# The best scrolling window managers for Mac in 2026

Source: https://chainyourmac.com/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac  
Updated: 2026-09-18 · Author: Ahmed Gagan (maker of ChainYourMac)

There are more real options than a year ago — including good free ones. **Which one is best depends mostly on your macOS version** and on how much tinkering you enjoy. Disclosure up front: ChainYourMac is ours.

> **tl;dr:** On **macOS 13–15**: [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) if you want a native app with GUI settings, or [PaperWM.spoon](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup) if you want free and enjoy Lua. On **macOS 26 Tahoe**: ChainYourMac or the free, open-source [OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) — both good; pick by taste. Want a grid instead of a strip? That's a different list (see the end).

| Option | Best for | macOS | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChainYourMac | A polished native strip, GUI settings, support | 13 Ventura+ | $9.99 one time |
| OmniWM | Free, open source, power features | 26 Tahoe+ | Free |
| PaperWM.spoon | Hammerspoon users who like Lua | Wherever Hammerspoon runs | Free |
| Nehir | OmniWM, narrowed to scrolling only | See README | Free |
| komorebi for Mac | komorebi users coming from Windows | See README | Free for personal use |
| ScrollDesktop.spoon | A ten-minute experiment | Wherever Hammerspoon runs | Free |

## How we judged

This site belongs to ChainYourMac, so we have a horse in this race. We keep the ranking useful by saying plainly where each alternative wins and who should *not* buy ours. The criteria:

- **Fidelity to the scrolling model** — windows on an endless strip, no reflow, scroll to navigate ([the model explained](https://chainyourmac.com/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager));
- **Which Macs it runs on** — the biggest practical filter in 2026;
- **Setup and upkeep** — from "drag to Applications" to "maintain a Lua config";
- **Support** — who answers when something breaks.

## ChainYourMac — native app for macOS 13 and later

*Disclosure again: this one is ours.* [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) is a native app — a SwiftUI interface over a Rust engine — built only around the strip. Shortcuts respond instantly and motion is synced to your display's refresh rate. You get stacks in both directions, tabbed columns, width presets, centering, gaps, Dock-aware sizing, a strip minimap, a three- or four-finger swipe that follows your fingers, drag-to-reorder, an independent strip per display, session restore and automatic updates. Every setting is in a GUI that applies instantly.

It runs on **macOS 13 Ventura through 26 Tahoe** on Apple silicon, it's notarized, and it needs only the Accessibility permission. It's $9.99 one time for a lifetime license.

**Who shouldn't buy it:** anyone who wants open source on principle, and Tahoe users who are already happy with OmniWM.

## OmniWM — the strong free option, if you're on Tahoe

[OmniWM](https://github.com/BarutSRB/OmniWM) is free and open source (GPL-2.0), notarized, needs no SIP changes and is very actively developed — v0.7.0 shipped on 16 September 2026. Each workspace can use Niri-style scrolling or a Hyprland-style Dwindle layout, and it packs extras: a Ghostty-powered quake terminal, scratchpads, an overview, a command palette and a CLI. It has a settings GUI plus a TOML file.

The catch is the requirement: **macOS 26 Tahoe or later** on Apple silicon. If your Mac is on Sequoia or earlier, it isn't an option. Head-to-head: [ChainYourMac vs OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm).

## PaperWM.spoon — best free option before Tahoe

[PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon) is a free, MIT-licensed Lua script for [Hammerspoon](https://www.hammerspoon.org/) that faithfully recreates PaperWM's layout, and it's actively maintained. It has built-in trackpad swipe scrolling and companion Spoons for extras.

The trade-offs come with being a script. You install Hammerspoon, clone the Spoon, change two Mission Control settings and configure it in `init.lua`. Its README asks for multiple displays to be arranged vertically. Its issue tracker shows the usual script-layer rough edges: some apps' windows mis-tiled, and state lost after sleep. **Verdict: the best free choice on macOS 13–15, if Hammerspoon appeals to you.** Setup walkthrough: [PaperWM.spoon setup and troubleshooting](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup).

