Free Fences AlternativesTop Desktop Customization Tools and other similar apps like Fences

The best free alternative to Fences is Portals: Desktop Organization. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 10 alternatives to Fences and 14 is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Fences are Nimi Places, iTop Easy Desktop, Sideslide and Folderview Screenlet.

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Fences alternatives are mainly Desktop Customization Tools, but if you're looking for Application Launchers or File Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows + Free. 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 Fences.
Fences iconFences
  294
  • ...

Desktop organizer for Windows 10/11, arranging files in customizable shaded areas. Features include quick access, snapshot layouts, and enterprise tools.

More about Fences
More about Fences
Fences alternatives page was last updated Jun 6, 2025
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  1. Portals: Desktop Organization icon

    Portals: Desktop Organization

     66 likes
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    Create containers (aka Portals) on your desktop which show the contents of a specified folder. Divide your desktop into folders then use Portals to display the contents of the folders in an organized fashion - you can even hide the folders away somewhere else.

    14 Portals: Desktop Organization alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Portals: Desktop Organization screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Configurable
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Customizable
    4.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Group Icons
    2.  Drag and Drop
    3.  File Organizer
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Organization
    6.  Launcher
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Folder Mirroring
    9.  Window organizer
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Dock
    12.  Portable

    Portals: Desktop Organization VS Fences

     
    Comments about Portals: Desktop Organization as an Alternative to Fences
    Ross Patterson
    Positive Aug 24, 2021
    0

    It looks like windows native.

    Guest
    Positive Jan 11, 2023
    0

    Free and beautiful. A must have.

    Fences Icon
    Portals: Desktop Organization icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Portals: Desktop Organization is a great Fences alternative.

    • Portals: Desktop Organization is the most popular Windows alternative to Fences.

    • Portals: Desktop Organization is the most popular free alternative to Fences.

    • Portals: Desktop Organization is Free and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • Portals: Desktop Organization is Lightweight and CustomizableFences is not according to our users
  2. Nimi Places icon

    Nimi Places

     54 likes
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    Organizes desktop into customizable containers - showing folders (e.g.: local folders, network locations) contents, displayed as icons/thumbnails on scrollable surface. In-built thumbnail engine is capable of displaying thumbnails for supported Open Documents and PSD images, but...

    18 Nimi Places alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • PT flagPortugal
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Nimi Places screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Group Icons
    3.  Skinnable
    4.  Special Folders

    Nimi Places VS Fences

     
    Comments about Nimi Places as an Alternative to Fences
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    Feb 7, 2018
    3

    Free, and it works almost the same. Just has a little more setup than Fences does.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Apr 25, 2018
    6

    This performs ONE of Fences' secondary functions: displaying the contents of directories OTHER THAN the Desktop as virtual containers on the Desktop. IT IS NOT for organizing Desktop icons/files or setting up automatic rules for categorization of new Desktop icons/files.

    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Mar 5, 2020
    -2

    Nimi Places is not an exact replica of Fences, but(!) it will give you the look and feel. Instead of everything being on your desktop, it links it a folder. I am just going to change my behavior a tad and just know that my files, when placed in the fence, are not stored on the actual desktop. I still have easy access to move the files between the desktop to fence and vice versa, which is most important to me.

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    3 of 7 comments
    Fences Icon
    Nimi Places icon

    • Some users think Nimi Places is a great Fences alternative, some don't.

    • Nimi Places is Free Personal and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • Nimi Places is LightweightFences is not according to our users
  4. iTop Easy Desktop icon

    iTop Easy Desktop

     12 likes
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    Automates desktop organization for Windows by grouping files, apps, and folders into customizable boxes, supporting appearance adjustments, instant hotkey access, multi-page desktops, double-click hiding, Folder Portal, and fast search functionality.

