Best Window Managers for Mac

The short answer. Rectangle if you want keyboard-driven window snapping without changing how macOS works. Magnet if you want the same idea from the App Store. Amethyst or AeroSpace if you want genuine automatic tiling, where windows arrange themselves rather than being placed by you. yabai if you want the most control and are prepared to work around what macOS restricts. AltTab if what you actually want is a better window switcher rather than a window arranger — these are different problems and it is worth knowing which one you have.

This guide covers 11 window managers for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Quick comparison

What actually decides this

• Tiling or snapping. Snapping places a window where you tell it. Tiling decides the layout and moves windows for you. The second is a larger change to how you work and is not for everyone.
• Keyboard or mouse. A window manager you drive entirely from the keyboard is faster once learned. One that expects dragging is easier to start with.
• What macOS permits. System Integrity Protection limits what some of these tools can do, and some features require relaxing it. Decide before you install whether that trade is acceptable.
• Multi-display and Spaces behaviour. Where windows land when you switch displays or spaces is where window managers most often surprise people. It is worth checking before you depend on one.
• Configuration surface. A handful of shortcuts, or a scripting language that describes layouts. The second is more powerful and more work.

Our picks

• Rectangle — It does one thing — placing windows with shortcuts — and leaves the rest of the system alone. Choose it when you want snapping from the keyboard and nothing more.
• Amethyst — It applies tiling layouts rather than waiting to be told where each window goes, which is the actual difference in this category. Choose it when you want windows to arrange themselves automatically.
• yabai — It exposes far more of the window model than the others, at the cost of configuration and some system trade-offs. Choose it when you want the most control and accept working within macOS restrictions.
• AltTab — It replaces the window switcher, which is a different fix for a problem often described as “window management”. Choose it when your problem is switching between windows, not arranging them.

The apps

AeroSpace

AeroSpace is a window manager for macOS. i3-like tiling window manager for macOS. It is released under MIT.

What it does. Tiling window manager based on a tree paradigm. Fast workspaces switching without animations and without the necessity to disable SIP. AeroSpace employs its own emulation of virtual workspaces instead of relying on native macOS Spaces due to their considerable limitations. Plain text configuration (dotfiles friendly). See: default-config.toml.

Full profile and verified facts for AeroSpace →

AltTab

AltTab is a window switcher for macOS. Free, open-source macOS window switcher that brings Windows-style Alt-Tab behaviour with live window thumbnails to the Mac, with a paid Pro tier adding search and extra styles. It is released under GPL-3.0. It is freemium.

Strengths. According to the developer, switches between individual windows rather than whole applications, with live thumbnails. Is free and open source under the GPL version 3, with the source published on GitHub. According to the developer, includes dark mode, live preview, window controls and trackpad gestures at no cost.

Trade-offs. Search and the extra appearance styles are Pro features, not part of the free application. The Pro price is not published in the sources Nuanyue tracks, so the cost has to be confirmed at purchase. Requires accessibility permission to enumerate and focus other applications’ windows. Search, the extra appearance styles, auto-sizing and multiple shortcuts require the paid Pro tier. The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.

Not for. Anyone who is happy with macOS application-level switching and does not want an extra switcher. Users who need the search and extra shortcuts without paying, since those are Pro features.

What it does. Switches between individual windows rather than whole applications. Live window thumbnails in the switcher panel. Dark mode support. Window controls and trackpad gestures.

AltTab is listed with current version 11.8.0.

Full profile and verified facts for AltTab →

Amethyst

Amethyst is a window manager for macOS. Free, open-source automatic tiling window manager for macOS modelled on xmonad, with eleven window layouts, a full keyboard command set and Homebrew installation. It is released under MIT.

Strengths. According to the developer, tiles windows automatically, so they are arranged by layout rather than by hand. Offers eleven layouts including Tall, Wide, Two Pane, three-column variants, Fullscreen, Floating and Binary Space Partitioning. Layouts can be enabled or disabled individually, which controls whether they appear in the cycle at all.

