Pop-up sunroofs are simply a manually operated tilting panel. These panels are usually removable and must be stored when removed. The tilting action provides a vent in the roof, or a full opening when the panel is removed. Very few manual sunroofs were used by the original vehicle manufactures, most were installed after the vehicle was manufactured. Pop-ups can be installed in most vehicles, and are relatively inexpensive.

Spoiler sunroofs (tilt and slide) combine the features of a pop-up with those of a sliding roof system. They tilt to vent and slide open above the roof, requiring little headroom or roof length. This design is often used by aftermarket manufactures because of it’s relative ease of vehicle post-production installation.

Top-mount sliding sunroofs (rail mount topslider) feature a sliding glass panel that stores along tracks above the roof outside of the vehicle, with no loss of headroom. Most feature an integral wind deflector to eliminate wind noise.

Inbuilt (tilt-vent-slide) sunroof systems have a panel which slides between the metal roof and interior headliner, requiring some loss of headroom but providing a full opening in the roof. All inbuilts slide inside the roof, while some also include a rear venting feature (see pop-up). Historically, inbuilts were a metal sunroof panel painted to match the vehicle roof, but now most are glass-panel systems with sliding sunshades (typically referred to as moonroofs).