    22 iTop Easy Desktop alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • HK flagHong Kong SAR China

    Platforms

    • Windows
    iTop Easy Desktop screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  No registration required

    iTop Easy Desktop VS Fences

     
    Comments about iTop Easy Desktop as an Alternative to Fences
    Most Recent Comment
    bitoolean
    Positive Dec 7, 2023
    0

    It automatically manages new icons added to the desktop by installers repetitively every time that software gets updated by remembering which container they are assigned to and thus avoiding having to manage duplicates manually.

    phantasmrevolutionary
    Positive Jun 26, 2023
    1

    CoodeDesker, StarDock Fences and iTop Easy Desktop are the only softwares for desktop (professional-looking specifically) organization via containers that are worth trying. iTop Easy Desktop might be the worst of those 3, but it's the one that has a free option.

    heartily
    Positive Oct 10, 2024
    0

    Best free alternative to Fences.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Fences Icon
    iTop Easy Desktop icon

    • Most users think iTop Easy Desktop is a great Fences alternative.

    • iTop Easy Desktop is Freemium and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • iTop Easy Desktop is CustomizableFences is not according to our users
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    iTop Easy Desktop icon
    iTop Easy Desktop

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  6. Sideslide icon

    Sideslide

     16 likes
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    SideSlide is an advanced, portable, unobtrusive, dockable, skinnable, instantly accessible, highly configurable Desktop Extension on Steroids! Clean desktop clutter and make your computer friendlier and faster than ever before.

    21 Sideslide alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • IL flagIsrael

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Sideslide screenshot 1

    Sideslide Features

    1.  Launcher
    2.  Multitasking
    3.  Portable

    Sideslide VS Fences

     
    Comments about Sideslide as an Alternative to Fences
    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Nov 25, 2022
    0

    Very full featured program with a steep learning curve, but it's worth it.

    Guest
    Negative May 11, 2020
    1

    Because it's not similar and easy to use like Fences that is a very intuitive application

    Guest
    Positive Apr 21, 2021
    0

    It's a very comprehensive program with lots of features that can change the way you work with Windows.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Fences Icon
    Sideslide icon

    • Some users think Sideslide is a great Fences alternative, some don't.

    • Sideslide is Free and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
  7. Folderview Screenlet icon

    Folderview Screenlet

     6 likes
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    Folderview Screenlet is a Linux alternative to Fences (which is for Windows).

    9 Folderview Screenlet alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • PT flagPortugal
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Screenlets
    Folderview Screenlet screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    The program is no longer updated. Last version, 0.9.9, released in August 2010, can be still downloaded from the official website.

    Folderview Screenlet Features

    1.  Group Icons

    Folderview Screenlet VS Fences

     

    • Almost everyone thinks Folderview Screenlet is a great Fences alternative.

    • Folderview Screenlet is the most popular Linux alternative to Fences.

    • Folderview Screenlet is Free and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
  8. ICU - Icon Configuration Utility icon

    ICU - Icon Configuration Utility

     11 likes
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    Restore your desktop when the icons get “rearranged”.

    Melba23 and I found we were working on very similar ideas to restore the Desktop icons to their normal place if they became “rearranged”. Vista seems to like this doing on occasion just for fun – but we all know some applicat.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    ICU - Icon Configuration Utility screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    The latest version is from September 2018.

    ICU - Icon Configuration Utility Features

    1.  Portable

    ICU - Icon Configuration Utility VS Fences

     
    Comments about ICU - Icon Configuration Utility as an Alternative to Fences
    Guest
    Negative Jun 14, 2017
    0

    It only keeps the icons arranged, don't let you make fences which I think is the best feature of it.

    Fences Icon
    ICU - Icon Configuration Utility icon

    • Some users think ICU - Icon Configuration Utility is a great Fences alternative, some don't.

    • ICU - Icon Configuration Utility is the most popular Open Source alternative to Fences.

    • ICU - Icon Configuration Utility is Free and Open SourceFences is Paid and Proprietary
  10. DeskFrame icon

    DeskFrame

     3 likes
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    Organize your desktop into frames.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    DeskFrame screenshot 1
    DeskFrame screenshot 2
    DeskFrame screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  No registration required
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Portable

    DeskFrame VS Fences

     
  11. XLaunchpad icon

    XLaunchpad

     34 likes
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    XLaunchpad gives you instant access to all your shortcuts. Arrange apps in XLaunchpad any way you like by dragging icons to different locations or by grouping apps in folders. Simply drag one icon over another to create a folder.

    53 XLaunchpad alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CN flagChina

    Platforms

    • Windows
    XLaunchpad screenshot 1

    XLaunchpad Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Launcher

    XLaunchpad VS Fences

     
8 of 14 Fences alternatives