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LanesMac vs Amethyst
Amethyst is a free, open-source tiling window manager for macOS inspired by xmonad. It arranges the windows on each screen into a layout you can cycle through, such as one main window with the rest beside it. LanesMac doesn't fit everything onto one screen: each window is a column on a strip that scrolls, so opening a window never makes the others smaller.
Every feature free for 24 hours. No account needed.
Choose LanesMac if…
- You want each window to keep its width as you open more
- You'd like to move around with trackpad swipes as well as keys
- You want stacks, tabbed columns and pinned columns you control yourself
- You often have more windows open than fit comfortably on one screen
Choose Amethyst if…
- You want a free, open-source tool
- You like automatic layouts where every window is always visible
- You work with a few windows per screen and use macOS Spaces a lot
- You prefer cycling through ready-made layouts to arranging columns
Side by side
| Feature | LanesMac | Amethyst |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Scrolling strip of full-height columns | Automatic layouts per screen (main + side, columns, rows and more) |
| Opening a window | Opens beside the focused one; others keep their size | The layout recalculates, so other windows get smaller |
| Setup | Settings window | Preferences window |
| Trackpad | Hold ⌃⌥ and swipe to scroll the strip | Keyboard-driven |
| Spaces | One strip per display; Spaces not managed | Works with macOS Spaces |
| System Integrity Protection | No changes needed | No changes needed |
| Price | One-time $19.99, lifetime license | Free and open source |
Based on each project's public documentation as of 2026. See Amethyst for its latest features.
Fitting vs scrolling
Amethyst fits every window on a screen into the current layout, which is great with three or four windows and cramped with eight. LanesMac lets the strip grow past the screen edge instead, so each window keeps a useful width and you move to it with ⌃⌥ arrow keys or a swipe.
Control over the layout
In Amethyst you pick a layout and it places the windows. In LanesMac you shape the strip yourself: cycle a column's width with ⌃⌥R, put two windows in one column with ⌃⌥S, show a column as tabs, or pin a window to an edge, and it stays that way when new windows open.
Questions
Is LanesMac free like Amethyst?
No. LanesMac is a one-time purchase with a lifetime license for one Mac, and every feature is free for 24 hours so you can compare them.
Can I use LanesMac and Amethyst together?
No. Both arrange the same windows and would fight. Quit one before starting the other.
See which one fits
The quickest way to decide is to try it with your own windows. LanesMac is free for 24 hours, then a one-time purchase.