Live Desktop AlternativesShell Extensions and other similar apps like Live Desktop

Live Desktop is described as 'Live wallpaper for your Mac desktop' and is a Shell Extension in the photos & graphics category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Live Desktop for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Steam, Android and Linux apps. The best Live Desktop alternative is Lively Wallpaper, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Live Desktop are Wallpaper Engine, Paperize, Sucrose Wallpaper Engine and WinDynamicDesktop.

Live Desktop iconLive Desktop
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Live wallpaper for your Mac desktop.

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Live Desktop alternatives page was last updated Jun 16, 2025
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  1. Lively Wallpaper icon

    Lively Wallpaper

     75 likes
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    Free and open-source application for setting GIFs, videos and webpages as your desktop wallpaper and screensaver.

    22 Lively Wallpaper alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • IN flagIndia

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Latest Windows 11 fluent design.

    Lively Wallpaper Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Support for HD videos
    4.  Video Wallpaper
    5.  Support for scripting
    6.  Widgets
    7.  Wallpaper Cycling

    Lively Wallpaper VS Live Desktop

     

    • Lively Wallpaper is the most popular Windows alternative to Live Desktop.

    • Lively Wallpaper is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Live Desktop.

    • Lively Wallpaper is Free and Open SourceLive Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
  2. Wallpaper Engine icon

    Wallpaper Engine

     79 likes
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    Enhance your Windows desktop with animated wallpapers like 3D, 2D, videos and more. Customize with a built-in editor, share via Steam Workshop, and stay ad-free with companion app support for Android.

    44 Wallpaper Engine alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • Steam
    Wallpaper Engine screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers
    2.  Video Wallpaper
    3.  Visualize Music
    4.  User contributed content
    5.  Built-in editor
    6.  Steam Workshop
    7.  Wallpaper Cycling
    8.  Ad-free

    Wallpaper Engine VS Live Desktop

     

    • Wallpaper Engine is the most popular Android alternative to Live Desktop.

    • Wallpaper Engine is the most popular commercial alternative to Live Desktop.

    • Wallpaper Engine is Paid and ProprietaryLive Desktop is also Paid and Proprietary
  4. Paperize icon

    Paperize

     17 likes
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    Paperize is a dynamic wallpaper changer application built for Android using Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, and Material 3.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Paperize screenshot 1
    Paperize screenshot 2
    Paperize screenshot 3

    Paperize Features

    1.  Wallpaper Cycling
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Live Wallpapers
    4.  Material design

    Paperize VS Live Desktop

     
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Stardock DeskScapes icon
    Stardock DeskScapes

    Bring your wallpaper to life with DeskScapes! DeskScapes is a program that allows users to have animated wallpaper on their Windows desktop. It supports playing video as animated wallpaper, dynamically generated content as animat...

    https://www.stardock.com
    Learn More
  6. Sucrose Wallpaper Engine icon

    Sucrose Wallpaper Engine

     15 likes
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    Sucrose is a versatile wallpaper engine that brings a wide range of interactive wallpapers to life on your desktop. With light and dark theme options, you can choose the appearance that suits your personal preferences.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • TR flagTürkiye

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Sucrose Wallpaper Engine screenshot 1

    Sucrose Wallpaper Engine Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers
    2.  Wallpaper Cycling
    3.  Video Wallpaper
    4.  Ad-free

    Sucrose Wallpaper Engine VS Live Desktop

     
  7. WinDynamicDesktop icon

    WinDynamicDesktop

     15 likes
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    This app ports the Dynamic Desktop feature from macOS Mojave to Windows 10. It uses your location to get the times of sunrise and sunset each day, and rotates through the 16 Mojave wallpaper images throughout the day and night.

    26 WinDynamicDesktop alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    WinDynamicDesktop screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Portable
    4.  Wallpaper Cycling
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Support for Multiple Monitors

    WinDynamicDesktop VS Live Desktop

     
  8. ScreenPlay icon

    ScreenPlay

     31 likes
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    ScreenPlay is an Open Source cross-platform app for displaying Video Wallpaper & Widgets. It is written in modern C++20/Qt6/QML. It currently supports Windows and macOS (x64 and arm).

    39 ScreenPlay alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Steam
    • Linux
    ScreenPlay screenshot 1

    ScreenPlay Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers
    2.  Video Wallpaper
    3.  Widgets
    4.  Steam Workshop
    5.  Portable
    6.  Visualize Music
    7.  Wallpaper Cycling

    ScreenPlay VS Live Desktop

     

    • ScreenPlay is the most popular Mac & Linux alternative to Live Desktop.

    • ScreenPlay is Free and Open SourceLive Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
  10. Wallper icon

    Wallper

     2 likes
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    Discover a new era of desktop aesthetics. Wallper delivers high-quality live wallpapers with seamless integration.

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CZ flagCzechia
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Wallper screenshot 1

    Wallper Features

    1.  No registration required
    2.  Live Wallpapers
    3.  Video Wallpaper
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Wallpaper Cycling
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Ad-free

    Wallper VS Live Desktop

     
  11. Stardock DeskScapes icon

    Stardock DeskScapes

     3 likes
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    Bring your wallpaper to life with DeskScapes! DeskScapes is a program that allows users to have animated wallpaper on their Windows desktop. It supports playing video as animated wallpaper, dynamically generated content as animated wallpaper, and more.

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Stardock DeskScapes screenshot 1

    Stardock DeskScapes Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers

    Stardock DeskScapes VS Live Desktop

     
  12. Wave Lines Live Wallpaper icon

    Wave Lines Live Wallpaper

     5 likes
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    A simple, unobstrusive live wallpaper showing slowly moving wave lines. You can choose a color theme, build your own, change if the lines should grow and shrink or if they should have a uniform width. The lines may swing in harmony or each line independently.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Wave Lines Live Wallpaper screenshot 1
    Wave Lines Live Wallpaper screenshot 2
    Wave Lines Live Wallpaper screenshot 3

    Wave Lines Live Wallpaper VS Live Desktop

     
  13. RainWallpaper icon

    RainWallpaper

     5 likes
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    RainWallpaper is a powerful live wallpaper engine that allows you to use various types of customizable animated wallpapers on your Windows desktop.

    License model

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    RainWallpaper screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Video Wallpaper
    2.  Live Wallpapers

    RainWallpaper VS Live Desktop

     
  14. xlivebg icon

    xlivebg

     1 like
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    xlivebg is a live wallpaper framework, and collection of live wallpapers, for the X window system. xlivebg is independent of window managers and desktop environments, and should work with any of them, or even with no window manager at all.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Country of Origin

    • GR flagGreece
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux

    xlivebg Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers
    2.  Debian package compatible
    3.  OPENGL

    xlivebg VS Live Desktop

     
  15. Video Wallpaper Creator icon

    Video Wallpaper Creator

     1 like
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    Create video wallpaper for your desktop - Impress your customers and friends with a video wallpaper - Make desktop exciting with video wallpaper.

    License model

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • GR flagGreece
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Video Wallpaper Creator screenshot 1

    Video Wallpaper Creator Features

    1.  Live Wallpapers
    2.  Video Wallpaper

    Video Wallpaper Creator VS Live Desktop

     
12 of 28 Live Desktop alternatives