The Showdown
Microsoft PowerToysvsStarlightGUI
Why pay monthly fees for Microsoft PowerToys when you can self-host StarlightGUI for free? Let's look at the facts.
VS
Microsoft PowerToys
The Expensive Option
- Closed Source (Black box)
- Expensive monthly fees per user
- Data stored on their servers
WINNER
StarlightGUI
The Freedom Choice
- 100% Open Source Code
- Free forever (Self-hosted)
- You own your data completely
Interactive Calculator
Calculate Your "SaaS Tax"
SaaS pricing is designed to scale with your success.
See how much wealth transfers from your bank account to Microsoft PowerToys's shareholders.
10 people
150100200+
$
*Estimated standard pricing for Microsoft PowerToys. Adjust if needed.
Estimated Annual Waste
$1,440
Monthly Burn Rate$120
5-Year Projection$7,200
Cost with Self-Hosted$0
Calculations based on 10 users at $12/mo.
Detailed Breakdown
0
User-level
Kernel-level
1
Mixed WPF/WinUI
Native WinUI3
2
Managed Code
C++ Native