# A Stage Manager alternative for Mac

> Stage Manager piles most of your windows up at the side. Ribbon keeps every window full height on a strip you swipe along. A Stage Manager alternative.

Source: https://www.ribbonmac.com/guides/stage-manager-alternative · Updated 2026-10-23

**Stage Manager**, added in macOS Ventura, puts the app you're using in the middle of the screen and shrinks everything else into a pile of thumbnails down the left side. It's a good idea, focus on one thing, but a lot of people turn it off within a week. Here's why, and what to use instead.

## What people like about Stage Manager

- **Focus.** One app, front and centre, without the clutter behind it.
- **Grouping.** You can put a couple of windows together as a set.
- **No setup.** It's built into macOS.

## Where it gets in the way

- **Thumbnails eat space.** The side strip takes width away from the window you're using, which hurts on a laptop.
- **Your other windows are out of sight.** They're small, stacked and easy to lose track of.
- **The order changes.** The thumbnails reshuffle as you switch, so muscle memory never quite forms.
- **Overlap is still there.** Windows in a set can still sit on top of each other.

## Ribbon: focus, without the pile

[Ribbon](https://www.ribbonmac.com/) keeps what's good about Stage Manager, one or two windows filling your screen, and fixes the rest:

- **Every window is full height.** Each gets its own column on a strip that runs past the edges of the screen, at ⅓, ½, ⅔ or full width.
- **Nothing is shrunk into a thumbnail.** The windows you're not using are real, full-size windows, just off the edge of the screen.
- **The order stays put.** Windows stay where you put them on the strip, so "the browser is two to the left" becomes something your hands know.
- **Moving is one gesture.** A three-finger swipe slides the strip with your fingers. ⌃⌥ ← → steps one window at a time, and ⌃⌥1–9 jumps.
- **You never get lost.** A strip map floats up while you move, showing every window and where you are.

## Stage Manager vs Ribbon

| | Stage Manager | Ribbon |
|---|---|---|
| Window you're using | Centre stage, at any size | A full-height column, ⅓ to full width |
| Other windows | Thumbnails at the side | Full-size, on the strip beside you |
| Order | Changes as you switch | Stays where you put it |
| Overlap | Possible within a set | Never |
| Moving between windows | Click a thumbnail | Swipe, shortcut or click on the map |
| Price | Built in | $15 once, 7-day free trial |

## Switching

1. Turn Stage Manager off in Control Centre, or in **System Settings → Desktop & Dock**.
2. [Install Ribbon](https://www.ribbonmac.com/) and grant Accessibility access.
3. Open your usual apps. Each one slides in as a column beside the last.

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

## FAQ

### What's a good alternative to Stage Manager?

If you like Stage Manager's focus on one or two windows but not losing everything else in a pile, try a scrolling window manager like Ribbon. The window you're using fills the screen's height, and the rest wait in order on either side, one swipe away.

### Should I turn off Stage Manager to use Ribbon?

Yes. Both arrange the same windows, so use one or the other. You can turn Stage Manager off from Control Centre or in System Settings → Desktop & Dock.