Polybar vs Waybar

Struggling to choose between Polybar and Waybar? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Polybar is a Os & Utilities solution with tags like status-bar, desktop-environment, customizable, linux, unix.

It boasts features such as Modular text-based status bar, Customizable modules/components, Supports multiple fonts and icons, Easy configuration with text files, Support for i3wm, dwm and more WMs, Custom scripting support and pros including Lightweight and fast, Very customizable and extensible, Good documentation, Active development and community support.

On the other hand, Waybar is a Os & Utilities product tagged with wayland, bar, customizable, lightweight, system, monitoring, time, battery, network, audio, volume.

Its standout features include Highly customizable and themeable, Supports displaying system information like time, battery, network, audio volume, etc, Modular and extensible via plugins, Lightweight and resource efficient, Integrates natively with Wayland, and it shines with pros like Very flexible and customizable appearance, Low resource usage and lightweight, Active development and community support, Seamless integration with Wayland.

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.

Polybar

Polybar

Polybar is a fast and easy-to-use status bar for Linux and Unix-like operating systems. It aims to help users build beautiful and highly customizable status bars for their desktop environment.

Categories:
status-bar desktop-environment customizable linux unix

Polybar Features

  1. Modular text-based status bar
  2. Customizable modules/components
  3. Supports multiple fonts and icons
  4. Easy configuration with text files
  5. Support for i3wm, dwm and more WMs
  6. Custom scripting support

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight and fast

Very customizable and extensible

Good documentation

Active development and community support

Cons

Setup can be complex for beginners

Limited built-in modules

Requires some configuration to get started


Waybar

Waybar

Waybar is a highly customizable and lightweight bar for the Wayland display server. It supports displaying information like the time, battery level, network connectivity, audio volume, and more. Waybar is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Wayland ecosystem.

Categories:
wayland bar customizable lightweight system monitoring time battery network audio volume

Waybar Features

  1. Highly customizable and themeable
  2. Supports displaying system information like time, battery, network, audio volume, etc
  3. Modular and extensible via plugins
  4. Lightweight and resource efficient
  5. Integrates natively with Wayland

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Very flexible and customizable appearance

Low resource usage and lightweight

Active development and community support

Seamless integration with Wayland

Cons

Limited compatibility outside of Wayland

Less features than some desktop bar alternatives

Configuration can be complex for beginners