> KDE uses less memory than Xfce does.

KDE user here. What you say is false. Xfce is quite primitive in comparison, it has a miniscule amount of features and hence gets away with using less memory. Observational data:

3570M kwin_x11 (window manager)
2512M plasmashell (task panel)
1411M krunner (application launcher)
895M kded5 (?)
532M kactivitymanagerd (multiple desktops)
422M polkit-kde-authentication-agent-1 (?)
389M org_kde_powerdevil (energy settings)
352M kdeconnectd (use mobile phone as remote control)
220M xembedsniproxy (make tray icons work)
277M kaccess (accessibility keys?)
277M ksmserver (?)
276M plasma-browser-integration-host (Firefox can show desktop notifications)
276M kwalletd (password manager)
265M klauncher (?)
265M kglobalaccel5 (global keyboard combos)
213M kscreen_backend_launcher (changing screen orientation and resolution?)
153M kio_http_cache_cleaner (?)
101M kdeinit5 (?)
101M file.so [kdeinit5] file local:/run/user/1000/klauncherXHvFxc.1.slave-socket (?)
69M kdesud (caches sudo password)
7M xsettingsd (apply colour scheme to Gnome applications)
2M start_kdeinit (?)

On top of that, some applications for comparison:

2805M ktorrent (file sharing)
694M konsole (terminal)
402M kate (text editor)

----

570M xfce4-appfinder
332M tumblerd (makes thumbnail images)
331M Thunar (file manager)
283M xfdesktop
266M xfce4-panel
260M xfce4-session
251M xfce4-notifyd
223M xfconfd
220M xfwm4
205M xfce4-screensaver
190M xfsettingsd
188M wrapper-2.0 /usr/lib64/xfce4/panel/plugins/libactions.so
186M wrapper-2.0 /usr/lib64/xfce4/panel/plugins/libsystray.so
179M xfce4-power-manager

On top of that, some applications for comparison:

411M mousepad (text editor)
363M xfce4-terminal (terminal)

----

KDE really has become very bloated. First of all, I cannot uninstall any part of that huge list with the exception of kdeconnectd (don't want/need) or plasma-browser-integration-host (maybe want/need); AFAICT this problem is existing, but not at all pronounced in Xfce.

Due to lazy design choices by the responsible programmers, KDE fails to scale properly down to the user's circumstances or preferences.

• I do not have multiple desktops configured, yet I must spend 532M

• My computer chassis only has a power button that does something in the desktop environment when triggered, and any power saving settings are off, yet I must spend 389M for that

• I do not have any of the five accessibility features enabled, yet I must spend 277M

• I have only one monitor attached, yet I must spend 213M listening for an additional

Then there are many initialisation processes hanging around after the desktop environment has already started. Xfce does not have this problem.

A lot of the processes I cannot even identify in the sense of telling what use they are to me.

Some processes exist only due to their own doing where the responsible programmers painted themselves into a corner (like with the tray icons fiasco), or no one competent stepped in and stopped the submission of a solution that has a simple and superior equivalent.

• Why is there a 153M cache cleaner hanging around resident in memory? This is a job for periodic timer (cron/systemd). Even if real-time cleaning is needed for some bizarre reason, then one would attach an inotify listener to the cache directory, and every time a file is added or changed, a small <1M process executes that calculates the diskspace in use, and only when we are over the threshold, then execute the big cleaning process. Exit the process when done.

• Why is there a daemon for applying the colour scheme? I mean, it's only 7M, but this used to be a checkbox in the settings dialogue.