# Niri on macOS: every way to get the Niri workflow on a Mac Source: https://chainyourmac.com/niri-for-mac Updated: 2026-09-18 · Author: Ahmed Gagan (maker of ChainYourMac) Niri is a Linux compositor, so it will never run on macOS. **The workflow does.** Here are the real Niri-style options for Mac in 2026 — free and paid — and which one fits you. > **tl;dr:** Niri is a Wayland compositor, so a macOS port is impossible. On a Mac you get the same endless-strip workflow from a native app instead: [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) (paid, macOS 13 and later), [OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) (free, macOS 26 Tahoe only) or [PaperWM.spoon](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup) (free, Lua in Hammerspoon). If you're on Linux, just use Niri — it's excellent. ## Why everyone wants Niri's workflow [Niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri) is a scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor written in Rust. Instead of cramming windows into a grid, it lays them side by side on an **infinite horizontal strip**. Open a new window and it slides in next to the focused one — nothing else moves, nothing else resizes. You scroll through your windows the way you scroll a timeline. That one decision fixes the thing people quietly hate about traditional tiling: the reflow. In a grid tiler every new window renegotiates the whole layout. On Niri's strip your editor stays exactly as wide as you left it. It's no mystery why "niri macos" became a search query. ## Why Niri can't run on macOS — ever Niri isn't an app; it's a **compositor**. On Linux it replaces the whole display layer — it owns every pixel, every window, every monitor. macOS doesn't allow that: Apple's WindowServer is a fixed part of the operating system and no third-party software can swap it out. So a "Niri port" is off the table by architecture, not effort. Everything that brings scrollable tiling to macOS works *with* the system instead — moving windows through the Accessibility API while Apple's compositor keeps drawing them. ## Every Niri-style option on macOS (2026) As of September 2026 these are the real ways to get a scrolling strip on a Mac: | | ChainYourMac | OmniWM | PaperWM.spoon | Niri | |---|---|---|---|---| | Runs on | macOS 13+ (Apple silicon) | macOS 26 Tahoe+ (Apple silicon) | macOS, inside Hammerspoon | Linux only | | Layout | Scrolling strip + stacks, tabbed columns | Niri-style scrolling or Dwindle, per workspace | Scrolling strip | Scrolling strip | | Setup | Drag a DMG, GUI settings | Homebrew cask, GUI + TOML | Clone a Spoon, edit init.lua | Distro packages, config file | | SIP changes | None | None | None | n/a | | Price | $9.99 one time | Free, open source | Free, open source | Free, open source | | Support | Email the developer | GitHub | GitHub | GitHub | Also worth knowing: [Nehir](https://github.com/apphane-dev/nehir) is a scrolling-only fork of OmniWM, and [komorebi for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/komorebi-for-mac) (early, v0.1.x) lists a scrolling layout. Grid tilers like yabai and AeroSpace are *not* Niri alternatives — they reflow, which is exactly what Niri exists to avoid ([vs AeroSpace](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-aerospace), [vs yabai](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-yabai)). ## "Niri wasn't for Mac, so I made one" That sentence is how [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) started. It's the Niri *idea* rebuilt with Mac-native ergonomics: - **A Rust engine, like Niri** — shortcuts respond instantly, and motion is synced to your display's refresh rate (up to 120 Hz on ProMotion). No Electron anywhere. - **A trackpad swipe that follows your fingers** — three or four fingers sideways and the strip moves with you, then glides to the nearest window. - **Niri's column tricks** — stacks in both directions, tabbed columns, width presets, full width, and centering the focused column. - **A GUI for every setting** — gaps, width presets, focus behavior and [rebindable shortcuts](https://chainyourmac.com/#shortcuts) live in a settings window that applies instantly. No config file to maintain. - **macOS-native integration** — each display keeps its own strip, windows stay on their display, and your column layout survives a restart. ## Niri vs ChainYourMac, honestly They live on different operating systems, but if you're weighing a Linux setup against staying on your Mac: | | Niri | ChainYourMac | |---|---|---| | Platform | Linux (Wayland) | macOS 13+ on Apple silicon | | Price | Free, open source | $9.99 one time, lifetime | | Layout model | Infinite horizontal strip | Infinite horizontal strip | | Runs as | Full compositor (owns the display) | Native app via the Accessibility API | | Engine | Rust | Rust engine + SwiftUI app | | Configuration | Text config file | GUI, applies instantly | | Install | Distro packages, session