Wayland AlternativesWindow Managers and other similar apps like Wayland

Wayland is described as 'Project to define a protocol for a compositor to talk to its clients as well as a library implementation of the protocol' and is a Window Manager in the os & utilities category. There are six alternatives to Wayland for Linux, BSD and Mac. The best Wayland alternative is Compiz, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Wayland are X11, XQuartz, XLibre and Mir.

filter to find the best alternatives

Wayland alternatives are mainly Window Managers, but if you're looking for Desktop Environments you can filter on that. 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 Wayland.
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Alternatives list

  1. Compiz icon

    Compiz

     161 likes

    Compiz is a compositing manager adding fancy effects to your windows, from drop shadows to awesome desktop effects like the Desktop Cube or the Expo view.

    32 Compiz alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Compiz screenshot 1
     
  2. X11 icon

    X11

     18 likes

    The X.Org project provides an open source implementation of the X Window System. The development work is being done in conjunction with the freedesktop.org community. The X.Org Foundation is the educational non-profit corporation whose Board serves this effort, and whose Members...

    6 X11 alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    X11 screenshot 1
     
  4. XQuartz icon

    XQuartz

     15 likes

    This provides a windowing system for some applications that normally run on Linux, as well as for forwarding GUI from the server to your client computer.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    XQuartz screenshot 1
     
  5. XLibre icon

    XLibre

     1 like

    The XLibre contributors strive to cleanup and strengthen the existing code base while maintaining backward compatibility to make X11 a viable choice for the future. Another goal is to actively enhance the functionality of the Xserver and its drivers.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    XLibre running on FreeBSD.
     
  6. M

    Mir

     1 like

    The purpose of Mir is to enable the development of user interfaces shells. In the case of Ubuntu, Mir will be utilized by next generation Unity. In addition, Mir will be developed in a manner that will retain its flexibility and usability in order that shells other than Unity...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  7. P

    Phoenix X server

     1 like

    Phoenix is a new X server, written from scratch in Zig (not a fork of Xorg server). This X server is designed to be a modern alternative to the Xorg server.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
6 of 6 Wayland alternatives