# Glidro — full Markdown page collection Collection generated: 2026-10-12 This date records when the collection was assembled. It does not change the publication or update date of any page below. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/ Mirror file: /index.md # Glidro — The Scrolling Window Manager for macOS > Your windows sit side by side on an endless horizontal strip. Opening a new app never squashes the others — you just scroll. Like PaperWM or Niri, but native to the Mac. - **Buy now:** https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy - **Purchase:** https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy (private download link and license key delivered after payment) - **Current release:** 1.0.0; Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. - **Requires:** macOS 13 Ventura or later on Apple silicon (M1 or newer). - **License:** perpetual, one active Mac, future updates included. - **Launch offer:** $9.99 before applicable taxes, reduced from $19.99. Launch discount applies automatically at Creem checkout; no code entry is needed. ## Layouts and controls Scrolling keeps managed column widths stable when new windows open. New windows open beside the focused one by default; placement at the end is configurable. Stacks and tabbed columns group windows; native fullscreen windows keep macOS behavior. Default scrolling widths are **25%, 35%, 65% and 75%**. Four-finger window swipes start enabled, with adjustable finger count, direction and sensitivity in Controls → Trackpad. Native drag/drop uses **Fn** by default; edges insert, with configurable center behavior. The website demo shows the scrolling strip and simplifies native dragging. Interior scrolling columns can center. The first and last columns remain pinned to the strip edges. macOS can retain narrow offscreen remnants, usually masked by Glidro in focused scrolling layouts. The app pages are **Layout, Controls, Apps, Settings and Help**. Apps includes or excludes apps from tiling; fixed strip slots are not a current feature. Settings apply instantly. Grant Glidro Accessibility first, then follow the engine access step if onboarding requests it. ## Default keyboard shortcuts - Focus: Option+H/J/K/L or Option+arrows. - Move window: Option+Shift with the same directional keys. - Cycle scrolling width: Option+R. - Full width: Option+F. - Center interior column: Option+C; edge columns stay pinned. - Stack left/right: Option+] / Option+[. - Pop out right/left: Option+Shift+] / Option+Shift+[. - Tabbed column: **Option+D**. - Next width preset / smaller preset: **Control+Option+Shift+= / -**. - Taller/shorter: Control+Option+= / -. - Equalize heights: Control+Option+0. - Next display: Option+N. - Float/tile: Control+Option+T. Custom bindings take priority. Missing actions receive shipped defaults when their keys are free. Controls → Keyboard supports multiple bindings and non-US layouts. ## Extra controls Option+mouse wheel navigates windows. Native left/right edge dragging changes column width. Optional focus follows the pointer. Help can copy app and macOS details for a support report. ## Activation, privacy and recovery Creem provides checkout, receipts and licenses. The private app download link is delivered after payment. Paid activation/validation uses the network and can send the license key, random Keychain device ID, device proof/public key, activation ID and computer name at activation. The app has no usage analytics or tracking. A signed offline lease lasts up to 14 days before online validation. Contact Glidro support to move an active license to another Mac. Unexpected engine exits get up to five recovery attempts in a 120-second window, then require manual Resume. Intentional Pause stays paused. The private app download link is delivered after payment. Glidro checks its signed update feed for new releases. Supported automation: `macglide://action/` and `GlidroEngine send-cmd`. ## Guides and links - [Setup](/setup) · [Privacy](/privacy) · [Terms](/terms) - [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac) · [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac) - [Scrolling explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) · [Best scrolling managers](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) - [vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) · [vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) · [vs Amethyst](/glidro-vs-amethyst) · [vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) · [vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) · [vs Loop](/glidro-vs-loop) Support: [Glidro support](mailto:support@glidro.app). Support is available by email at support@glidro.app. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/setup Mirror file: /setup.md # Set up Glidro For Glidro 1.0.0. The app is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple; the private download link and license key are delivered after payment. A license is required to activate. ## Requirements - Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer), macOS 13 Ventura or later. - Accessibility access through Glidro's guided onboarding. No SIP changes are required. - A built-in trackpad or Magic Trackpad for multi-finger gestures. ## Install and activate 1. After payment, download Glidro using the private link delivered with your purchase. Your license key is delivered with your receipt. Earlier purchasers can use their original purchase delivery or contact Glidro support. 2. Move Glidro into Applications and open it from there. 3. Enter the license key delivered through Creem, or your existing Payhip license key. One key supports **one active Mac**. To move an active license to another Mac, contact [Glidro support](mailto:support@glidro.app). 