where to obtain the releases, including xmonad 0.18.1 and xmonad-contrib 0.18.2.
Where can I find help or talk to other users?
Support is available through the mailing list, the IRC channel #[email protected] and the xmonad subreddit.
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