Noctalia vs Waybar
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A configurable Wayland desktop shell with bar, launcher, notifications, wallpaper and lock screen.
Open source · MIT
A customizable status bar for Wayland desktops like Sway and Hyprland.
The short answer
Choose Noctalia if you need…
- Linux users running a Wayland compositor such as Niri, Hyprland or Sway who want a complete shell
- People who want one configuration format and a consistent look across bar, launcher and notifications
- Users who like customizing their desktop with TOML config, themes and hot reload
- Tinkerers who are comfortable editing config files and reading documentation
Choose Waybar if you need…
- Sway or Hyprland users who want a configurable status bar
- People comfortable editing JSON and CSS-style config files
- Users who want modules for battery, network, audio, or media on a Wayland setup
- Tiling window manager users on wlroots-based compositors
Side-by-side
| Noctalia | Waybar | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 11.8k | 12.1k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | C++ | C++ |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 8 days ago |
What each one is
Noctalia
Noctalia is a desktop shell for Linux that runs on Wayland and supplies the visual layer around a window manager or compositor. It bundles a bar, app launcher, control center, notifications, wallpaper picker, lock screen and session actions into one configurable program, instead of requiring separate tools for each. People use it to get a consistent, customizable desktop without assembling many small components.
Waybar
Waybar is a top bar for Linux desktops that use Wayland, the newer display system that replaces X11. It shows workspaces, the clock, battery, network, audio, and many other status items, and you control what appears and how it looks through config and style files. It is aimed at people who run tiling window managers such as Sway and want a bar they can fully customize.
Best for
Noctalia
- Linux users running a Wayland compositor such as Niri, Hyprland or Sway who want a complete shell
- People who want one configuration format and a consistent look across bar, launcher and notifications
- Users who like customizing their desktop with TOML config, themes and hot reload
- Tinkerers who are comfortable editing config files and reading documentation
Waybar
- Sway or Hyprland users who want a configurable status bar
- People comfortable editing JSON and CSS-style config files
- Users who want modules for battery, network, audio, or media on a Wayland setup
- Tiling window manager users on wlroots-based compositors
Strengths
Noctalia
- Covers many desktop surfaces in one cohesive program, per the README
- Built on Wayland and OpenGL ES with no Qt or GTK dependency
- Configurable through TOML with hot reload and an example config provided
Waybar
- Supports many compositors, including Sway, River, Hyprland, and Niri, per the README table
- Large library of modules documented on the project wiki
- Released under the MIT license, which permits free use and modification
Not ideal for
Noctalia
- Users on X11 or who do not run a Wayland compositor, since the README describes it as built directly on Wayland
- People wanting a full desktop environment; the README says it is a shell, not a DE, and window management is left to the compositor
- Anyone who wants a turnkey setup with no configuration, since the project centers on customization
Waybar
- Users on X11, since the README describes it as a Wayland bar
- Users who want a bar that works without editing config files, since it expects manual setup
- Users on GNOME or KDE desktops, since it is built for Sway and wlroots-based compositors
Trade-offs
Noctalia
- Depends on compositor support; the README notes reduced integration on compositors that lack needed protocols
- Requires a Wayland compositor, so it is not a drop-in for every Linux setup
- README is truncated here, so detailed build dependencies must be checked in BUILDING.md
Waybar
- Setup requires editing config and style files, and the README points to a wiki for details
- Many optional modules need extra libraries, so the dependency list is long
- The latest release is 0.15.0 and the README notes no binaries are provided, so you typically build or install from a distribution package
Getting started
Noctalia
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/noctalia-dev/noctaliaWaybar
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Alexays/WaybarEnter the project folder
cd WaybarFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Noctalia and Waybar?
Noctalia: A configurable Wayland desktop shell with bar, launcher, notifications, wallpaper and lock screen. Waybar: A customizable status bar for Wayland desktops like Sway and Hyprland. Noctalia suits linux users running a wayland compositor such as niri, hyprland or sway who want a complete shell, while Waybar suits sway or hyprland users who want a configurable status bar.
Are Noctalia and Waybar free?
Noctalia: Free and open source. Waybar: Free and open source.
Is Noctalia or Waybar more popular?
Waybar has more GitHub stars (12.1k) than Noctalia (11.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Noctalia and Waybar?
Other options people compare them with include eww, Polybar, sway.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.