Trade-offs. Requires Accessibility API permission before it can manage other applications’ windows. The Mission Control setting ‘Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use’ has to be disabled, or keyboard navigation between spaces becomes unpredictable. Only supported on macOS 10.15 and later. Requires permission to use the accessibility APIs, granted in Privacy & Security. The beta Custom layout is experimental rather than finished.

Not for. Anyone who wants to position windows manually — tiling is the whole premise. Users unwilling to grant Accessibility access and change a Mission Control setting.

What it does. Automatic tiling: windows are arranged by the application rather than dragged into place. Eleven layouts — Tall, Tall-Right, Wide, Two Pane, three 3-Column variants, Fullscreen, Floating, Binary Space Partitioning and a beta Custom layout. Layouts can be individually enabled or disabled, so unused ones drop out of the cycle. A full keyboard command set, largely mapped to xmonad key combinations.

Amethyst is listed with current version 0.24.3.

Full profile and verified facts for Amethyst →

Contexts

Contexts is a window switcher for macOS. Paid macOS window switcher with keyboard search, a window-based Command-Tab, an auto-hiding sidebar and a trackpad gesture. It is one-time purchase.

Strengths. Search-based switching reaches a window in two or three keystrokes rather than cycling through a list. According to the developer, search shortcuts make a query deterministic: once you pick a window for a query, that window is always the first result for it. Handles multiple Spaces and multiple displays, including a sidebar per display and filtering that excludes off-screen windows.

Trade-offs. A licence costs $9.99, where several window switchers are free and open source. The most recent release is 3.9.0 from August 2022, so the app is not under active release cadence. The site states which macOS versions it works on but does not publish a single minimum version. The site states the app works on macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia but publishes no single minimum version; the changelog’s last explicit statement was Catalina and Big Sur. It is closed source and no licence text beyond the end-user agreement is published.

Not for. Anyone who needs free software — Contexts is paid and closed source. Users who want the Dock or the menu bar replaced — Contexts only changes how windows are selected.

What it does. Switch between application windows effortlessly — with Fast Search, a better Command-Tab, a Sidebar or even a quick gesture. Free trial available.

Contexts is listed with current version 3.9.0.

Full profile and verified facts for Contexts →

Dimsum

Dimsum is a window manager for macOS. Minimalist menu bar app that dims inactive windows to highlight the focused one. It is released under MIT.

What it does. Minimalist active window highlighting mac app.

Dimsum is listed with current version 1.0.1.

Full profile and verified facts for Dimsum →

Dissolv

Dissolv is a window manager for macOS. Hide and close inactive apps. Its pricing is not published.

What it does. Dissolv takes care of clearing away window clutter in the background as you work. By hiding the applications you’re not using, it helps keep you distraction free and focused on the stuff that matters.

Dissolv is listed with current version 1.2.0.

Full profile and verified facts for Dissolv →

Divvy

Divvy is a window manager for macOS. Window management at its finest with its amazing Divvy Grid system. Its pricing is not published.

What it does. Divvy is a utility for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows to quickly resize and position your windows.

Divvy is listed with current version 1.5.1.

Full profile and verified facts for Divvy →

Dockit

Dockit is a window manager for macOS. An application that can dock any window to the edge of the screen. It is open source.

Full profile and verified facts for Dockit →

Magnet

Magnet is a window manager for macOS. Window manager that keeps your workspace organized. It is released under Proprietary (perpetual licence). It is one-time purchase.

Strengths. Sold as a one-time purchase of $4.99 with a perpetual licence, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. Handles fullscreen, halves, quarters and thirds across up to six external displays, including vertical screens. Layouts can be applied by dragging, by keyboard shortcut, from the menu bar, or from the window’s green-button menu.

Trade-offs. Requires macOS 13 Ventura or later, so it will not run on older Macs. Only standard resizable windows are handled; the developer states that non-standard windows and Adobe Creative Suite releases older than 2017 are not supported. It can arrange windows within the active Space but not move them across Spaces. Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.

Not for. Windows or Linux users — Magnet is macOS only. Macs running macOS 12 or earlier — Magnet requires macOS 13 Ventura. Anyone who needs to move windows between Spaces — Magnet arranges windows only within the active Space.

