Solved Inquiry on stardock fences

Helmuuth · Sep 4, 2025

I want to organize my pc desktop. Looking into fences. I know of stardock reputation. Used objectdock and windowblinds before. I want to clarify, 10.00 a year (reoccuring) ? I dont want the one time permanent deal. Or any other program similiar to fences, but free. Free is good

pseymour · Sep 4, 2025

No idea about any of these, but you can filter by free or open sauce, whatever you like.

Great Fences Alternatives: Top Desktop Customization Tools in 2026

The best Fences alternatives are Portals: Desktop Organization, Tokri and Nimi Places. Our crowd-sourced lists contains more than 25 apps similar to Fences for Windows, Mac, Linux, Flatpak and more.

alternativeto.net

Dark Knight · Sep 4, 2025

I don't recommend any Stardock product to anyone, they are all just a waste of system resources. Yeah I know system resources are not that important on today's systems, but why? why waste resources on something if you don't have to.
You can custom theme your OS using zero system resources without the use of Window blinds.
RocketDock is a better alternative than Object Dock , it uses less resources.
Using custom Icons and installing with 7tsp or even better Windhawk's Resource Redirect mod you can avoid the system resource sucking Icon Packager.
Groupy has become pretty much antiquated since Microsoft added tabs to Windows Explorer

While Fences may be a novel idea as I do not know of any other software of it's kind , why install software for something that could be accomplished yourself just by arranging your icons in groups on your desktop? because that is all essentially Stardock's Fences does.

I don't know , it may be worth it if you are one of those that has hundreds of icons on your desktop and need to make reason of the mess, mine is not like that and everything is arranged so I know where it is. If it were me and I was to purchase it, get the permanent license, don't pay the subscription fee.

pseymour · Sep 4, 2025

Dark Knight said:
While Fences may be a novel idea as I do not know of any other software of it's kind , why install software for something that could be accomplished yourself just by arranging your icons in groups on your desktop?

Because Windows periodically likes to move icons around. I don’t use my desktop this way, but some people use it as a launch pad or organizer thing.

As an analogy, I would be pretty annoyed if I walked up to my desk on random days, and my keyboard and mouse were moved to different positions.

Helmuuth · Sep 4, 2025

pseymour said:
No idea about any of these, but you can filter by free or open sauce, whatever you like.

Great Fences Alternatives: Top Desktop Customization Tools in 2026

The best Fences alternatives are Portals: Desktop Organization, Tokri and Nimi Places. Our crowd-sourced lists contains more than 25 apps similar to Fences for Windows, Mac, Linux, Flatpak and more.

alternativeto.net

Open sauce

Thx for "alternatives to" suggestions. Ill look into that later

antspants · Sep 4, 2025

Helmuuth said:
I want to organize my pc desktop. Looking into fences. I know of stardock reputation. Used objectdock and windowblinds before. I want to clarify, 10.00 a year (reoccuring) ? I dont want the one time permanent deal. Or any other program similiar to fences, but free. Free is good

If you can’t afford $10 a year subscription, that is understandable due to the cost of living these days. But I’d never go back after having used Fences for years. Works so well with Start11 also.
I switched to subscription because they’re getting smarter, a one time payment is more than $10 and they seem to be announcing an entirely new version nearly every year which requires a new purchase.

So for $10 per year, it’s a no-brainer. I can’t math lol but I believe that’s about $0.80 cents a month?

Dark Knight · Sep 4, 2025

pseymour said:
Because Windows periodically likes to move icons around. I don’t use my desktop this way, but some people use it as a launch pad or organizer thing.

As an analogy, I would be pretty annoyed if I walked up to my desk on random days, and my keyboard and mouse were moved to different positions.

Windows doesn't just move icons around on the desktop, if you have had this issue you either have .....

1. Done something for it to happen
or
2. Have malware on your system

It doesn't happen all by itself for no reason at all

Dark Knight · Sep 4, 2025

antspants said:
If you can’t afford $10 a year subscription, that is understandable due to the cost of living these days. But I’d never go back after having used Fences for years. Works so well with Start11 also.
I switched to subscription because they’re getting smarter, a one time payment is more than $10 and they seem to be announcing an entirely new version nearly every year which requires a new purchase.

So for $10 per year, it’s a no-brainer. I can’t math lol but I believe that’s about $0.80 cents a month?

