Spacedash vs Wallpaper Engine: widgets, wallpapers, or both
Wallpaper Engine is a paid Steam app for animated wallpapers. Its store page doesn't list widgets; clocks, stats and media panels come from community wallpapers on the Workshop. Spacedash is a widget app, and with Premium it plays your Wallpaper Engine wallpapers behind its widgets, so most people who want both use both.
| Spacedash | Wallpaper Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Qaem, an independent developer | The Wallpaper Engine Team |
| Price | Free. Premium is $19.99 once | Paid, once, on Steam |
| Windows | Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit | Windows 10 and 11 |
| What it's for | Widgets and dashboards | Animated wallpapers |
| Animated and video wallpapers | Plays your Wallpaper Engine wallpapers, with Premium | Yes |
| Clocks, PC stats and media controls | Built-in widgets | In community wallpapers on the Workshop |
| Wallpaper editor and Steam Workshop | No | Yes |
| Several monitors | One screen free; all at once with Premium | Yes |
| Pauses while you play | Yes | Yes |
| Phone app | No | Free Android app for your wallpapers |
As of 26 Oct 2026.
Use both: keep Wallpaper Engine for the background and put Spacedash's widgets on top, with a Transparent background so your wallpaper shows between them. With Premium, Spacedash also plays your Wallpaper Engine wallpapers, scenes and videos included, as the dashboard background on the Edge and your monitors.
They do different jobs
Wallpaper Engine animates your desktop background. Spacedash puts widgets on top of it. If you want both a moving wallpaper and a clock, stats or media controls, run the two together.
Your wallpaper behind your widgets
- On a monitor, set Background to “Transparent” (Settings → Screens). Your wallpaper and desktop show between the widgets, and clicks there go through to them. This is free and works with any wallpaper, animated or not.
- With Premium, Spacedash also connects to Wallpaper Engine under Integrations: pick a wallpaper and it becomes the dashboard's background, live behind your widgets on monitors and in Desktop Mode, and as a still picture inside iCUE's Widget Mode.
- From the same place you can browse wallpapers, play, pause, skip to the next one and mute.
Questions
Does Wallpaper Engine have widgets?
Wallpaper Engine is a wallpaper app; some community wallpapers include a clock or a visualizer as part of the picture. For widgets you place, resize and set up one by one, use a widget app such as Spacedash on top of it.
Do I need Premium to use Spacedash with Wallpaper Engine?
No. A transparent Spacedash background shows whatever wallpaper is running, on the free plan. Premium adds choosing and controlling Wallpaper Engine wallpapers from inside Spacedash.
Can Spacedash use my Wallpaper Engine wallpaper?
Yes, with Spacedash Premium. Your wallpapers play behind your widgets on the Edge and on your monitors, scenes and videos included.
Can I add widgets on top of Wallpaper Engine?
Yes. Set Spacedash's background to Transparent for that monitor and its widgets sit over your wallpaper, with clicks between them reaching your desktop.
Make your desktop yours.
Free for Windows 11 and 10. No account needed.