# Ribbon vs AeroSpace

> AeroSpace tiles windows i3-style from a TOML config. Ribbon puts them on a scrolling strip you swipe along. How they differ, and which suits you.

Source: https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/ribbon-vs-aerospace · Updated 2026-10-23

**AeroSpace** and **Ribbon** both keep your windows from overlapping and both run from the keyboard. They come from different traditions, though: AeroSpace from **i3**, Ribbon from **PaperWM and niri**. That decides almost everything about how they feel.

## The short version

- **Pick AeroSpace** if you want an i3-style tree of splits, its own fast workspaces, and a setup you keep in a text file. It's free and open source.
- **Pick Ribbon** if you want every window to stay full height and usable however many you open, a trackpad swipe to move through them, and settings you can click.

## Side by side

| | AeroSpace | Ribbon |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | i3-style tree: splits and accordions that fill the screen | A strip of full-height columns that runs past the screen's edges |
| Opening a window | The others shrink to make room | It's added as a column, and nothing shrinks |
| Workspaces | Its own, replacing macOS Spaces | Works alongside macOS; one strip per display |
| Trackpad | Not the focus | Three- or four-finger swipes that follow your fingers |
| Where you are | Workspace names, if you add a status bar | A strip map that floats up as you move, in six styles |
| Setup | A TOML config file | A settings window, plus ribbon:// URLs, a CLI and Raycast scripts |
| Price | Free, open source | $15 once, 7-day free trial |
| Requires | macOS (see its docs) | macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon |

## The layout is the difference

In AeroSpace, the windows in a workspace share the screen. Two windows get half each. Open a third and you have to decide where it goes in the tree, and something gets narrower. On a big monitor that's fine. On a 14-inch laptop, the third or fourth window is often too narrow to use, so you end up juggling workspaces.

In Ribbon, a window's width is its own. Open a third or a tenth window and it slides in beside the one you're in, at a width that suits it (⅓, ½, ⅔ or full, with ⌃⌥R and ⌃⌥F). The screen scrolls along the strip to whatever has focus. You trade "everything visible at once" for "everything usable at once".

## Moving around

AeroSpace is keyboard-first: focus by direction, move by direction, switch workspaces by name. It's very fast once it's in your fingers.

Ribbon is keyboard *and* trackpad. ⌃⌥ ← → moves focus, ⇧ carries the window with you, ⌃⌥1–9 jumps straight to a column. A three-finger swipe moves the strip with your fingers, one to one, and flicking carries it on. A strip map shows every window while you move, so you can find one without remembering its number.

## Setup and tinkering

AeroSpace is configured in `~/.aerospace.toml`, with commands you bind to keys. If you like your setup in version control, that's a feature.

Ribbon has a settings window for shortcuts, gaps, widths, focus behaviour and per-app rules ("always float", or "always in this place on the strip"). For scripting, there are `ribbon://` URLs, a `ribbon` command-line tool and Raycast scripts.

## Switching from AeroSpace

1. Quit AeroSpace and stop it launching at login.
2. [Install Ribbon](https://www.ribbonmac.com/) and give it Accessibility access.
3. Remap any shortcuts you'd like to keep in Ribbon's Settings.
4. If you used AeroSpace workspaces to group projects, try one long strip with ⌃⌥1–9 to jump around first. Many people find they no longer need the grouping.

You can [try the strip in your browser](https://www.ribbonmac.com/#drive) before you install anything.

## FAQ

### Is Ribbon an AeroSpace alternative?

Yes, if what you want from AeroSpace is windows that never overlap and keyboard control. The difference is the layout: AeroSpace splits the screen between windows, while Ribbon gives every window a full-height column on a strip that scrolls, so windows don't shrink as you open more.

### Can I use Ribbon and AeroSpace together?

No. Both arrange the same windows, so running them at once makes them fight. Quit one before trying the other.

### Does Ribbon replace macOS workspaces like AeroSpace does?

No. Ribbon works alongside macOS rather than replacing its workspaces with its own. Each display has its own strip, and full-screen, minimised and hidden windows keep their place on it.