# PaperWM for Mac: PaperWM.spoon vs a native app Source: https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-for-mac Updated: 2026-09-18 · Author: Ahmed Gagan (maker of ChainYourMac) PaperWM doesn't run on macOS. **PaperWM.spoon** is the free Hammerspoon port. ChainYourMac is the native app. Here's who should use which in 2026. > **tl;dr:** If you enjoy tinkering with Lua and want free, **PaperWM.spoon** is a genuinely good Hammerspoon port. If you want PaperWM's workflow as a polished, native Mac app — trackpad gestures, GUI settings, spring animations, zero scripting — that's [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) ($9.99, one time). ## Why people want PaperWM on macOS [PaperWM](https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM) is a GNOME Shell extension that replaces grid tiling with something calmer: every window sits on a horizontal strip that extends past the edge of the screen, and you scroll through it. Windows keep the size you gave them. Opening a new app never reshuffles your layout. Once that idea clicks, grid-based tiling feels chaotic — and macOS users started looking for the same thing. The problem: PaperWM is built on GNOME internals, so **it can never run on macOS**. What exists instead are recreations of the model. ## Option 1: PaperWM.spoon (Hammerspoon) [PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon) is a free, open-source Lua script that runs inside [Hammerspoon](https://www.hammerspoon.org/), the macOS automation toolkit. It faithfully recreates the scrolling layout: windows tile onto a strip, you slide focus left and right with keybindings, and off-screen windows park beyond the display edge. Being a script has real trade-offs, though. You install and maintain Hammerspoon itself, configure everything in `init.lua`, and debug by reading a Lua console. It does include trackpad swipe scrolling and mouse-wheel scrolling, and companion Spoons add extras. Its README is candid about the limits of the script layer: off-screen windows sit in a visible margin at the screen edges, windows dragged between Spaces are hard to detect, and multiple displays should be arranged vertically. It's a tinkerer's tool, and proudly so — our [PaperWM.spoon setup guide](https://chainyourmac.com/paperwm-spoon-setup) walks through it. ## Option 2: ChainYourMac (native app) [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/) is a native macOS app built around the same scrolling model: an [endless horizontal strip](https://chainyourmac.com/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) where new windows slot in at the edge and nothing else moves. The difference is the execution layer — a SwiftUI app with a Rust engine instead of a scripting layer: - **A trackpad swipe that follows your fingers** — three or four fingers sideways, then the strip glides to the nearest window, with motion synced to your display's refresh rate. - **A GUI for everything** — width presets, focus behavior, and [shortcut recording](https://chainyourmac.com/#shortcuts) are all settings panels, not config files. - **Per-display strips and Spaces** — each monitor and each macOS Space keeps its own independent layout. - **Window stacking** — pile related windows into one column on the strip and scroll them together. ## PaperWM.spoon vs ChainYourMac | | PaperWM.spoon | ChainYourMac | |---|---|---| | Price | Free, open source | $9.99 one time, lifetime | | Runs as | Lua script inside Hammerspoon | Native app (SwiftUI + Rust engine) | | Setup | Install Hammerspoon, edit init.lua | Drag DMG to Applications | | Configuration | Lua code | GUI settings, applied instantly | | Trackpad | Swipe scrolling built in | Yes — swipe follows your fingers | | Multiple displays | Arrange them vertically (README) | Any arrangement, one strip per display | | Multi-monitor | Yes | Yes — independent strip per display | | Window stacking | No | Yes | | SIP changes needed | No | No | | Support | Community / GitHub issues | Direct email from the developer | ## Which one should you pick? ### Choose PaperWM.spoon if… - you already use Hammerspoon and like configuring your tools in code; - free and open source is a hard requirement; - you want everything open source and scriptable in Lua. ### Choose ChainYourMac if… - you want the PaperWM workflow to feel like a built-in part of macOS — gestures, animations, and all; - you'd rather click a settings panel than maintain a Lua file; - you use multiple monitors or Spaces and want each to keep its own strip; - you value having someone to email when something's weird with your setup. Both are honest takes on the same great idea. The question is whether you want a project or a product. **PaperWM's workflow. Mac-native execution.** Endless strip, trackpad gestures, GUI config — running in two minutes, no scripting. Price and checkout: https://chainyourmac.com/#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Is there an official PaperWM for macOS? No. PaperWM itself is a GNOME Shell extension and only runs on Linux. On macOS you can approximate it with PaperWM.spoon (a Hammerspoon script), or use [ChainYourMac](https://chainyourmac.com/), a native app built around the same scrolling window model. ### What is PaperWM.spoon and is it free? PaperWM.spoon is a free, open-source Lua script for Hammerspoon that recreates PaperWM-style scrolling tiling on macOS. It's a solid project, but it requires installing Hammerspoon, editing Lua configuration, and living with the limits of a scripting layer — there's no GUI, and trackpad gestures and animations are limited compared to a native app. ### Does ChainYourMac work exactly like PaperWM? The core model is the same: windows sit side by side on a horizontal strip that scrolls, and new windows never resize existing ones. ChainYourMac adds Mac-native ergonomics on top — a trackpad swipe that follows your fingers, spring animations, a GUI for every setting, per-display strips, and macOS Spaces integration. ### Do I need to disable SIP or install anything unusual? No. ChainYourMac is a normal macOS app: download the DMG, drag it to Applications, grant the standard Accessibility permission that every window manager needs. No SIP changes, no kernel extensions, no Hammerspoon, no config files. ### How much does ChainYourMac cost? $9.99 one time for a lifetime license on 1 Mac during the 2.0 launch (first 20 licenses; $19.99 regular), with free updates forever. 3-Mac, 5-Mac, and 20-Mac licenses are also available on the [checkout page](https://shabgagan.gumroad.com/l/rqkbty?wanted=true&variant=Chain%20Your%20Mac%20Lifetime%20License%20%5B1%20Device%5D). It requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. ## Related - [Niri for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](https://chainyourmac.com/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. - [ChainYourMac vs yabai](https://chainyourmac.com/chainyourmac-vs-yabai) — Scrolling strip vs BSP tiling — and the SIP question. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](https://chainyourmac.com/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included.