What it does. Snap windows to halves, quarters and thirds by dragging to edges and corners. Customisable keyboard shortcuts for every layout. Menu bar icon and green-button menu for applying layouts. Fullscreen, halves, quarters and thirds across up to six external displays.

Magnet is listed with current version 3.0.7.

Full profile and verified facts for Magnet →

Rectangle

Rectangle is a window manager for macOS. Free, open-source macOS window manager that moves and resizes windows with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging them to screen edges and corners. It is released under MIT. It is freemium.

Strengths. Is free and open source under the MIT licence, with the source published on GitHub. According to the developer, supports macOS 10.15 and later on both Intel and Apple silicon. According to the developer, snap areas let windows be placed by dragging them to a screen edge or corner, and portrait layouts are supported.

Trade-offs. Custom shortcuts for any window size and position require the separate paid Rectangle Pro. Rectangle Pro is free for only 10 days before it must be purchased for US$9.99. It snaps windows to predefined positions rather than tiling them automatically, so it is not a tiling window manager. The free application covers a fixed set of sizes and positions; custom shortcuts for arbitrary sizes need Rectangle Pro. Rectangle Pro is a separate paid application rather than an in-app purchase, and it is free for only 10 days.

Not for. Anyone who wants automatic tiling window management, which is a different model from snapping to positions. Users on macOS 10.14 or earlier, since Rectangle requires 10.15 or later.

What it does. Move and resize windows with keyboard shortcuts. Repeat a shortcut to cycle through window sizes. Snap areas: drag a window to a screen edge or corner to snap it. Portrait display layouts supported.

Rectangle is listed with current version 2.0.3.

Full profile and verified facts for Rectangle →

yabai

yabai is a window manager for macOS. Tiling window manager for macOS that lays windows out with binary space partitioning and adds focus-follows-mouse, instant space switching and spaces beyond the built-in limit of 16. It is released under MIT.

Strengths. According to the developer, lays windows out automatically with a binary space partitioning algorithm, so the layout adapts as windows are opened and closed. Extends the built-in macOS window manager rather than replacing it, and is controlled from a command-line interface. Adds capabilities macOS does not have, including focus-follows-mouse, disabling space-switch animations, and creating spaces past the built-in limit of 16.

Trade-offs. Requires Accessibility API permission, and the application must be restarted before it works. Full functionality depends on changing several system settings, including enabling ‘Displays have separate Spaces’ and disabling ‘Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use’. The optional scripting addition needs System Integrity Protection to be partially disabled, and the author makes no recommendation about whether to do so. Screen Recording permission is required if you want window animations, and the app must be restarted afterwards. The Mission Control setting ‘Displays have separate Spaces’ must be enabled, in both older System Preferences and current System Settings.

Not for. Anyone who wants window management that works without granting accessibility access and adjusting system settings. Users who are not comfortable running a command-line tool that can, with SIP partly disabled, control the window server.

What it does. Automatic tiling layout using a binary space partitioning algorithm. Control of windows, spaces and displays from a command-line interface. User-defined keyboard shortcuts, typically through the companion skhd hotkey daemon. Focus-follows-mouse, so the window under the pointer takes focus.

yabai is listed with current version 7.1.25.

Full profile and verified facts for yabai →

How to choose

• No licence fee, source available. AeroSpace, Amethyst, Dimsum, Dockit and yabai — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
• One-time purchase. Contexts and Magnet — you pay once.
• Freemium. AltTab and Rectangle — free to use, with paid tiers for additional features.
• Pricing not published in our data. Dissolv and Divvy — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.

Open source: AeroSpace, AltTab, Amethyst, Dimsum, Dockit, Rectangle and yabai (7 of 11).

Common mistakes

• Installing a tiling manager when what you wanted was a snapping tool. Automatic tiling is a change in how you work, and it is the most common reason people uninstall one.
• Running two window managers at once. They will fight over the same windows, and the symptom is intermittent and confusing.
• Granting accessibility permissions without reading what they allow. These tools need them, and the permission is broad.
• Assuming a window manager will fix a workspace problem that is really about how many windows you keep open.

How this guide was put together

Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.

A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.

The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.

Verified 2026-10-05.