The short answer
- Best scrolling window manager (PaperWM and niri style): LanesMac
- Best free i3-style tiling: AeroSpace
- Most scriptable: yabai
- Automatic tiling without a config file: Amethyst
- Simple snapping, free: Rectangle, or the tiling built into macOS 15 and later
- Snapping from the Mac App Store: Magnet
- Moving windows with a radial menu: Loop
We make LanesMac, so we've kept the facts about every other tool to what each project documents publicly. Each of them is a good choice for the right person.
Mac window managers compared
| Tool | Type | Best for | Setup | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LanesMac | Scrolling strip of full-height columns | Many windows that keep their width; trackpad users | Settings window | One-time $19.99, 24-hour free trial |
| AeroSpace | i3-style tree tiling, own workspaces | i3 fans who like numbered workspaces | TOML config file | Free, open source |
| yabai | Binary space partitioning (BSP) | Power users who script everything | Config files and a hotkey tool such as skhd | Free, open source |
| Amethyst | Automatic layouts inspired by xmonad | Automatic tiling with little setup | Preferences window | Free, open source |
| Rectangle | Snap to halves, thirds and corners | Occasional arranging | Shortcuts and preferences | Free; Pro version paid |
| Magnet | Snap to screen areas | Simple snapping from the App Store | Shortcuts and menu | Paid (Mac App Store) |
| Loop | Radial menu to move and resize | Mouse-friendly window moving | Preferences window | Free, open source |
| macOS tiling | Halves, quarters and arrangements | No extra app at all | Built in (macOS 15 and later) | Free |
How to choose
- Do you work with more windows than fit on one screen? A scrolling window manager keeps each at its width instead of shrinking them all.
- Do you want everything automatic, or only to snap a window now and then? Tilers manage the whole layout; snapping tools move one window when you ask.
- Config file or settings window? AeroSpace and yabai are configured in text files; the others use a settings window.
- Trackpad or keyboard? Most tiling tools are keyboard-first; some, like LanesMac, also follow trackpad swipes.
- Will you change macOS security settings? Some yabai features need System Integrity Protection partly disabled; the other tools here don't.
LanesMac: best scrolling window manager for Mac
LanesMac brings the PaperWM and niri model to macOS. Every window is a full-height column on a strip that runs past the edge of the screen, and opening a window adds a column next to the focused one without resizing the others. It has shortcuts on ⌃⌥, two-finger swipes while holding ⌃⌥, stacks and tabbed columns, pinned columns, per-app rules, window search and an overview, and a strip for each display. It needs only the Accessibility permission. It doesn't manage macOS Spaces.
AeroSpace: best free i3-style tiling
AeroSpace copies i3's tree tiling and keybindings, adds its own virtual workspaces and is configured in a TOML file. It needs no SIP changes and is free. Windows share one screen, so each gets smaller as you open more.
yabai: most scriptable
yabai tiles windows with binary space partitioning and can be driven entirely from scripts, usually together with a hotkey daemon such as skhd. Its core tiling works with SIP on; features such as controlling Spaces need SIP partly disabled.
Amethyst: automatic tiling with little setup
Amethyst arranges windows into layouts you can cycle through, inspired by xmonad, and is configured in a preferences window. It's free and open source.
Rectangle, Magnet, Loop and macOS tiling: snapping
These move a window into place when you ask and leave the rest of the layout to you. They're quick to learn and enough if you usually work with two or three windows. Rectangle and Loop are free and open source, Magnet is a paid App Store app, and macOS 15 and later can tile windows when you drag them to the screen edges.