4. Follow the app's Accessibility onboarding. The signed and notarized app uses the normal macOS install flow. Open Glidro from Applications and follow the permission steps. ## Allow Accessibility Grant **Glidro** Accessibility access first in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Return to onboarding and check access; grant **Glidro Engine** access only if its check still asks for it. In Settings, both permission rows should show **Ready**. If approvals stayed stale after an update, use **Repair Access**, re-enable the fresh entries in System Settings, then choose **Resume** from the menu bar. ## Set up your scrolling layout Open Glidro from the menu bar. Glidro uses a horizontal scrolling strip with stable column widths. Native fullscreen windows keep their own macOS behavior. In **Layout**, adjust gaps, focus behavior and new-window placement. New windows open beside the focused window by default; placement at the end is configurable. Scrolling width presets start at **25%, 35%, 65% and 75%**. **Option+R** cycles presets, **Option+F** toggles full width, and **Option+C** centers an interior column. The first and last columns stay pinned to the strip edges. ## Configure trackpad gestures Fresh installs enable four-finger window swipes. Open **Controls → Trackpad → Window swipes**. **Swipe through windows** enables the gesture; **Fingers** selects three or four, **Direction** sets Natural or Reversed, and **Swipe sensitivity** adjusts movement. Workspace swipes are configured separately. Avoid using the same gesture for macOS desktop switching. In System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures, turn off **Swipe between full-screen applications** for four-finger Glidro navigation, or reserve four fingers for macOS and choose three fingers in Glidro. For three-finger Glidro swipes, turn off Three Finger Drag under Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options, and use two fingers for Swipe between pages. System behavior varies; test the combination on your Mac. Mission Control and App Exposé use vertical gestures. ## Configure macOS In System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Mission Control, turn off **Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use**, and turn on **Displays have separate Spaces**. Log out if macOS requests it. Turn off Stage Manager while Glidro manages your windows. On macOS 15 and later, disable competing window-tiling drag gestures in Desktop & Dock → Windows. Display arrangements work side by side or vertically; macOS can constrain how far windows move toward another display. ## Find settings and shortcuts Relevant pages include **Layout, Controls, Apps, Settings and Help & Support**. **Controls → Keyboard** records custom shortcuts, with several bindings per action. **Option+D** toggles a tabbed column. **Control+Option+Shift+=** selects the next width preset; **Control+Option+Shift+-** selects a smaller width preset. Existing custom bindings take priority when missing actions receive available shipped defaults. In **Apps**, find an app and turn on **Use with Glidro** to include its windows in tiling. Native fullscreen windows stay managed by macOS; exit fullscreen before expecting a window to join the scrolling strip. Drag a window by its title bar to reorder it. The website demo uses simplified dragging. ## Control reference **Menu bar** — Quick Settings toggles focus follows pointer, focus border, dim other windows and trackpad gestures. **Layout → Focus appearance** — Focus follows pointer is optional and off by default. Enable a focus border or dim other windows, then adjust dimming strength. **The control window and Pause** — Closing the control window leaves the engine running. With Glidro active, Window → Open Glidro (Command+0) reopens it. The title-bar button collapses or expands the sidebar. Pause stops tiling and restores original positions and sizes for managed windows that can be restored safely; intentional Pause stays paused. Quit waits for restoration, with a bounded timeout. **Help** — Copy details includes the Glidro version/build, macOS version and engine status. It does not read window titles, configuration or license keys. What’s new shows bundled release notes when they match the installed version. ## Updates and troubleshooting Your private download link and license key are delivered after payment. Future updates are included with the license. Glidro checks its signed update feed for new releases. - **The engine needs Accessibility, or windows do not move:** In Settings, check that both **Glidro** and **Glidro Engine** show **Ready**. If access is missing, use **Open Settings** and enable Glidro first; grant engine access only if its check still requests it. If approvals stayed stale after an update, use **Repair Access** and re-enable the entries. Then choose **Resume** from the menu bar. Success: both rows show **Ready** and an eligible window joins the scrolling strip. - **One app stays outside the strip, or a fullscreen window remains on its Space:** In **Apps**, find the app and turn on **Use with Glidro**. Exit native macOS fullscreen to put that window in the scrolling strip. Success: an ordinary window from the enabled app appears in its workspace. - **A swipe does nothing or changes macOS desktops:** Open **Controls → Trackpad → Window swipes** and check **Swipe through windows**, **Fingers**, **Direction**, and **Swipe sensitivity**. Turn off **Swipe between full-screen applications** in System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures when it uses the same finger count; for three-finger Glidro swipes, turn off Three Finger Drag in Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options. Success: a horizontal swipe changes the active window/column without changing macOS Spaces. - **Offline license expired:** Connect to the internet and activate with your Creem license key or existing Payhip license key. If the license is already active on its allowed Mac and you need to move it, contact [Glidro support](mailto:support@glidro.app). - Hidden-window corners: macOS can retain narrow offscreen remnants, usually masked by Glidro in focused scrolling layouts. - Still stuck: use Help or contact [Glidro support](mailto:support@glidro.app), including macOS version, Glidro version, affected app and steps to reproduce. ## Practical window guides - [PDF and notes](/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac) — Keep source material readable while you take notes. - [Excel workbooks](/excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac) — Compare files and add reports to your window layout. - [Coding on a MacBook](/macbook-coding-window-setup) — Keep your editor, browser and terminal within reach. - [Moving from Windows](/windows-snap-layouts-on-mac) — Choose native tiling, fixed snapping or scrolling columns. