# The best window managers for Mac, by how they work

> Snapping, tiling or scrolling? The best Mac window managers, with Rectangle, Magnet, AeroSpace, yabai, Amethyst, Loop and Ribbon compared by how they work.

Source: https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/best-window-managers-for-mac · Updated 2026-10-23

"Window manager" covers three very different kinds of app on the Mac. Picking the right *kind* matters more than picking the right app, so this guide groups them by how they work.

## The three kinds

- **Snappers** move one window at a time into a half, a third or a quarter of the screen when you ask. They don't keep a layout. Examples: Rectangle, Magnet, Loop, and macOS's own tiling.
- **Tilers** keep every window in a grid that fills the screen. Open a window and the others shrink to make room. Examples: AeroSpace, yabai, Amethyst.
- **Scrollers** put every window in a column on a strip that runs past the screen's edges. Open a window and the strip grows, and nothing shrinks. Example: Ribbon.

## At a glance

| App | Kind | Price | Driven by | Config |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| macOS tiling | Snapper | Built in | Drag, menu, keys | System Settings |
| Rectangle | Snapper | Free (paid Pro) | Keys, drag to edges | Settings window |
| Magnet | Snapper | Paid, Mac App Store | Keys, drag to edges | Settings window |
| Loop | Snapper | Free | A radial menu | Settings window |
| Amethyst | Tiler | Free | Keys | Settings window |
| AeroSpace | Tiler (i3-style) | Free | Keys | TOML file |
| yabai | Tiler (BSP) | Free | Keys, via skhd | Shell commands |
| Ribbon | Scroller | $15 once | Trackpad and keys | Settings window |

## Snappers

### macOS's built-in tiling

Since macOS Sequoia, you can drag a window to the edge of the screen to fill half of it, to a corner to fill a quarter, or use **Window → Move & Resize** in any app. It's free and already there. It doesn't keep a layout, though: you place every window yourself, every time. [How to tile windows on a Mac](https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/how-to-tile-windows-on-mac) covers the shortcuts.

### Rectangle

A free, open-source app with keyboard shortcuts for halves, thirds, quarters and more, plus snap areas when you drag. It's the default recommendation for good reason. Rectangle Pro adds paid extras like saved layouts.

### Magnet

A paid app from the Mac App Store that does what Rectangle does, with a polished settings window. Pick it if you'd rather buy from the App Store.

### Loop

A free, open-source snapper that puts the choices on a radial menu: hold a trigger key and point the way you want the window to go.

**Pick a snapper if** you mostly use one or two windows and just want them placed quickly. See [Ribbon vs Rectangle and Magnet](https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/ribbon-vs-rectangle).

## Tilers

### AeroSpace

A free, open-source tiling window manager modelled on i3. It's keyboard-first, configured in a TOML file, and uses its own workspaces instead of macOS Spaces. It's popular with developers who came from Linux. See [Ribbon vs AeroSpace](https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/ribbon-vs-aerospace).

### yabai

A free, open-source tiler that arranges windows with binary space partitioning and is controlled from the command line, usually together with a hotkey daemon such as skhd. Some of its features need System Integrity Protection to be partly turned off. See [Ribbon vs yabai](https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/ribbon-vs-yabai).

### Amethyst

A free, open-source tiler inspired by xmonad, with a choice of layouts (tall, wide, columns, full screen and more) and a normal settings window. It's the friendliest of the tilers to set up. See [Ribbon vs Amethyst](https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/ribbon-vs-amethyst).

**Pick a tiler if** you work on a big display, want to see many windows at once, and like a strictly keyboard-driven grid.

## Scrollers

### Ribbon

[Ribbon](https://www.ribbonmac.com/) is a scrolling window manager for macOS, in the tradition of PaperWM and niri on Linux. Every window gets a full-height column on a strip. You glide along it with a three-finger swipe that follows your fingers, or with ⌃⌥ ← →. A strip map floats up while you move, so you never lose your place. It's set up in a normal settings window, with no config files, and it puts your windows back if you quit.

It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Apple silicon. There's a 7-day free trial, then it's $15 once.

There's also **PaperWM.spoon**, a free Hammerspoon script that recreates the PaperWM strip if you're comfortable scripting in Lua.

**Pick a scroller if** you keep lots of windows open, work on a laptop screen, or want every window to stay full size. See [What is a scrolling window manager?](https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager).

## How to choose

1. **One or two windows at a time?** A snapper: Rectangle, or macOS's own tiling.
2. **Many small windows visible at once, on a big screen?** A tiler: AeroSpace if you like config files, Amethyst if you don't.
3. **Many full-size windows, a laptop, or a trackpad?** A scroller: Ribbon.

You can also combine them. Ribbon leaves dialogs and fixed-size windows floating, so a snapper still works for those.

## FAQ

### What is the best window manager for Mac?

It depends on how you work. For occasional halves and thirds, a snapping app like Rectangle. For a strict keyboard-driven grid, a tiling manager like AeroSpace. For many full-size windows on one screen, especially a laptop, a scrolling window manager like Ribbon.

### Does macOS have a built-in window manager?

macOS has basic tiling built in: since macOS Sequoia you can drag a window to the edge of the screen, or use the Window menu, to fill half or a quarter of it. It doesn't keep a layout or move other windows for you.

### Are there free window managers for Mac?

Yes. Rectangle, AeroSpace, yabai, Amethyst and Loop are free and open source. Magnet and Ribbon are paid, once, with no subscription.