Fences vs Microsoft PowerToys

Fences, made by Stardock, brings order to cluttered Windows desktops by letting users draw shaded regions called 'fences' around groups of icons, files, and folders. Icons can be auto-sorted by type, name, date, or location, and entire groups can be hidden with a single double-click on the desktop.

Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of free, open-source utilities that extend Windows with productivity tools such as window layout management, a quick launcher, bulk file renaming, keyboard remapping, and a system-wide color picker. It is built and maintained by Microsoft with an active open-source community on GitHub.

• Meaningfully reduces desktop clutter without deleting or moving files
• One-time purchase option avoids a forced subscription
• Deep customization of colors, transparency, and sorting rules
• Long track record and active Stardock support

• Completely free and open source
• Actively maintained with frequent Microsoft-backed releases
• Wide range of independent utilities you can enable individually
• Backed by an active GitHub community for bug reports and features

• Windows only; no Mac or Linux version
• Full feature set (Portals, Content Locking) is easier to find via paid tiers than the trial
• Interface and terminology (fences, peek, chameleon) takes some getting used to for new users

• Windows-only, no Mac or Linux version
• Some utilities are still experimental and can be less polished
• Requires manually enabling and configuring each utility you want