# AeroSpace alternatives for Mac: 7 honest picks

Source: https://chainyourmac.com/aerospace-alternatives  
Updated: 2026-09-18 · Author: Ahmed Gagan (maker of ChainYourMac)

AeroSpace is a great i3-like tiler, and most of what people leave it over are deliberate design choices. **If one of those choices doesn't suit you**, here's what else is out there and who each tool is for.

> **tl;dr:** The best AeroSpace alternative depends on why you're leaving. For a scrolling layout with a GUI, animations and a notarized app on macOS 13 or later, use [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/). For a free scrolling or dwindle tiler on macOS 26 Tahoe, use OmniWM. For scriptable BSP tiling, use yabai. If you only snap windows occasionally, Rectangle or Loop is enough. If what you love is i3-style trees, AeroSpace is still the one to beat.

## Why people look for an AeroSpace alternative

[AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) is an "i3-like", tree-based tiling window manager: free, MIT-licensed, with about 23.1k GitHub stars as of September 2026. It never needs SIP disabled. Most complaints about it are really its *deliberate* choices, so let's be fair about what they are:

- **Emulated workspaces.** AeroSpace ignores macOS Spaces. Windows on inactive workspaces are moved off to the bottom-right or bottom-left corner. It's part of a design that never needs SIP, but it can surprise you in Mission Control or when you look at the corners.
- **Public beta and not notarized.** The project is at v0.21.3-Beta (as of September 2026) and says to expect breaking changes until 1.0. The README says it isn't notarized, and the Homebrew cask (`brew install --cask nikitabobko/tap/aerospace`) removes the quarantine flag for you.
- **No configuration GUI, ever.** Everything lives in `~/.aerospace.toml`, and the README says there "will never" be a GUI.
- **Minimal visuals by design.** Borders, transparency and animations are non-goals. You get gaps and bar callbacks.
- **The layout model.** AeroSpace offers `tiles` and `accordion` layouts. Every new window splits space with the others, and there's no scrolling layout.

If none of these bother you, stay. If one does, here are the options.

## The alternatives at a glance

|  | Model | GUI settings | macOS | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChainYourMac | Scrolling strip | Yes | 13+, Apple silicon | $9.99 one time |
| OmniWM | Scrolling or Dwindle | Yes + TOML | 26+, Apple silicon | Free, GPL-2.0 |
| yabai | BSP / stack / float | Config file (~/.yabairc) | See README | Free, MIT |
| GlazeWM | i3-inspired tiling | See README | Mac support since March 2026 | Free, GPL-3.0 |
| Amethyst | Automatic layouts | See README | See README | See README |
| komorebi for Mac | Tiling, incl. scrolling | See README | See README | Free for personal use |
| Rectangle / Loop | Manual snapping (not tiling) | n/a | Loop: 13+ | Loop: free, GPL-3.0 |

## 1. ChainYourMac: best for scrolling tiling with a GUI

[ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) takes a different approach from AeroSpace's tree. Windows sit side by side on an endless horizontal strip, and **opening a window never resizes the others**. You scroll the strip with the keyboard or a 3- or 4-finger trackpad swipe. It's the Niri/PaperWM model, built as a native SwiftUI app with a Rust engine.

It covers several of AeroSpace's deliberate gaps: it's notarized by Apple, every setting lives in a GUI and applies instantly, and animation is synced to your display's refresh rate (up to 120 Hz on ProMotion). It has stacks and tabbed columns, which play a similar role to AeroSpace's accordion. It works with macOS Spaces instead of emulating them, and gives each display its own strip. It needs only the Accessibility permission and no SIP changes. The trade-offs: it's paid ($9.99 one time for a lifetime license), not open source, and Apple silicon only. Like any Mac window manager, it can't push a window fully off screen, so a small tab of a hidden window can show in a bottom corner. Full head-to-head: [ChainYourMac vs AeroSpace](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-aerospace).

## 2. OmniWM: best free option on macOS 26 Tahoe

[OmniWM](https://github.com/BarutSRB/OmniWM) lets you pick Niri-style scrolling or Hyprland-style Dwindle for each workspace. It's free and open source (GPL-2.0), notarized, needs no SIP changes, and is very actively developed (v0.7.0 as of September 2026). It has a settings GUI plus `settings.toml`, and adds extras like a quake terminal, scratchpads, an overview, a command palette and the `omniwmctl` CLI. The requirement to know about: **macOS 26 Tahoe or later on Apple silicon**. If you're on Tahoe and want free, it's a strong pick. Compared in detail: [ChainYourMac vs OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm).

