Wallpaper Engine
Paid Windows app for animated and interactive desktop wallpapers, sold through Steam.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 3
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Wallpaper Engine
Wallpaper Engine is the most popular live wallpaper app for Windows. It plays animated scenes, videos and web pages as your desktop background and comes with an editor that turns still images into animated scenes using effects, particles and a scripting language. Its main draw is the Steam Workshop, where users share hundreds of thousands of free wallpapers. It pauses wallpapers automatically while you game or use maximised apps, handles ultrawide and multi-monitor setups, supports playlists and can sync Corsair and Razer RGB lighting to the wallpaper. It is a one-time purchase on Steam with no subscription, can be installed on as many PCs as you like, and has a free Android companion app for moving wallpapers to your phone. It runs only on Windows 10 and 11, and Steam is needed to download wallpapers and updates.
Best for: Windows users who want the largest library of animated wallpapers and an editor to make their own.
Pros and cons
What works
- Huge free wallpaper library on the Steam Workshop
- Built-in editor for animated scenes
- Pauses automatically during games and fullscreen apps
- One-time purchase, unlimited PCs
Why people leave
- Windows only on desktop
- Needs Steam to get wallpapers and updates
- Closed source
Top Wallpaper Engine alternatives
See all 3- 1
Lively Wallpaper66.5Free and open source on Windows, with video, web and interactive wallpapers and no Steam needed.
- 2
Hidamari62.6Free video and web wallpapers on Linux, for anyone moving their desktop off Windows.
- 3
Variety59.6Linux wallpaper changer for rotating still images from online sources, if animation isn't essential.
Why people left Wallpaper Engine
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Wallpaper Engine: common questions
Is Wallpaper Engine free?
No, Wallpaper Engine is a paid product.
Is Wallpaper Engine open source?
No, Wallpaper Engine is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Lively Wallpaper, Hidamari and Variety.
What platforms does Wallpaper Engine run on?
Wallpaper Engine is available for Windows and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Wallpaper Engine?
The highest-ranked Wallpaper Engine alternatives right now are Lively Wallpaper, Hidamari and Variety. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.