Best Open-Source Wallpaper Software 2026: 6 Options Compared
Best open-source Wallpaper Software compared: Lively Wallpaper, Hidamari, Variety, Waypaper and 2 more, with licenses, platforms and prices from official pages checked October 24, 2026.
•3 min read•Photo Editing & AI Images
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lively Wallpaper | Free (Fully open source and free, no features behind a paywall) | Windows | Animated wallpapers on Windows | Docs only |
| Hidamari | Free (Free and open source) | Linux | Video backgrounds on Linux | Docs only |
| Variety | Free (Free open-source wallpaper changer and downloader) | Linux | Rotating still images | Docs only |
| Waypaper | Free (Free open-source GUI wallpaper setter for Wayland and X11) | Linux | Tiling window managers | Docs only |
| HydraPaper | Free (Free open-source multi-monitor wallpaper manager for GNOME) | Linux | Multi-monitor GNOME desktops | Docs only |
| Rainmeter | Free (Free of charge since 2001) | Windows | Widgets and system meters | Docs only |
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Good fit if
- You use Windows and want animation (Lively Wallpaper is the pick)
- You use Linux with many monitors (HydraPaper is the pick)
- You run a Wayland compositor (Waypaper is the pick)
- You want a new photo each day on Linux (Variety is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You cannot host, patch and back up a server yourself and want a vendor to run it
Open-source wallpaper software changes, rotates or animates your desktop background, and your choice depends mostly on the system you run. Lively Wallpaper (GPL-3.0) is the Windows option for GIF, video and web wallpapers, and says nothing sits behind a paywall. Hidamari (GPL-3.0) plays video wallpapers on Linux. Variety (GPL-3.0) rotates still images and can download new ones on a timer. Waypaper offers a graphical picker for Wayland and X11 setups, and HydraPaper manages different images across several monitors in GNOME. Rainmeter (GPL v2) is not a wallpaper manager but a skin engine for widgets and system meters that many people combine with a custom background. Expect small projects with part-time maintainers. Linux tools depend on your desktop environment, so a tool built for GNOME may do nothing on KDE or a tiling window manager. Animated wallpapers also cost graphics memory and battery, and the better tools pause when a window covers the screen. Check the last release date on each repository, because a stalled project can break on the next desktop update.
Lively Wallpaper
GPL-3.0 and fully free: GIF, video and web wallpapers on Windows 10 1809 and later. The Windows pick of this list.
Price: Free (Fully open source and free, no features behind a paywall) (Lively Wallpaper pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).
Project activity: 19.9k GitHub stars · latest release v2.2.1.0 (Sep 18, 2025) · last commit Sep 30, 2026
Best for: Animated wallpapers on Windows.
Hidamari
GPL-3.0 video-wallpaper player for Linux desktops that loops a clip behind your windows. Linux only, so Windows users need Lively.
Price: Free (Free and open source) (Hidamari pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).
Project activity: 2.1k GitHub stars · latest release v3.7 (Jul 9, 2026) · last commit Jul 9, 2026
Best for: Video backgrounds on Linux.
Variety
GPL-3.0 wallpaper changer and downloader for Linux, rotating images from local folders and online sources.
Price: Free (Free open-source wallpaper changer and downloader) (Variety pricing, checked 2026-10-24).
Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).
Project activity: 1.7k GitHub stars · latest release 0.9.2 (Oct 20, 2026) · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Best for: Rotating still images.
Worth knowing: License verified from the repository LICENSE/COPYING file on GitHub on 2026-10-24; platforms listed from project knowledge, not re-verified on the project site.
Waypaper
GPL-3.0 graphical wallpaper setter for Wayland and X11 desktops, a front end for common wallpaper daemons.
Price: Free (Free open-source GUI wallpaper setter for Wayland and X11) (Waypaper pricing, checked 2026-10-24).
Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).
Project activity: 1.1k GitHub stars · latest release 2.9 (Aug 30, 2026) · last commit Oct 25, 2026
Best for: Tiling window managers.
Worth knowing: License verified from the repository LICENSE/COPYING file on GitHub on 2026-10-24; platforms listed from project knowledge, not re-verified on the project site.
HydraPaper
GPL-3.0 GNOME app for giving each monitor its own wallpaper, with a simple picker. It targets GNOME, not other desktops.
Price: Free (Free open-source multi-monitor wallpaper manager for GNOME) (HydraPaper pricing, checked 2026-10-24).
Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).
Project activity: 181 GitHub stars · latest release 1.2 (Feb 14, 2018) · No commits since Jun 2, 2020
Best for: Multi-monitor GNOME desktops.
Worth knowing: License verified from the repository LICENSE/COPYING file on GitHub on 2026-10-24; platforms listed from project knowledge, not re-verified on the project site.
Rainmeter
GPL v2 skin engine for desktop widgets on Windows rather than a wallpaper library; pairs with the background of your choice.
Price: Free (Free of charge since 2001) (Rainmeter pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. GPL v2 (open source) (license source).
Project activity: 6.1k GitHub stars · latest release v4.5.28.3936 (Oct 12, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026
Best for: Widgets and system meters.
Which one to pick
- You use Windows and want animation: Lively Wallpaper
- You use Linux with many monitors: HydraPaper
- You run a Wayland compositor: Waypaper
- You want a new photo each day on Linux: Variety
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Lively Wallpaper, Hidamari, Variety, Waypaper, HydraPaper, Rainmeter: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you commit.
Related guides
Sources
Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing, license and product pages checked between 2026-10-23 and 2026-10-24: Lively Wallpaper, Hidamari, Variety, Waypaper, HydraPaper, Rainmeter. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.