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.
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Cairo Shell Alternatives for Windows
There are many alternatives to Cairo Shell for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is Open Shell, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Cairo Shell and 18 are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to Cairo Shell are Seelen UI, VirtuaWin, Emerge Desktop and Talisman Desktop.
Alternatives list
41 Open Shell alternatives
12 Seelen UI alternativesWeb-based customizable desktop environment integrated with Windows 10/11 offers tiling window manager, intuitive configuration, widget and menu adjustments, theme personalization, taskbar layout options, wallpaper management, streamlined multitasking, and workflow optimization.
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25 VirtuaWin alternativesVirtuaWin 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’).
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application type
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Windows
- PortableApps.com
Emerge Desktop is a replacement Windows "shell" (the desktop environment normally provided by Windows Explorer) for Windows 2000 and above. In order to replace Windows Explorer as a shell, it provides a system tray (the area that collects the icons collected at the...
Talisman Desktop is a configurable Windows shell replacement introduced in 1997 by Lighttek Software. It is available in a number of languages including English, French, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Russian and Italian.
Cost / License
- Paid
- Proprietary
Platforms
- Windows
26 SharpEnviro alternativesSharpEnviro (or SharpE) is an open source shell replacement system for Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. When using SharpEnviro the default Windows desktop is replaced by a new and more powerful desktop environment.
43 Window Maker alternativesWindow Maker has a reputation for being fast, efficient and highly stable. Window Maker has been characterized as reproducing "the elegant look and feel of the NeXTstep GUI" and is noted as "easy to configure and easy to use.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Application types
Platforms
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
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BB4Win (Blackbox for Windows) is an alternative shell for Microsoft Windows. The program aims to emulate the look and feel of a Linux based desktop. The BB4Win project was discontinued in 2005 but various branches have been built from the source.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Windows
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FolderFresh is a small tool that organises messy folders automatically. It sorts files into simple categories such as Documents, Images, Videos, Audio, Archives, Code, and Other.
The SphereXP is a 3D desktop replacement for Microsoft Windows. Taking the known concept of three-dimensional desktops to its own level. It offers a new way to organize objects on the desktop such as icons and applications. It has been tried out by millions worldwide.
Cost / License
- Free
- Proprietary
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Windows
bbLean is the lean version of Blackbox for Windows. It tries to keep balance between features and complexity, to give you some efficient means within a compact shell.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Windows
GeoShell - The premier minimalist Windows shell replacement. It replaces the default Explorer interface. It features menu bars—“geoBars”—that can be dragged-and-dropped anywhere on the users screen. There are also desktop menus that can be triggered whenever a user clicks...
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Windows
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