## Nehir and komorebi for Mac — worth watching

[Nehir](https://github.com/apphane-dev/nehir) is an opinionated fork of OmniWM that keeps only the Niri-style scrolling layout, configured through TOML files plus a settings window. [komorebi for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/komorebi-for-mac) is the macOS version of the Windows tiler. It's at v0.1.x as of September 2026, lists a scrolling layout, and is free for personal use but paid for work use. Both are early; check their READMEs for requirements.

## ScrollDesktop.spoon — a minimal experiment

[ScrollDesktop.spoon](https://github.com/jocap/ScrollDesktop.spoon) is a much smaller Hammerspoon script that makes the desktop pannable. Think of it as a proof of concept rather than a full window manager. Fun for ten minutes; not a daily driver.

## How to choose in 30 seconds

1. **Check your macOS version** (Apple menu → About This Mac). On 26 Tahoe you can choose between ChainYourMac and OmniWM. On 13–15, it's ChainYourMac or PaperWM.spoon.
2. **Decide how much you enjoy maintaining tools.** If a Lua config sounds like a fun weekend, PaperWM.spoon. If you want to drag an app to Applications and be done, a native app.
3. **Try the model before committing.** The live demo on this page is a working model of the strip — press ← → or swipe.

## Often mentioned, but not scrolling

Lists like this love to include yabai, AeroSpace and Amethyst. All three are excellent — and all three are **grid tilers**: every new window subdivides the screen and resizes its neighbours, which is exactly what the scrolling model avoids. Honest comparisons: [vs yabai](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-yabai), [vs AeroSpace](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-aerospace), [vs Amethyst](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-amethyst). Snappers like Rectangle and Loop are a third category — see [vs Rectangle](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-rectangle) and [vs Loop](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-loop).

**On macOS 13, 14, 15 or 26? The strip is two minutes away.** Native scrollable tiling — a trackpad swipe that follows your fingers, stacks, tabbed columns, GUI settings, no scripting. Price and checkout: https://chainyourmac.com/#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon).

## FAQ

### How many scrolling window managers exist for macOS?

As of September 2026 the real options are ChainYourMac (native app, macOS 13+), OmniWM (open source, macOS 26+), Nehir (a scrolling-only fork of OmniWM), komorebi for Mac (early, v0.1.x, lists a scrolling layout), and the Hammerspoon scripts PaperWM.spoon and ScrollDesktop.spoon. yabai, AeroSpace and Amethyst are often mentioned alongside them, but they're grid tilers.

### What's the best free scrolling window manager for Mac?

On macOS 26 Tahoe, [OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) — free, open source, notarized, with a settings GUI. On older macOS versions, [PaperWM.spoon](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup), if you're comfortable with Hammerspoon and Lua.

### Is ChainYourMac worth paying for when free options exist?

If you're on macOS 13–15, the free native option (OmniWM) isn't available to you, and the free alternative is a Lua script. ChainYourMac buys you a native app with GUI settings, a trackpad swipe that follows your fingers, stacks, tabbed columns and a developer you can email. If you're on Tahoe and happy with OmniWM, it's genuinely a fine choice.

### Do any of these require disabling SIP?

ChainYourMac, OmniWM and PaperWM.spoon don't. They work through the macOS Accessibility permission (OmniWM also asks for Input Monitoring). The SIP question belongs to [yabai](https://chainyourmac.com/yabai-without-sip), whose optional scripting addition needs SIP partially disabled.

### Which macOS versions do they support?

ChainYourMac: macOS 13 Ventura and later on Apple silicon. OmniWM: macOS 26 Tahoe and later on Apple silicon. PaperWM.spoon: whatever Hammerspoon supports. For Nehir and komorebi for Mac, check each project's README.

## Related

- [Niri for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared.
- [ChainYourMac vs OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it.
- [PaperWM.spoon setup guide](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup) — Install, configure and troubleshoot PaperWM.spoon on macOS.
- [Scrolling window managers, explained](https://chainyourmac.com/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling.