Best Start Menu Customization Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Seelen UI is ranked #1 of 35 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Open-Shell Menu and Start Menu X. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Open-Shell Menu.
Changing the Start menu can involve more than its appearance: the entries cover controls for search, profiles, the Start button, and taskbar behavior. Seelen UI, Open-Shell Menu, and Start Menu X open the ranking, followed by ExplorerPatcher and Start Menu Reviver. Compare replacement mode and supported Windows versions with the controls you want to adjust. Custom search and saved profiles may help distinguish approaches, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide cost details. Think through how you launch apps and manage the taskbar on your Windows setup, then weigh the listed features against the changes you actually want.
35 start menu customization software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seelen UI | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 2 |  Open-Shell Menu | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 3 | Start Menu X | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | 14.99 one-time | both | View |
| 4 |  ExplorerPatcher | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 5 |  Start Menu Reviver | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | windows_10 | View |
| 6 |  StartIsBack | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | 4.99 one-time | windows_10 | View |
| 7 |  Start Everywhere | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | both | View |
| 8 |  ViStart | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 9 |  Win9xplorer | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | both | View |
| 10 |  Power8 | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | windows_10 | View |
| 11 |  Cairo Desktop Environment | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | both | View |
| 12 |  Keypirinha | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 | StartAllBack | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | windows_11 | View |
| 14 |  Windhawk | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | both | View |
| 15 |  PExplorer | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | windows_10 | View |
| 16 | Wox | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Launchy | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 18 |  Fluent Search | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 19 |  Starling | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | both | View |
| 20 |  SbieShell | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 21 |  Portable Start Menu | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | both | View |
| 22 |  My Start Menu | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | both | View |
| 23 | Flow Launcher | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 24 | Dawn Launcher | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | both | View |
| 25 |  Listary | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 19.95 one-time | both | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which start menu customization software is ranked first on Inferse?
Seelen UI is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 7.6. Open-Shell Menu is second and Start Menu X third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.