Top Microsoft Gadgets Alternatives for a Modern Desktop
Microsoft Gadgets were once a popular way to add small, single-purpose applications to your desktop or webpages, offering quick access to information and tools. However, with their discontinuation and security concerns, many users are now seeking reliable and modern Microsoft Gadgets alternatives to customize their digital workspace.
Best Microsoft Gadgets Alternatives
Looking to revitalize your desktop with powerful and customizable widgets? Here are some of the top Microsoft Gadgets alternatives that offer enhanced functionality, security, and aesthetics.
Rainmeter
Rainmeter is an excellent Microsoft Gadgets alternative, allowing for extensive desktop customization through skins that display everything from hardware usage to audio visualizers. It's Free, Open Source, and available on Windows, offering features like CPU monitoring, custom widgets, UI customization, colored text, and live wallpapers.
XWidget
XWidget serves as a lightweight and handy Microsoft Gadgets alternative, providing a free desktop customization platform with a powerful visual widget editor and subtle animations. Available on Windows, Android, and Android Tablet, it's configurable, lightweight, and portable, making it a versatile choice for users on multiple platforms.
Start8
While not a direct widget replacement, Start8 is a powerful system tweaker for Windows that brings back the familiar Start Button, a feature often missed by users of older Windows versions who appreciated the quick access of Gadgets. It's a Commercial product for Windows, focusing on enhancing the desktop experience through system-level improvements.
KDE Plasma Workspaces
KDE Plasma Workspaces, a Free and Open Source environment for Linux, offers robust widget support, making it an excellent Microsoft Gadgets alternative for those on a Linux operating system. Its design separates data engines from visualization, providing a flexible and powerful way to customize your workspace with various widgets.
8GadgetPack
For Windows users who simply miss the functionality of desktop gadgets, 8GadgetPack is a fantastic Free Microsoft Gadgets alternative. It makes it possible to use gadgets on Windows 8, 8.1, and 10, bringing back the classic sidebar and supporting PNG source images for customizability.
SE-DesktopApps
SE-DesktopApps is a Freemium Microsoft Gadgets alternative for Windows that offers a suite of desktop tools to boost productivity. It includes features like program launchers, desktop notes, a media player, event notifications, and task management, providing a comprehensive set of utilities in a portable format.
AveDesk
AveDesk is a Free Windows application that offers desklets, which are small icons that can update themselves on your desktop, much like the dynamic nature of Microsoft Gadgets. It provides a simple yet effective way to add interactive elements to your desktop.
Amnesty Generator
Amnesty Generator is a Free and Open Source Microsoft Gadgets alternative available for Mac and Windows, uniquely designed to convert web widgets, games, and videos into sidebar gadgets. This makes it an ideal choice for users who enjoyed the web-integrated aspect of classic gadgets and want to bring social network functionality to their desktop.
Winstep Xtreme
Winstep Xtreme is a Commercial Microsoft Gadgets alternative for Windows, offering an integrated workspace environment that combines usability and performance with powerful desktop enhancement utilities. It provides extensive customization through skins and themes, allowing users to tailor their desktop experience comprehensively.
ThemeWidgets
ThemeWidgets provides eight small, free desktop apps for Windows that function as excellent Microsoft Gadgets alternatives, covering tasks like a clock, calculator, weather, notes, calendar, timer, and stopwatch. These configurable apps offer themes and provide essential utilities right on your desktop.
With a wide array of Microsoft Gadgets alternatives available, you can easily find a solution that fits your operating system, customization preferences, and functional needs. Explore these options to enhance your desktop experience and make it uniquely yours.