Fences AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Desktop Customization Tools

The best Desktop Customization alternative to Fences is Portals: Desktop Organization, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Fences and 15 are Desktop Customization Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Desktop Customization Tool alternatives to Fences are Nimi Places, iTop Easy Desktop, Sideslide and Desktop Fences+.

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Fences alternatives are mainly Desktop Customization Tools, but if you're looking for Application Launchers or File Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows + Free, Mac, Linux, Free, Desktop Customization and Windows. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Fences.
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Alternatives list

  1. Portals: Desktop Organization icon

    Portals: Desktop Organization

     69 likes

    Create containers (aka Portals) on your desktop which show the contents of a specified folder. Divide your desktop into folders then use Portals to display the contents of the folders in an organized fashion - you can even hide the folders away somewhere else.

    19 Portals: Desktop Organization alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Portals: Desktop Organization screenshot 1
     
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    2
    13
    Comments about Portals: Desktop Organization as an Alternative to Fences
    Ross Patterson
    Positive
    0

    It looks like windows native.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Free and beautiful. A must have.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Portals: Desktop Organization icon
    Portals: Desktop Organization icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Portals: Desktop Organization is a great Fences alternative.

    • Portals: Desktop Organization is Free and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • Portals: Desktop Organization is Lightweight and CustomizableFences is not according to our users
  2. Nimi Places icon

    Nimi Places

     55 likes

    Organizes desktop into customizable containers showing folder contents as icons/thumbnails on a scrollable surface. Has lots of management features: e.g. labelling; sort by category; time & location based settings. Thumbnails are displayed for supported Open Documents, PSD images & PDFs.

    24 Nimi Places alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Nimi Places screenshot 1
     
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    7
    79
    Comments about Nimi Places as an Alternative to Fences
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    3

    Free, and it works almost the same. Just has a little more setup than Fences does.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    6

    This performs ONE of Fences' secondary functions: displaying the contents of directories OTHER THAN the Desktop as virtual containers on the Desktop. IT IS NOT for organizing Desktop icons/files or setting up automatic rules for categorization of new Desktop icons/files.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -2

    Nimi Places is not an exact replica of Fences, but(!) it will give you the look and feel. Instead of everything being on your desktop, it links it a folder. I am just going to change my behavior a tad and just know that my files, when placed in the fence, are not stored on the actual desktop. I still have easy access to move the files between the desktop to fence and vice versa, which is most important to me.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 7 comments
    Nimi Places icon
    Nimi Places icon

    • Some users think Nimi Places is a great Fences alternative, some don't.

    • Nimi Places is Free Personal and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • Nimi Places is LightweightFences is not according to our users
  4. iTop Easy Desktop icon

    iTop Easy Desktop

     15 likes

    Automates desktop organization for Windows by grouping files, apps, and folders into customizable boxes, supporting appearance adjustments, instant hotkey access, multi-page desktops, double-click hiding, Folder Portal, and fast search functionality.

    27 iTop Easy Desktop alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    iTop Easy Desktop screenshot 1
     
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    4
    6
    Comments about iTop Easy Desktop as an Alternative to Fences
    bitoolean
    Positive
    0

    It automatically manages new icons added to the desktop by installers repetitively every time that software gets updated by remembering which container they are assigned to and thus avoiding having to manage duplicates manually.

    phantasmrevolutionary
    Positive
    1

    CoodeDesker, StarDock Fences and iTop Easy Desktop are the only softwares for desktop (professional-looking specifically) organization via containers that are worth trying. iTop Easy Desktop might be the worst of those 3, but it's the one that has a free option.

    heartily
    Positive
    0

    Best free alternative to Fences.

    3 of 4 comments
    iTop Easy Desktop icon
    iTop Easy Desktop icon

    • Most users think iTop Easy Desktop is a great Fences alternative.

    • iTop Easy Desktop is Freemium and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • iTop Easy Desktop is CustomizableFences is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    iTop Easy Desktop icon
    iTop Easy Desktop

    Automates desktop organization for Windows by grouping files, apps, and folders into customizable boxes, supporting appearance adjustments, instant hotkey access, multi-page desktops, double-click hiding, Folder Portal, and fast ...

    https://www.itopvpn.com
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  6. Sideslide icon

    Sideslide

     17 likes

    SideSlide is an advanced, portable, unobtrusive, dockable, skinnable, instantly accessible, highly configurable Desktop Extension on Steroids! Clean desktop clutter and make your computer friendlier and faster than ever before.

    24 Sideslide alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Sideslide screenshot 1
     
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    4
    11
    Comments about Sideslide as an Alternative to Fences
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Very full featured program with a steep learning curve, but it's worth it.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Because it's not similar and easy to use like Fences that is a very intuitive application

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's a very comprehensive program with lots of features that can change the way you work with Windows.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    Sideslide icon
    Sideslide icon

    • Some users think Sideslide is a great Fences alternative, some don't.

    • Sideslide is Free and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
  7. Desktop Fences+ icon

    Desktop Fences+

     10 likes

    Organizes desktop icons into virtual fences with customizable design options, enhanced visual effects, and right-click interactions. Works on Windows, portable via USB, lightweight, supports multiple monitors, runs offline, and requires no registration for core features.

    15 Desktop Fences+ alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Desktop Fences+ screenshot 1
     
  10. DeskSweep icon

    DeskSweep

     3 likes

    Boost your productivity by eliminating clutter—DeskSweep automatically organizes your desktop by moving files to a designated folder, ensuring a clean and distraction-free workspace.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    DeskSweep screenshot 1
     
  11. Coodesker icon

    Coodesker

     3 likes

    Automatically organize your desktop shortcuts icons and running tasks.

    17 Coodesker alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Coodesker screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Comments about Coodesker as an Alternative to Fences
    phantasmrevolutionary
    Positive
    0

    by far the best alternative to Stardock Fences, better even than Stardock Fences itself.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Very easy to use and customize, it's lightweight, cheap, available on Steam or their website for a one time purchase, and pretty much does everything Fences does but better.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Coodesker icon
    Coodesker icon
    • Coodesker is Paid and ProprietaryFences is also Paid and Proprietary
    • Coodesker is LightweightFences is not according to our users
  13. Aicono icon

    Aicono

     1 like

    Say goodbye to desktop chaos – Aicono uses cutting-edge AI to automatically group and arrange your icons!

    15 Aicono alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Aicono screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Aicono as an Alternative to Fences
    Tetramatrix
    Positive
    1

    I like Aicono because it runs locally, is completely free, and uses the latest AI to automatically group and arrange icons. It’s highly customizable, offers a manual fallback, lets you fine-tune the layout with a real-time WYSIWYG interface, and integrates smoothly with local Llama, Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible local server.

    Aicono icon
    Aicono icon
    • Aicono is Free and ProprietaryFences is Paid and Proprietary
    • Aicono is LightweightFences is not according to our users
  14. ToolBox icon

    ToolBox

     7 likes

    ToolBox is an application launcher for Windows operating systems with many amazing features. Easy to install, you can get going in minutes. Its drag & drop interface creates shortcuts to almost anything; applications, drives, folders, even simple files.

    15 ToolBox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Organized Desktop
     
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    13
12 of 15 Fences alternatives