Top 15 CDE (Common Desktop Environment) Alternative and Similar Softwares | Nov 2024

The Common Desktop Environment was created by a collaboration of Sun, HP, IBM, DEC, SCO, Fujitsu and Hitachi. Used on a selection of commercial UNIXs, it is now available as open-source software for the first time.

1. KDE

KDE KDE is an international technology team that creates Free Software for desktop and portable computing. Among KDEs products are a modern desktop system for Linux and UNIX platforms, comprehensive office productivity and groupware suites and hundreds of software titles in many categories including Internet and web applications, multimedia, entertainment, educational,......

2. Emerge Desktop

Emerge Desktop Emerge Desktop is a replacement Windows "shell" (the desktop environment normally provided by Windows Explorer) for Windows 2000 and above. In order to replace Windows Explorer as a shell, it provides a system tray (the area that collects the icons collected at the lower right corner in Explorer), called emergeTray.......

3. DeskSpace

DeskSpace DeskSpace is a 3D desktop visualisation tool, allowing you to seamlessly switch between 9 desktops. DeskSpace gives you more space for your windows and icons. You can eliminate desktop clutter by arranging your windows and icons across up to six desktops, all easily reachable by navigating a desktop cube.It gives......

4. SphereXP

SphereXP The SphereXP is a 3D desktop replacement for Microsoft Windows. Taking the known concept of three-dimensional desktops to its own level. It offers a new way to organize objects on the desktop such as icons and applications. It has been tried out by millions worldwide.......

5. MATE

MATE MATE is a fork of GNOME 2. It provides an intuitive and attractive desktop environment using traditional metaphors for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.MATE is under active development to add support for new technologies while preserving a traditional desktop experience.......

6. GNOME

GNOME The GNOME project provides two things: The GNOME desktop environment, an intuitive and attractive desktop for users, and the GNOME development platform, an extensive framework for building applications that integrate into the rest of the desktop.......

7. Emcee

Emcee Emcee gives you a better way: one customizable keystroke or hot-corner gesture, or a tap on an icon brings up live thumbnail views of all your apps, both desktop and Windows Store, in one convenient, easy to manage view.Emcee is a simple "expose" like tool with some of the features......

8. Sawfish

Sawfish Sawfish is an extensible window manager using a Lisp-based scripting language. Its policy is very minimal compared to most window managers. Its aim is simply to manage windows in the most flexible and attractive manner possible. All high-level WM functions are implemented in Lisp for future extensibility or redefinition.FEATURES: Powerful......

9. dwm

dwm dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.In tiled layout windows are managed in a master and stacking area. The master......

10. LXQt

LXQt LXQt is the Qt port and the upcoming version of LXDE , the Lightweight Desktop Environment. It is the product of the merge between the LXDE-Qt and the Razor-qt projects: A lightweight, modular, blazing-fast and user-friendly desktop environment.......

11. Cairo Shell

Cairo Shell Cairo Shell is a replacement shell for the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Like other shell alternatives, it replaces the default Windows Shell. Cairo Shell will be free to download and use when it is released.......

12. Phoenix

Phoenix Phoenix is a lightweight OS X window and app manager scriptable with JavaScript. You can also easily use languages which compile to JavaScript such as CoffeeScript. Phoenix aims for efficiency and a very small footprint. If you like the idea of scripting your own window or app management toolkit with......

13. Xfce

Xfce Xfce (pronounced as four individual letters) is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris and BSD. It aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and easy to use. Among its main features are its customizable panels on which......

14. Lumina Desktop Environment

Lumina Desktop Environment Lumina is a lightweight, BSD licensed, standards-compliant desktop environment based upon Qt and Fluxbox. It is being developed on PC-BSD, and is being packaged for distribution on the PC-BSD package repository as well......

15. Budgie

Budgie Budgie is the flagship desktop of the Solus Operating System and is part of the Solus Project. Designed with the modern user in mind, it focuses on simplicity and elegance. Written from scratch with integration in mind, the Budgie desktop tightly integrates with the GNOME stack, employing underlying technologies to......