Nova Launcher vs Lawnchair

Lawnchair is closer to “Pixel plus options”; Nova is closer to “build the grid exactly how you want.”

Feature comparison

Lawnchair wins on transparency and Pixel-style integration

The official Lawnchair repository describes the launcher as a free, open-source Home app built from Launcher3 with Pixel features and added customization. The project is actively developing Lawnchair 16 while maintaining releases based on Android 15.

Nova wins on years of mature power-user controls

Nova still offers a deeper set of conventional launcher controls, including subgrid placement, gesture mappings, app-drawer groups and icon swipe actions. If your Home screen is a carefully engineered layout, Nova may require fewer compromises.

The Nova backup import changes the migration equation

Lawnchair 15 Beta 3 can restore the Home-screen and dock grid, widgets and folders, plus the selected icon pack from a Nova backup. Migration is not guaranteed to reproduce every advanced Nova setting, but it can save substantial setup time.

What about stability?

Lawnchair's latest stable-ish public path is still labeled beta, while its development/nightly builds can include additional bugs. The project explicitly warns that development builds trade stability for the newest features. Nova is a mature production app, although its ownership has changed.

Which is better for Samsung users?

Lawnchair's release notes have addressed animation glitches on OEM software such as One UI, which is useful evidence that the project actively works around manufacturer-specific behavior. Nova also runs on Samsung, but system-level gestures and Recents remain controlled by Android/One UI rather than by either launcher.

Bottom line

If you want transparency, a Pixel-like look and a modern open-source project, start with Lawnchair. If you value maximum control and already depend on Nova-specific gestures and drawer organization, Nova remains difficult to duplicate exactly.

Migration matters more than feature counting

Long-time Nova users often have years of folders, grid choices, widgets and icon-pack decisions invested in one layout. Lawnchair 15 Beta 3's ability to import key parts of a Nova backup therefore matters more than a small difference in a settings menu. It lowers the cost of trying a replacement without rebuilding everything from memory.

Choose Lawnchair when transparency and Pixel style matter

Lawnchair's code and development are public on GitHub. Its project is built around Launcher3 and Pixel-like behavior, so the default experience is familiar rather than experimental. That is attractive if you want a clean Android look plus icon packs, theming and extra controls without turning every screen into a design project.

Choose Nova when your workflow depends on Nova-specific controls

Nova still exposes a mature set of grid, drawer, backup and gesture features in its current Play Store listing. If you already know exactly which Nova behaviors you use every day, check that Lawnchair implements those particular features before migrating. “Open source” and “more customizable” answer different questions.

A sensible migration is to export a Nova backup, import it into Lawnchair, use Lawnchair for several days, and keep Nova installed until you know which details transferred well. Because Android lets you change the Home app again, testing does not need to be permanent.

Which is easier to recommend to a new user?

For someone starting from scratch, Lawnchair is easier to explain: it looks familiar, stays close to the Pixel/Launcher3 model and exposes its development publicly. Nova remains attractive to users who already know and depend on its particular customization model. Existing workflow matters more than brand loyalty.