Cairo-Dock vs Plank

Struggling to choose between Cairo-Dock and Plank? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Cairo-Dock is a Os & Utilities solution with tags like dock, launcher, desktop-interface, applets, plugins, themes.

It boasts features such as Desktop interface that functions as a dock, taskbar and file manager, Highly customizable interface with different themes and styles, Applets and plugins allow extending functionality, Integrates with desktop notifications and system trays, Supports multi-monitor setups, Keyboard shortcuts for opening apps and accessing menus, Can be set as default dock replacement for GNOME based desktops and pros including Free and open source, Very lightweight and fast, Extremely customizable, Many themes and styles available, Active development and user community.

On the other hand, Plank is a Os & Utilities product tagged with dock, launcher, app-switcher.

Its standout features include Dock for launching apps, Clean and minimal interface, Keyboard shortcuts for opening apps, Support for multiple docks, App indicators, Auto-hide mode, Theming support, Plugin architecture, and it shines with pros like Lightweight and fast, Highly customizable, Space efficient, Easy to use, Open source.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Cairo-Dock

Cairo-Dock

Cairo-Dock is a free and open-source desktop interface that functions as a dock, taskbar and file manager. It has a clean, customizable interface with applets, plugins and themes that allow flexibility in set up.

Categories:
dock launcher desktop-interface applets plugins themes

Cairo-Dock Features

  1. Desktop interface that functions as a dock, taskbar and file manager
  2. Highly customizable interface with different themes and styles
  3. Applets and plugins allow extending functionality
  4. Integrates with desktop notifications and system trays
  5. Supports multi-monitor setups
  6. Keyboard shortcuts for opening apps and accessing menus
  7. Can be set as default dock replacement for GNOME based desktops

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Very lightweight and fast

Extremely customizable

Many themes and styles available

Active development and user community

Cons

Less intuitive than desktop docks in Windows/MacOS

Limited selection of applets compared to other docks

Configuration can be complex for new users

Not designed for touchscreens


Plank

Plank

Plank is a simple dock application for Linux that provides fast access to running apps. It has a clean interface and takes up little screen space while still allowing easy launching and switching between apps.

Categories:
dock launcher app-switcher

Plank Features

  1. Dock for launching apps
  2. Clean and minimal interface
  3. Keyboard shortcuts for opening apps
  4. Support for multiple docks
  5. App indicators
  6. Auto-hide mode
  7. Theming support
  8. Plugin architecture

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight and fast

Highly customizable

Space efficient

Easy to use

Open source

Cons

Limited features compared to more full-featured docks

Less intuitive than docks like Docky

Fewer plugins than some alternatives