Current Fences version is only 6.02 so the next major version change where one would have to purchase the new version shouldn't happen for quite some time, Stardock doesn't update their software all that often , and even so those that own permanent licenses usually get price breaks to keep going.

antspants · Sep 4, 2025

Dark Knight said:
Current Fences version is only 6.02 so the next major version change where one would have to purchase the new version shouldn't happen for quite some time , and even so those that own permanent licenses usually get price breaks to keep going.

Stardock has infuriated users in the past with their “Surprise” upgrades.

pseymour · Sep 4, 2025

Dark Knight said:
Windows doesn't just move icons around on the desktop, if you have had this issue you either have .....

1. Done something for it to happen
or
2. Have malware on your system

It doesn't happen all by itself for no reason at all

Haha, sure mate.

Dark Knight · Sep 4, 2025

antspants said:
Stardock has infuriated users in the past with their “Surprise” upgrades.

Oh I get it , so have plenty of other software companies , but for me I would pay the thirty bucks for the permanent license and roll the dice, you could potentially stay within the same major version for more than a year, and if you don't, you tell them you are uninstalling and that's when you start getting the offers for even cheaper pricing. I do it all the time with Norton and usually I get better pricing then when I previously purchased it.

Dark Knight · Sep 4, 2025

pseymour said:
Haha, sure mate.

I have never had an icon move on my desktop unless I initiated it or did it myself.

pseymour · Sep 4, 2025

Dark Knight said:
I have never had an icon move on my desktop unless I initiated it or did it myself.

Oh, since it’s never happened to you, it’s never happened. Got it.

Back in reality land… I can easily get it to happen if I’m at home, with my work laptop connected to a decently large monitor, then go to work and use the laptop without being docked. Then maybe go to a office hoteling space.

Just stop with this.

Dark Knight · Sep 4, 2025

pseymour said:
Oh, since it’s never happened to you, it’s never happened. Got it.

Back in reality land… I can easily get it to happen if I’m at home, with my work laptop connected to a decently large monitor, then go to work and use the laptop without being docked. Then maybe go to a office hoteling space.

Just stop with this.

Ok, sounds like you made up your mind to convince yourself of whatever it is to buy the software, so just go and do it , you don't need MY advice. While you're at it send me your credit card number so I can make some needless purchases too !

antspants · Sep 4, 2025

Dark Knight said:
Ok, sounds like you made up your mind to convince yourself of whatever it is to buy the software, so just go and do it , you don't need MY advice. While you're at it send me your credit card number so I can make some needless purchases too !

Hey listen, we’ve had plenty of posts calling for help in this forum due to desktop icon issues.
Not staying where they were placed
Disappearing

This one time at band camp, a gang of icons attacked a member. There was mayhem, blood, icons died. It was horrific.

glasskuter · Sep 4, 2025

I think @antspants may use Stardock Fences so he can tell you more about it. He's had several posts about it.

I used the portable version of Portals (free) once for about half a second. It did exactly what it's screenshots showed it to do. But I have this thing about using 3rd party software that alters the GUI. I just don't do it anymore since I went to 11. Sometime an app and windows GUI don't play well together and I didn't want the hassle..

I do a poor-man's "fence" with my 64 shortcut and folder icons organized in ordered groups on my desktop. Granted each group is not surrounded by pretty colors like when using an app, but the custom icons I use are in different colors that really pop. I don't have to look for what I want.

antspants · Sep 4, 2025

glasskuter said:
I think @antspants may use Stardock Fences so he can tell you more about it. He's had several posts about it.

Quite true, Milady. Have used it for years.

Taliseian · Sep 4, 2025

Personally I use Fences and have for several years (since Fences 3). I like the software and it doesn't take up that many resources (note that I do have 32g ram and 12g video ram). I can completely understand people either not wanting to give Stardock their money and/or looking for Free/Open Source.

I like the organization that it gives and personally I've had zero issues using it - YMMV however.

zswobbie · Sep 5, 2025

I've used Fences & a couple of other programs like that, & I've also had my icons jumping around & even ending up on my 2nd monitor.
I like a clean desktop with a few widgets on it (using Rainmeter) with Start11 for a custom Start menu & I'm using 'QuickAccessPopup' (free)- which gives me a popup configurable menu when I click the mouse's scroll wheel.

pseymour · Sep 5, 2025

Dark Knight said:
Ok, sounds like you made up your mind to convince yourself of whatever it is to buy the software, so just go and do it , you don't need MY advice. While you're at it send me your credit card number so I can make some needless purchases too !

I didn’t buy anything. I am simply
capable of understanding why someone would use a piece of software to solve a problem they have, because I’m capable of looking beyond my own experiences.

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