List of alternative shells for Windows

This is a list of software that provides an alternative graphical user interface for Microsoft Windows operating systems. The technical term for this interface is a shell. Windows' standard user interface is called Windows shell; Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1x have a different shell, called Program Manager. The programs in this list do not restyle the Windows shell, but replace it; therefore, they look and function differently, and have different configuration options.

Shell Software license Windows versions Development status
3.1x 9x 2000 XP Vista 7 8 10
bbZero GPL No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Discontinued
AltShell Freeware No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Evaluation beta[1]
BumpTop Apache License No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Discontinued
Calmira GPL Yes No No No No No No No Discontinued
Emerge Desktop GPL No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Discontinued
KDE Plasma Workspaces GPL No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Stalled
LDE(X) GPL No No Yes Yes No No No No Discontinued
LiteStep GPL No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Stalled
Packard Bell Navigator Proprietary Yes Yes No No No No No No Discontinued
Pokki Freeware No No No Yes No Yes Yes No Active
ReactOS Explorer GPL No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Active[2][3][4]
SharpEnviro GPL No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Discontinued
TabWorks Proprietary Yes No No No No No No No Discontinued
Talisman Desktop Trialware No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Stalled[5][6]
Winstep Extreme Trialware No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Active[7]
Aston Shell 2 Trialware No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Stalled[8]

See also

References

  1. "AltShell". Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  2. "ReactOS Explorer". ReactOS Project. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  3. "ReactOS Explorer source code". ReactOS Project. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  4. Fuchs, Martin. "ReactOS Explorer (original author, details)". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  5. "Talisman Desktop". LightTek Software. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  6. "Talisman Desktop News, no updates since Aug 15, 2011". LightTek Software. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  7. "WinStep". Winstep. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  8. "Aston 2, No updates since 12 Aug. 2010". Gladiators Software. Retrieved 15 July 2016.

External links

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