No. 13 of 39 ·Start Menu Customization Software

ViStart

Windows

Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.3

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely1 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

ViStart is ranked #13 of 39 in start menu customization software on Freedom251. It runs on Windows. There is a free plan.

ViStart plans and pricing

All plans

ViStart Free Free · no sign-up · no bundled extras lee-soft.com · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on start menu customization software

Free plan: Yes
Supported Windows: both
Start button controls: Yes
Custom search: Yes

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The record

Purpose: ViStart replaces the Windows Start menu with a configurable Windows 7-style menu.
Supported Windows versions: The maker says ViStart works on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11.
Search and navigation: It lets users pin programs, search files, and browse all apps.
Skins: Thirteen skins ship with ViStart, and users can install community skins or write their own.
Start button: ViStart supports a custom start button, called the orb, with default options included.
Indexed search: Its file and program search builds an index instead of scanning the disk on every keystroke.
Configuration: A control panel exposes ViStart settings without requiring registry edits.
Translations: The maker lists native UI translations in English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Russian, Korean, Chinese, and Dutch.
Windows 11 apps: The August 2026 release notes say Microsoft Store apps appear in All Programs and search with their real icons.
Other recent fixes: The August 2026 release notes describe restored jumplists and right-click file behavior on Windows 10 and 11, plus improved placement on scaled displays.
Privacy: The maker says ViStart does not phone home and has no account, license check, or analytics.
Support: The maker points users to Discord for help, bug reports, and feature ideas, and says replies may not be fast.
Source availability: The maker links the ViStart VB6 codebase on GitHub and says the .NET port is actively developed with community contributions.
Founded: 2007
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Start Menu Customization Software in 2026#13 of 39

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Sources

lee-soft.com/vistart/· checked 3 Oct 2026
lee-soft.com/vistart-store-apps-update/· checked 3 Oct 2026
lee-soft.com/privacy-policy/· checked 3 Oct 2026
lee-soft.com· checked 3 Oct 2026