## 3. yabai: best for scriptable BSP

[yabai](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai) is the veteran BSP tiler (MIT, about 29.6k stars, v7.1.25 as of September 2026), with `bsp`, `stack` and `float` layouts, configured from `~/.yabairc`. Hotkeys come from skhd or any similar tool. Tiling works with SIP on. Space management, animations and a few other extras need SIP partially disabled. See [yabai without SIP](https://chainyourmac.com/yabai-without-sip) for the exact list, and [ChainYourMac vs yabai](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-yabai).

## 4. GlazeWM: i3-inspired, new on macOS

[GlazeWM](https://github.com/glzr-io/glazewm) is "inspired by i3wm" and went cross-platform with v3.10.0 in March 2026 (`brew install --cask glzr-io/tap/glazewm`, GPL-3.0). If you liked AeroSpace's i3 flavour, it's worth a look. We couldn't verify how complete the Mac version is yet, so treat it as new.

## 5. Amethyst: automatic layouts, xmonad-style

Amethyst arranges windows into automatic layouts in the style of xmonad. Consider it if you want tiling that happens without you managing a tree. Our comparison: [ChainYourMac vs Amethyst](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-amethyst).

## 6. komorebi for Mac: early days

[komorebi for Mac](https://github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi-for-mac) is the macOS version of the Windows tiler, at v0.1.1 as of September 2026. Its CLI docs list a `scrolling` layout. Licensing matters here: it's free for personal use, but using it at work needs a paid commercial licence, and it isn't OSI open source. Install with `brew install lgug2z/tap/komorebi-for-mac`. More in [komorebi for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/komorebi-for-mac).

## 7. Rectangle or Loop: if you don't really want tiling

Some people leave AeroSpace because they don't want a tiler at all. Rectangle and [Loop](https://github.com/MrKai77/Loop) move and resize a window when you ask, and nothing more. Loop does it with a radial menu (free, GPL-3.0, macOS 13+). See [ChainYourMac vs Rectangle](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-rectangle) and [ChainYourMac vs Loop](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-loop).

## Who should use what

- **Stay on AeroSpace** if you love i3-style trees, want free and open source, and don't mind a TOML file and no animations.
- **ChainYourMac** if you want a layout that never reflows, a GUI, animations and a notarized app, on macOS 13 or later.
- **OmniWM** if you're on Tahoe and want free scrolling *and* dwindle, plus power-user extras.
- **yabai** if you want BSP you can script from the shell.
- **Rectangle or Loop** if you arrange a few windows now and then and don't need a manager.

**Tiling with a GUI, animations and a notarized app.** ChainYourMac lays your windows on a scrolling strip that never reflows, and every setting is a click away. Price and checkout: https://chainyourmac.com/#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon).

## FAQ

### What is the best AeroSpace alternative for Mac?

It depends on why you're leaving. For scrolling tiling with a GUI and animations on macOS 13 or later, [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/). For a free scrolling or dwindle tiler on macOS 26 Tahoe, [OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm). For scriptable BSP tiling, [yabai](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-yabai). If you only want to snap windows now and then, Rectangle or [Loop](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-loop).

### Why does AeroSpace move windows to the corner of the screen?

AeroSpace doesn't use macOS Spaces. It emulates its own workspaces, and windows on inactive workspaces are moved off to the bottom-right or bottom-left corner. That's a deliberate design choice, and AeroSpace never needs SIP disabled.

### Will AeroSpace get a settings GUI?

No. AeroSpace's README says it "will never have a configuration GUI". Configuration lives in `~/.aerospace.toml`. If you want a GUI, [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) and OmniWM both have one.

### Is there an AeroSpace alternative with animations?

Yes. AeroSpace lists animations as a non-goal. [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) animates windows in sync with your display's refresh rate (up to 120 Hz on ProMotion), and OmniWM also has refresh-rate-synced animations. yabai can animate windows only with SIP partially disabled.

### Do any AeroSpace alternatives avoid disabling SIP?

Yes. ChainYourMac and OmniWM need no SIP changes. yabai tiles with SIP on, but some features need it partially off (see [yabai without SIP](https://chainyourmac.com/yabai-without-sip)).

## Related

- [ChainYourMac vs AeroSpace](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-aerospace) — i3-style tree tiling vs the strip — and the Spaces question.
- [ChainYourMac vs OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it.
- [yabai without SIP](https://chainyourmac.com/yabai-without-sip) — What yabai does with SIP on, and the no-SIP alternatives.
- [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included.