setup | Drag DMG to Applications | Being a compositor gives Niri deeper control — it draws every frame itself. ChainYourMac works within Apple's compositor, which is exactly what makes it installable in two minutes on a normal, unmodified Mac. The honest side effect: macOS never lets an app push a window completely off screen, so a small tab of a hidden window can peek from a bottom corner. ## What transfers from Niri — and what doesn't Most of the muscle memory carries over. Focus moves along the strip with [Option+H / Option+L](https://chainyourmac.com/#shortcuts) (or Option+arrows) on a fresh install, Option+Shift moves the window, Option+R cycles a column through your width presets, Option+F goes full width and Option+C centers the column. Windows past the screen edge glide back in when focused — the same "your desk keeps going past the monitor" feeling. What's different is the surrounding system. You keep macOS: Spaces, Mission Control, your apps. What you give up is compositor-level theming — no shaders, no custom blur. ChainYourMac manages window geometry; Apple still draws the pixels. ## Which should you use? ### Use Niri if… - you run Linux, or you're happy to switch — it's free, open source and superb. ### Use OmniWM if… - you're already on macOS 26 Tahoe and want free and open source, with extras like scratchpads, an overview and a CLI ([full comparison](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm)). ### Use PaperWM.spoon if… - you already use Hammerspoon and enjoy maintaining a Lua setup ([setup guide](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup)). ### Use ChainYourMac if… - you're on macOS 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma, 15 Sequoia or 26 Tahoe and want the strip to feel built in; - you'd rather adjust settings in a GUI than maintain a config file; - you want a developer you can email when something is off. **The Niri workflow, on the Mac you already own.** Endless strip, stacks, tabbed columns and a trackpad swipe that follows your fingers — installed in two minutes on macOS 13 or later. Price and checkout: https://chainyourmac.com/#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Can I run Niri on macOS? No. Niri is a Wayland compositor — it replaces the display server of a Linux system. macOS's WindowServer can't be replaced, so Niri can never be ported. What you can get on a Mac is the same scrollable-tiling model as a native app: [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/), [OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) (macOS 26+) or [PaperWM.spoon](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-for-mac). ### What's the best Niri alternative for Mac? It depends on your macOS version and how much you like tinkering. On macOS 13–15, [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) is the polished native option. On macOS 26 Tahoe, [OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) is a strong free option. If you already live in Hammerspoon, [PaperWM.spoon](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup) is free and scriptable. Full ranking: [best scrolling window managers for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac). ### Is ChainYourMac a port of Niri? No. It's an independent macOS app built on the same scrolling model that Niri and [PaperWM](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-for-mac) use — it shares the idea and the strip layout, not Niri's code. It began with the maker's line: "Niri wasn't for Mac, so I made one." ### Is ChainYourMac written in Rust like Niri? The engine is. ChainYourMac pairs a Rust engine, which does the window management, with a native SwiftUI app for settings. No Electron, no web runtime. ### Do I need to disable SIP or edit a config file? No. ChainYourMac installs like any Mac app — drag the DMG to Applications and grant the standard Accessibility permission every window manager needs. Every setting has a GUI; no SIP changes, no kernel extensions. ### What are the default Niri-style shortcuts in ChainYourMac? On a fresh install: Option+H/L (or Option+←/→) moves focus along the strip, Option+Shift+H/L moves the window, Option+R cycles the column width, Option+F makes it full width and Option+C centers it. Every shortcut is rebindable — see [all shortcuts](https://chainyourmac.com/#shortcuts). ## Related - [Niri vs PaperWM](https://chainyourmac.com/niri-vs-paperwm-mac) — The two Linux originals compared — and what runs on macOS. - [ChainYourMac vs OmniWM](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](https://chainyourmac.com/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. - [PaperWM for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-for-mac) — The GNOME original, the Hammerspoon port, and the native option. - [Hyprland for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/hyprland-for-mac) — Hyprland can't run on macOS. The closest setups, and what you lose.