Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to WSLMan

WSLman: create, clone & manage Linux distros on Windows

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.

1. 1
   WSL Distro Manager▲2

   A GUI to quickly manage your WSL instances

   2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   NSL – WSL for Linux▲167

   WSL-style Linux machines for Linux hosts.

   24d ago · frostyard.github.io · its alternatives →

3. 3
   WSL Dashboard – an open-source,low-memory, high-performance GUI manager▲7

   A modern, high-performance, lightweight, and low-memory WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) instance management dashboard. Built with Rust and Slint for a premium native experience.

   Jun 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Build Your WSL Distro in Docker▲48

   Build your own wsl distro in docker, based on this example: https://gist.github.com/K0IN/485b6c9e442d10aa666c28672d621604 - K0IN/docker-to-wsl

   2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Container Desktop – Podman Desktop Companion▲464

   A familiar, open-source desktop interface for Podman, Docker and Apple™ Container — local, remote over SSH, and WSL, the same UI on Windows, macOS and Linux. Free, MIT licensed.

   2024 · container-desktop.com · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Distrod – WSL2 Distros with Systemd; Arch, Gentoo and More with Systemd▲59

   Distrod is a meta-distro for WSL 2 which installs Ubuntu, Arch, Debian, Gentoo, etc. with systemd in a minute for you. Distrod also has built-in auto-start feature on Windows startup and port forwarding ability. - nullpo-head/wsl-distrod

   2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   CtrlOps▲244

   Deploy, Debug & Manage Linux Servers with AI.

   May 2026 · ctrlops.io · its alternatives →

8. 8
   distri: a Linux distribution to research fast package management▲92

   Over the last year or so I have worked on a research linux distribution in my spare time. It’s not a distribution for researchers (like Scientific Linux), but my personal playground project to research linux distribution development, i.e. try out fresh ideas.

   2019 · michael.stapelberg.ch · its alternatives →

9. 9
   I made an SSH tunnel manager to learn Go▲213

   The `boring` SSH tunnel manager. Contribute to alebeck/boring development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    A Native Tiling Window Manager for Windows 10, Inspired by I3wm▲327

    A Tiling Window Manager for windows 10, Inspired by i3wm - McYoloSwagHam/win3wm

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

11. 11ZZ
    Zectl – ZFS Boot Environment Manager for Linux▲119

    2020 · ramsdenj.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    EasyWSL – Create custom WSL distros and manage them easily▲7

    Create WSL distros based on Docker Images. Contribute to redcode-labs/easyWSL development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Komorebi – A tiling window manager for Windows 10/11 written in Rust▲229

    A tiling window manager for Windows 🍉. Contribute to LGUG2Z/komorebi development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    A tiling window manager like i3wm written entirely in C#▲121

    GlazeWM is a tiling window manager for macOS and Windows inspired by i3wm. - glzr-io/glazewm

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

15. 15WF
    Wget-finder▲130

    Since some days ago I’ve been playing with bifrost-build, a github repository with recipes for building static linux binaries. The recipes are no different from other linux distributions where an…

    2015 · javier.io · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Stack: tiling WM for Windows▲101

    Stack is a customizable tiling window manager for Windows.

    2017 · losttech.software · its alternatives →

17. 17DT
    Distro.tools - Scripts for lazy Linux users▲14

    2019 · distro.tools · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Pile Commander▲115

    Open-source file manager for creative people

    2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    sbctl – Secure Boot key manager▲57

    :computer: :lock: :key: Secure Boot key manager. Contribute to Foxboron/sbctl development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Cloud Commander orthodox web file manager with console and editor▲81

    Cloud file manager with console and editor. Will help you: create, edit, move and delete files and folders in your favorite browser from any computer.

    2016 · cloudcmd.io · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Howm – A Vim-like tiling X11 window manager▲71

    A lightweight, X11 tiling window manager that behaves like vim - HarveyHunt/howm

    2014 · github.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    PowerCluster▲72

    Windows cluster manager for builders

    2023 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Secs-man, a secrets manager you can (not) rely on▲31

    This is a tool to manage encrypted local backups of secrets. The core idea is that it aims to be usable without depending on it, meaning that even if the software disappeared from the face of Earth tomorrow, your data would still be recoverable. It also integrates nicely with NixOS (which is what I use, though it does not require NixOS to be used). I have summed up a bit of explanation and some answers to reasonable questions in a blog post: https://baldino.dev/blog/secs-man/

    Jun 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    LoWe – Extending the functionality of Ubuntu running on Windows 10▲34

    Linux on Windows extender. Contribute to kpocza/LoWe development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →