Start11
The quintessential Start menu replacement
When it comes to Windows customization, not many companies have the pedigree of Stardock, and with Start11, it really shows. The latest version of this tool offers so many customization options for the Start menu that it’s really hard to recommend anything else.
Start11 could have done what most other apps do and just focus on bringing back elements from previous iterations, and you do have those options. You can bring back the Windows 7 or Windows 10 Start menus if you prefer those looks, and there are a ton of customization options in terms of how these styles look now. But what makes it even cooler, in my opinion, is that Start11 offers some options you can’t get anywhere else. My favorite is the Windows App style, which uses the general Windows 11 design but includes your entire list of apps on the side for quick access.
These styles also have other benefits, like quick access to your user folders (like Pictures and Downloads), and, most of all, the ability to create folders, groups, and pages on the main area, so you have unrivaled organization capabilities. You can even display folders from your PC directly in the Start menu for quick access to your files, it’s simply fantastic.
Start11 is a paid app, but if you want to take your Start menu to the next level, you simply can’t do better than this.
StartAllBack
A beautiful blend of classic and modern
If you’re mostly focused on bringing back the Windows 7-style Start menu but don’t want it to feel out of place on Windows 11, StartAllBack is easily the best option out there. This app doesn’t go above and beyond with options for your Start menu style, but it has three styles that replicate the Windows 7 layout, with each style mimicking a different design language. You can use the default that fits right into Windows 11 (and looks fantastic), go for something closer to Windows 10 with sharp corners, or get a more classic Windows 7 look with the Aero glass effect.
All three styles look great and one of the best parts about how it looks is the smooth animation when opening the menu. It puts the official Start menu to shame.
Beyond the Start menu, StartAllBack does some other cool things if you want to, like bringing back the ribbon to the Windows 11 File Explorer, but with fully updated icons to fit perfectly in Windows 11. This is frankly a fantastic app, and while it’s also paid, the free trial is a bit more generous, so you have plenty of time to determine if you want to pay up or not.
Flow Launcher
Just ignore the Start menu altogether
This one is cheating a little bit because Flow Launcher doesn’t actually do anything to the Start menu itself. Instead, Flow Launcher wants to replace the Start menu altogether, giving you a whole new way to get things on your PC. Flow Launcher is basically a search bar that can open and launch any app on your PC by just searching for it.
But it can be that much more. Flow Launcher has a ton of extensions that can let you do even more than just launch your apps. You can search the web, or even look for YouTube videos directly, you can get weather information, open OneNote notebooks, run Command Prompt commands, and so much more.
If you’re someone who likes to use the keyboard to get things done on your PC, Flow Launcher is a nearly perfect replacement for the Start menu, and I highly recommend it. It’s completely free, too.
ExplorerPatcher
Small tweaks can go a long way
Another great app for customizing the Start menu (and Windows in general) is ExplorerPatcher. This open-source app has been around for some time and its main goal is to give users more freedom of choice over their experience. When it comes to the Start menu, ExplorerPatcher can do a few things, like removing the Recommended section from the Windows 11 Start menu so all of the space is used for your pinned apps. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference if you really just want to see the apps you care about first and foremost.
ExplorerPatcher can also restore the Windows 10-style Start menu, while also modernizing it with rounded corners, and it allows you to move the taskbar to any side of the screen.
Aside from the Start menu, ExplorerPatcher can do things like restore the ribbon UI from Windows 10 in File Explorer, change the appearance of the task switcher and various system flyouts to match older versions of Windows, and a lot more. There are plenty of smaller granular settings to tweak the experience.
A big downside with ExplorerPatcher right now is that Microsoft is blocking certain customization apps from working with Windows 11 version 24H2, and this app hasn’t been updated to address that issue just yet. Right now, the latest stable refuses to launch on a PC with the latest version, though the latest pre-release builds do work.
OpenShell
Go back in time
Finally, if going back to Windows 10 or simply tweaking the Windows 11 style isn’t for you, then OpenShell may be the app you want. This is another open-source project with the goal of bringing back features and capabilities that were in previous versions of Windows, specifically in regards to the Start menu (though other tweaks are available).
What makes OpenShell unique is that it doesn’t even try to simulate Windows 10, and instead, it goes further back in time. With OpenShell, you can make your Start menu more similar to Windows 7, Windows XP, or the Windows 95 style. Each of these menus presents items in a slightly different way, and for each one, you can also choose a skin, so you can have a Windows 7-style menu with a Windows XP skin, or a simpler Windows 95 look.
Open-Shell excels at offering granular customization, as there’s a ton of minute details you can customize here, including what items should be shown in the app list, what clicks do, and so on. It’s a very complete piece of software, though dicing into all the settings can be a bit daunting, which is why this is harder to recommend to most users.
If you’re not happy with what Microsoft has done to the Start menu in recent years, all of these apps are great ways to restore or boost your productivity. There are solutions here for all kinds of tastes, and while my favorite here is Start11, you might be much happier with one of the other options that are free. Give them a shot and take your pick.
