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.- Desktop Customization Tool
- Paid • Proprietary
- 14 Portals: Desktop Organization alternatives
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.
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Windows
Comments about Portals: Desktop Organization as an Alternative to Fences
Free and beautiful. A must have.
- 18 Nimi Places alternatives
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...
License model
- Free Personal • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
Portugal
EU
Platforms
- Windows
Comments about Nimi Places as an Alternative to Fences
Top Positive CommentFree, and it works almost the same. Just has a little more setup than Fences does.
Top Negative CommentThis 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 CommentNimi 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.
- 22 iTop Easy Desktop alternatives
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.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application type
Country of Origin
Hong Kong SAR China
Platforms
- Windows
Comments about iTop Easy Desktop as an Alternative to Fences
Most Recent CommentbitooleanIt 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.
phantasmrevolutionaryCoodeDesker, 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.
heartilyBest free alternative to Fences.
- 21 Sideslide alternatives
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.
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
Israel
Platforms
- Windows
Sideslide Features
Comments about Sideslide as an Alternative to Fences
Most Recent CommentVery full featured program with a steep learning curve, but it's worth it.
Because it's not similar and easy to use like Fences that is a very intuitive application
It's a very comprehensive program with lots of features that can change the way you work with Windows.
- 9 Folderview Screenlet alternatives
Folderview Screenlet is a Linux alternative to Fences (which is for Windows).
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
Portugal
EU
Platforms
- Linux
- Screenlets
DiscontinuedThe 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
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
DiscontinuedThe latest version is from September 2018.
ICU - Icon Configuration Utility Features
Comments about ICU - Icon Configuration Utility as an Alternative to Fences
It only keeps the icons arranged, don't let you make fences which I think is the best feature of it.
- 53 XLaunchpad alternatives
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.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application type
Country of Origin
China
Platforms
- Windows
WarningXLaunchPad setup installs adware extensions for browsers. VirusTotal result: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/2a8eca9357cfae211564426dc461832ca2de70a9318ecba0468c4586fc4f4ffc/analysis/1426619620/ WOT comments: https://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/xwidget.com
XLaunchpad Features
It looks like windows native.