Fences Alternatives for Windows

Nimi Places

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 also for supported PDF files.

• 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. Guest • Mar 2020 • 1 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• 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. Guest • Apr 2018 • 10 agrees and 4 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• It will not organize my icons on my desktop. Guest • Jan 2019 • 2 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• It will not organize my icons on my desktop. Guest • Jan 2017 • 18 agrees and 12 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• I wanted to organize my desktop the way fences can and it worked out beatifully. I got just what I wanted from Nimi Places for free Diveji • Aug 2017 • 3 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Free, and it works almost the same. Just has a little more setup than Fences does. Guest • Feb 2018 • 3 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Just the basic but allows to define area where you can store link... Guest • Jul 2016 • 1 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree
• Actually it is better than Fences, giving more control over created fences. Guest • Jun 2015 • 4 agrees and 5 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Personal Windows

Sideslide

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. With unique use of containers and various innovative features, SideSlide lets you get instant access to everything you have and much more. The program respects your system and keeps all of its configuration files in a single folder.

• Because it's not similar and easy to use like Fences that is a very intuitive application Guest • May 2020 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Windows

ICU - Icon Configuration Utility

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 applications and games which change the display resolution or move icons around.

• It only keeps the icons arranged, don't let you make fences which I think is the best feature of it. Guest • Jun 2017 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

Free Open Source Windows

XLaunchpad

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. You can name the folder whatever you like when you open the folder.

• Warning
  XLaunchPad 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

Freemium $ $ $ Windows

ToolBox

ToolBox is an application launcher for Windows operating systems with many amazing features. Easy to install, you can get going in minutes. Its drag & drop interface creates shortcuts to almost anything; applications, drives, folders, even simple files. Desktop Organizer, able to group desktop icons. A fully portable application, ToolBox does not need installation.

• Discontinued
  The program is no longer updated. Last version, 2.97h, released in May 2011, can be still downloaded from the official website.

Free Personal Windows

Fluid Icon Organizer

Stop arranging your icons over and over again, let us help. Fluid Icon Organizer integrates with your desktop perfectly, consumes little resources and is easy to use.

Commercial Windows

SE-DesktopConstructor

Free desktop customization tool, that allows to change desktop background automatically, create colored areas for the icons on the desktop and place clock and calendar on the background.

• Discontinued
  The company stopped development for its applications. Last versions can be still downloaded from the official website.

Free Windows