Pageless

Pageless vs Niagara, Nova and other Android launchers

There are a lot of good home screens for Android. Here is how Pageless compares with five well-known ones, what each does best, and when another launcher is the better pick.

We make Pageless, so read this with that in mind. We checked every fact about the other launchers on 9 November 2026, against their own websites and documentation where we could. The sources are at the end. If something has changed, tell us and we’ll fix it.

In short

Pageless

For people who want their apps sorted into their own categories, by name, on a calm screen. Five layouts, no widgets, one-time purchase.

Niagara Launcher

For a single minimalist list with favourites, widgets and notifications in it. Polished, with a yearly or lifetime Pro.

Nova Launcher

The classic customisable grid. Still works, but development stopped in 2025, so it’s worth planning a move.

Smart Launcher

For automatic app categories plus widgets and lots of theming, with a subscription or lifetime Pro.

Lawnchair

For a free, open-source Pixel-style home screen with icon packs and widgets.

Olauncher

For the most minimal, free, open-source text-only home screen with a handful of apps.

Side by side

PagelessNiagaraNovaSmart Launcher 6LawnchairOlauncher
Home screenApps by name, in five layouts: List, Categories, Now, Folders, ShelvesOne vertical list with an alphabet scrollerIcon grid with pages and a dockIcon grid with a categorised app pagePixel-style icon gridA few apps as plain text
Organising appsYour own categories, in your own order; new apps wait until you place themFavourites; pop-up folders in ProFolders; drawer tabs and folders with PrimeSorted into categories automatically; editable categories in ProFolders on the home screen and in the app drawerNo folders
WidgetsNoYes; widget stacks in ProYesYes; more widget pages in ProYesNo
Icon packsNo, apps keep their own iconsBuilt-in icon packs in ProYesIcon shapes and themesYesNo icons
Saved web linksYes, share a page to PagelessNoNoNoNoNo
PriceFree Basic; Pro is a one-time purchase, 7-day free trialFree; Pro $24.99 a year or $74.99 for lifeFree; paid Prime unlockFree; Pro by subscription or lifetime licence, priced by countryFree, funded by donationsFree; a separate paid “Pro Launcher” app
AdsNoneNoneNone in the appNoneNoneNone
Open sourceNoNoNo (planned, then cancelled)NoYes, Apache 2.0Yes, GPL-3.0
Still developedYesYesNo, stopped in 2025YesYes, version 15 in betaYes

Prices are in US dollars as the makers list them and can differ in your country’s Play Store.

Pageless vs Niagara Launcher

Niagara is the best-known minimalist launcher, and the closest to Pageless in spirit. Both drop the grid of icons for a list of app names, and neither has ads.

Where they differ

  • Organisation. Niagara gives you one alphabetical list with favourites on top and a wave-shaped alphabet to jump through it. Pageless lets you sort every app into categories you name and order yourself, like Work, Social or Travel, and shows them as tabs, cards, folders or shelves.
  • Widgets and notifications. Niagara can show widgets, widget stacks and notifications right in the list. Pageless doesn’t do widgets; it shows notification dots and keeps the screen to your apps.
  • Price. Niagara Pro costs $24.99 a year or $74.99 for life. Pageless Pro is one purchase, with every feature unlocked for the first 7 days so you can try it.

Pick Niagara if you like one list and want widgets on your home screen. Pick Pageless if you have a lot of apps and want them grouped the way you think about them.

Pageless vs Niagara in more detail.

A Nova Launcher alternative

Nova was the go-to Android launcher for over a decade. In September 2025 its founder said he had left Branch, the company that bought Nova in 2022, and had been asked to stop working on Nova and on the plan to open-source it. The last big update came out in 2024. Nova still runs and is still on Google Play, but it won’t get new features or fixes for future Android versions.

Where to go from Nova

  • To keep a Nova-style grid, with icon packs, widgets and gestures: Lawnchair is free and open source, and Smart Launcher is a polished paid option.
  • To simplify while you switch anyway: Pageless swaps pages of icons for a list of your apps by name. If you used Nova’s drawer tabs or folders to keep apps in groups, Pageless categories do the same job without the grid.

Pageless doesn’t import Nova’s layout. Setup takes about a minute: pick your favourites, then sort apps into categories, which you can change at any time.

More on Nova Launcher alternatives and switching from Nova.

Pageless vs Smart Launcher

Smart Launcher is the other launcher built around categories. It sorts your apps into categories automatically on its app page, and Smart Launcher Pro lets you edit them. It also has widget pages, gestures, icon shapes and a lot of theming. Pro is sold as a subscription or a lifetime licence, and the price depends on your country.

Pageless doesn’t guess categories for you: you build them, and an app you install later stays uncategorised until you place it. The categories are the home screen itself rather than a page behind it. Pick Smart Launcher for automatic sorting and widgets. Pick Pageless for a quieter screen where the categories are yours.

Pageless vs Lawnchair

Lawnchair is a free, open-source launcher (Apache 2.0) that looks and feels like Google’s Pixel Launcher, with icon packs, widgets, folders in the app drawer and a lot of settings. Version 15 is in beta, and the Google Play version follows the official betas. If you want a familiar grid at no cost, it’s hard to beat.

Pageless is a different idea: no grid, no pages, your apps listed by name and grouped by category. Pick Lawnchair if you want a stock-Android look with more control. Pick Pageless if you want fewer icons on the screen.

Pageless vs Olauncher

Olauncher is a free, ad-free, open-source launcher (GPL-3.0) that shows a few apps as plain text and finds the rest by search, with gestures like double-tap to lock. It’s about as minimal as a launcher gets. Its maker sells widgets, weather and folders in a separate app, Pro Launcher.

Pageless is minimal too, but it keeps every app one tap away instead of hiding most of them behind search, and it shows icons beside the names. Pick Olauncher to use your phone as little as possible. Pick Pageless if you want calm and order without giving up quick access to all your apps.

When Pageless isn’t the right launcher

  • You want widgets on your home screen.
  • You use icon packs or want a grid of icons.
  • You want a free, open-source launcher.
  • You want apps sorted into categories automatically.

For everything else, try it: Basic is free, and every Pro feature is unlocked for 7 days. See the layouts or compare Basic and Pro.

Get it on Google Play Android 10 or newer

Questions about switching to Pageless

Does Pageless support widgets or icon packs?

No. Pageless keeps the home screen to your apps, shown by name with their own icons. If widgets or icon packs matter to you, Niagara, Smart Launcher, Lawnchair or Nova are better fits.

Does Pageless sort my apps into categories automatically?

No. You create the categories and decide where each app goes. A new app stays uncategorised until you place it, so nothing moves behind your back.

Is Pageless a subscription?

No. Basic is free, and Pageless Pro is a single purchase in Google Play. Every Pro feature is unlocked for the first 7 days so you can try it first.

Can Pageless import my layout from another launcher?

No, but setup takes about a minute: pick your favourites and a layout, then sort your apps into categories whenever you like.

Can I go back to my old launcher after trying Pageless?

Yes. In Android’s Settings, go to Apps, Default apps, Home app and pick the other launcher. Nothing is uninstalled, and Pageless keeps your setup in case you come back.

More questions about Pageless

Sources

Checked on 9 November 2026. Niagara, Nova, Smart Launcher, Lawnchair and Olauncher are trademarks of their owners. Pageless isn’t affiliated with any of them.