Cairo Shell AlternativesDesktop Environments and other similar apps like Cairo Shell

Cairo Shell is described as 'Cairo is a desktop environment for Windows. Its goal is to develop a desktop experience that increases productivity and advances current technology standards' and is a desktop environment in the os & utilities category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Cairo Shell for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, BSD, Mac and Linux Mobile apps. The best Cairo Shell alternative is KDE Plasma, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Cairo Shell are Xfce, Open Shell, Seelen UI and LXDE.

filter to find the best alternatives

Cairo Shell alternatives are mainly Desktop Environments, but if you're looking for Window Managers or File Managers you can filter on that. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Cairo Shell.
Cairo Shell iconCairo Shell
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Cairo is a desktop environment for Windows. Its goal is to develop a desktop experience that increases productivity and advances current technology standards.

More about Cairo Shell
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Cairo Shell alternatives page was last updated Jun 1, 2025
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  1. KDE Plasma icon

    KDE Plasma

     439 likes
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    Plasma is a cross-device work environment by the KDE Community where trust is put on the user's capacity to best define their own workflow and preferences.

    27 KDE Plasma alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • postmarketOS
    A typical Plasma desktop looks like this

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Desktop Environment
    2.  Themes
    3.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    4.  Transparency
    5.  Blurry transparency
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  No Tracking
    9.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    10.  Full-Text Search
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Support for scripting

    KDE Plasma VS Cairo Shell

     

    • KDE Plasma is the most popular Linux alternative to Cairo Shell.

    • KDE Plasma is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Cairo Shell.

    • KDE Plasma is Free and Open SourceCairo Shell is also Free and Open Source
    • KDE Plasma is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedCairo Shell is not according to our users
  2. Xfce icon

    Xfce

     370 likes
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    Xfce (pronounced as four individual letters) is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris and BSD. It aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and easy to use.

    26 Xfce alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Xfce 4.14

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Desktop Environment
    2.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    3.  Modular System
    4.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Dark Mode
    9.  No Tracking

    Xfce VS Cairo Shell

     
  4. Open Shell icon

    Open Shell

     101 likes
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    Open Shell is a fork of the Classic Shell project for Windows that getting back the classic start menu to modern versions of Microsoft Windows.

    39 Open Shell alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Open Shell screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Support for Themes
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Customize Windows
    2.  Change Start Button
    3.  System Tweaker
    4. File Explorer icon  Windows Explorer Extension
    5.  Make Taskbar Transparent
    6.  Ad-free

    Open Shell VS Cairo Shell

     

    • Open Shell is the most popular Windows alternative to Cairo Shell.

    • Open Shell is Free and Open SourceCairo Shell is also Free and Open Source
    • Open Shell is Lightweight and Privacy focusedCairo Shell is not according to our users
  5. Seelen UI icon

    Seelen UI

     30 likes
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    The first web-based fully customizable desktop environment (DE) for Windows 10/11, providing an intuitive and powerful way to manage your workspace and customize it.

    7 Seelen UI alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Seelen UI screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Support for Themes
    2.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Themes
    3.  Dock
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Tiling Window Manager
    8.  Customize Windows
    9.  Make Taskbar Transparent
    10.  Widgets
    11.  Desktop Application
    12.  Custom widgets

    Seelen UI VS Cairo Shell

     
  6. LXDE icon

    LXDE

     121 likes
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    The "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment" is an extremely fast-performing and energy-saving desktop environment.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • TW flagTaiwan

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Screenshot of the LXDE desktop. It's simple, lightweight, fast, modern, internationalized, and standard-compliant.

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  X server

    LXDE VS Cairo Shell

     
  7. LXQt icon

    LXQt

     49 likes
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    LXQt is the Qt port and the upcoming version of LXDE, the Lightweight Desktop Environment. It is the product of the merge between the LXDE-Qt and the .

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • TW flagTaiwan

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    LXQt screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Desktop Environment
    2.  QT Based
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  No registration required
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  X server

    LXQt VS Cairo Shell

     
  9. Budgie icon

    Budgie

     44 likes
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    The Budgie Desktop is a feature-rich, modern desktop designed to keep out the way of the user. It consists of a number of components to provide a more complete desktop experience.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Linux
    A screenshot of the Budgie desktop running on Solus Linux. The Budgie settings manager is on the right, made specifically to customize the desktop. The rest of the settings are handled by the Gnome settings manager.

    Properties

    1.  Support for Themes
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Support for Hot corners
    8.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts

    Budgie VS Cairo Shell

     
  10. Enlightenment icon

    Enlightenment

     51 likes
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    Enlightenment is a Window Manager, Compositor and Minimal Desktop for Linux (the primary platform), BSD and any other compatible UNIX system.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Enlightenment screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Wayland Support
    2.  X server

    Enlightenment VS Cairo Shell

     

    • Enlightenment is the most popular Mac alternative to Cairo Shell.

    • Enlightenment is Free and Open SourceCairo Shell is also Free and Open Source
    • Enlightenment is LightweightCairo Shell is not according to our users
  11. Tokie icon

    Tokie

     6 likes
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    A document, a database, and a browser, all in your folders.

    53 Tokie alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Tokie screenshot 1

    Top Tokie Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Live Preview
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Ad-free
    6. Google Drive icon  Google Drive integration
    7.  Widgets
    8.  Custom templates
    9.  Hidden files
    10.  Content Templates
    11.  File preview
    12. Dropbox icon  Dropbox integration

    Tokie VS Cairo Shell

     

    • Tokie is the most popular commercial alternative to Cairo Shell.

    • Tokie is Paid and ProprietaryCairo Shell is Free and Open Source
  12. Bloom File Manager icon

    Bloom File Manager

     3 likes
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    The finest replacement for Finder with powerful tools to streamline your workflow, enhance productivity, and keep everything organized at your fingertips.

    51 Bloom File Manager alternatives

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Bloom File Manager screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  File Tagging
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  Batch Rename Files
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Integrated Search
    9.  Dual Pane Support
    10.  Tagging
    11.  Support for regular expressions
    12.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts

    Bloom File Manager VS Cairo Shell

     
  13. Dora icon

    Dora

     2 likes
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    Finding files and organizing your computer just go a lot easier. Dora is the smart file explorer designed to save you time and frustration.

    55 Dora alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Dora screenshot 1

    Dora Features

    1.  No registration required
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  AI-Powered
    5.  Automate File Organization
    6.  Drag and Drop
    7.  Built-in AI Assistant
    8.  File Organizer

    Dora VS Cairo Shell

     
  14. VirtuaWin icon

    VirtuaWin

     80 likes
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    VirtuaWin is a virtual desktop manager for the Windows operating system (Win9x/ME/NT/Win2K/XP/Win2003/Vista/Win7/Win10). A virtual desktop manager lets you organize applications over several virtual desktops (also called ‘workspaces’).

    22 VirtuaWin alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • SE flagSweden
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    VirtuaWin - Multiple Virtual Desktops
    Discontinued

    The latest version (4.5) is from January 2021.

    VirtuaWin Features

    1.  Portable

    VirtuaWin VS Cairo Shell

     
12 of 35 Cairo Shell alternatives