Sway

Free plan Linux

What Sway is

Sway is a free Linux tiling Wayland compositor and a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager for X11. It places application windows in a grid by default and lets you control them with the keyboard. Existing i3 configurations work with Sway, which supports most i3 features and adds others. Application rules and virtual desktop controls are included. You can install Sway through packages in many Linux distributions or compile it from source with Meson and Ninja. Source builds require wlroots, Wayland, PCRE2, json-c, Pango, Cairo, and other dependencies; swaybg and gdk-pixbuf2 are optional components. Sway can start from a TTY or display manager and is documented in manpages, including its configuration manual. The project points users to its FAQ and the #sway IRC channel on Libera.Chat. Releases are published on GitHub and signed with key E88F5E48. Sway is MIT licensed. Version 1.12 added individual-window capture and HDR10 support with the Vulkan renderer. The project also maintains wlroots as a modular basis for Wayland compositors.

Who it suits

Sway suits Linux users who want keyboard-driven tiling under Wayland, especially those with existing i3 configurations. It also suits users comfortable installing packages or building from source.

What it does well

Drop-in replacement for i3 on X11
Works with existing i3 configurations
Keyboard window control
Includes application rules and virtual desktop controls
Available through many Linux distributions

What to know first

Source builds require several dependencies
Optional components require separate packages
Linux platform only

Verdict

Sway offers i3-compatible, keyboard-focused tiling on Wayland with configurable rules and virtual desktops. Linux packages simplify installation, while source compilation requires the listed build stack.

Facts from Sway's own pages

Dependencies: Building from source requires wlroots, Wayland, pcre2, json-c, pango, and cairo, among other dependencies. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Documentation: Sway is documented through manpages, including the sway configuration manual. · swaywm.org, 11 Oct 2026
i3 compatibility: Sway works with existing i3 configurations and supports most i3 features, plus extras. · swaywm.org, 11 Oct 2026
Installation: Sway is available as a package in many Linux distributions and can also be compiled from source. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
License: The Sway repository lists the MIT license. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Optional components: The README lists swaybg for wallpaper and gdk-pixbuf2 for additional system tray image formats as optional dependencies. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Product: Sway is a tiling Wayland compositor and a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager for X11. · swaywm.org, 11 Oct 2026
Recent feature: Sway 1.12 added support for capturing individual windows and HDR10 when using the Vulkan renderer. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Related project: The Sway site says the project also maintains wlroots as a modular basis for Sway and other Wayland compositors. · swaywm.org, 11 Oct 2026
Release security: The project says its releases are signed with key E88F5E48 and published on GitHub. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Release signing: Sway releases are signed with key E88F5E48 and published on GitHub. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Source build: Building from source uses Meson and Ninja and depends on wlroots, Wayland, PCRE2, json-c, Pango, and Cairo. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Startup: Sway can be run from a TTY or from a display manager. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Support: The project README directs users to the #sway IRC channel on Libera Chat. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
What it is: Sway is a tiling Wayland compositor and a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager for X11. · swaywm.org, 10 Oct 2026
Window layout: It arranges application windows in a grid by default and lets users manipulate them using the keyboard. · swaywm.org, 10 Oct 2026
Window management: It arranges application windows logically in a grid by default, and windows can be manipulated using the keyboard. · swaywm.org, 11 Oct 2026

Where Sway stands on Freedom251

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