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/aerospace-alternatives Mirror file: /aerospace-alternatives.md # AeroSpace alternatives for Mac: 7 honest picks Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /aerospace-alternatives Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. 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 native app with GUI settings on macOS 13 or later, use [Glidro](/). 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 | |---|---|---|---|---| | Glidro | Scrolling strip | Yes | 13+, Apple silicon | $9.99 before applicable taxes 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. Glidro: best for scrolling tiling with a GUI [Glidro](/) 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 the Glidro Engine. It covers several of AeroSpace's deliberate gaps: it needs no SIP changes, every setting lives in a GUI and applies instantly, and navigation uses keyboard commands and trackpad input. 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 before applicable taxes 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: [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-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: [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-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](/yabai-without-sip) for the exact list, and [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-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: [Glidro vs Amethyst](/glidro-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](/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 [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) and [Glidro vs Loop](/glidro-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. - **Glidro** if you want a layout that never reflows, a native app with GUI settings, 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 native app with GUI settings.** Glidro lays your windows on a scrolling strip that never reflows, and every setting is a click away. Price and checkout: /#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 on macOS 13 or later, [Glidro](/). For a free scrolling or dwindle tiler on macOS 26 Tahoe, [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm). For scriptable BSP tiling, [yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai). If you only want to snap windows now and then, Rectangle or [Loop](/glidro-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, [Glidro](/) and OmniWM both have one. ### Is there an AeroSpace alternative with animations? AeroSpace lists animations as a non-goal. OmniWM lists refresh-rate-synced animations, while yabai can animate windows with SIP partially disabled. Glidro's browser demo motion is illustrative; it does not promise production spring animation. ### Do any AeroSpace alternatives avoid disabling SIP? Yes. Glidro and OmniWM need no SIP changes. yabai tiles with SIP on, but some features need it partially off (see [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip)). ## Related - [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) — i3-style tree tiling vs the strip — and the Spaces question. - [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it. - [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip) — What yabai does with SIP on, and the no-SIP alternatives. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac Mirror file: /best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac.md # Choosing a scrolling window manager for your Mac Source: https://glidro.app/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro The best scrolling window manager for your Mac depends on your macOS version and how much configuration you want to do. Glidro provides an app interface, PaperWM.spoon works inside Hammerspoon, Paneru suits a file-based setup, and OmniWM offers multiple layouts on newer Apple silicon Macs. All four are worth a look if you want to move through a strip of windows while keeping each column at a useful width. This comparison is published by Glidro. We checked each project's public documentation and release notes on 12 October 2026. Inclusion requires a scrolling window layout that runs on macOS. We have not installed every option or run performance and reliability tests, so use the table to narrow your choices and verify current requirements in the linked project docs. ## Check these differences first
ToolMac requirementsSetup and permissionsUseful fit
[Glidro](https://glidro.app/)Apple silicon; macOS 13+Mac app settings; Accessibility onboardingScrolling columns, width controls, stacks, tabs and a strip map
[PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon)Hammerspoon-compatible macOS; check its current docsHammerspoon and Lua; trackpad swipe is configurableFree script for people already using Hammerspoon; read its display notes
[Paneru](https://github.com/karinushka/paneru)macOS; see current release/docs for supported versionsCommand line; TOML or Lua; Accessibility for its running binaryOpen-source setup with live config reload; see its off-screen and monitor guidance
[OmniWM](https://github.com/OmniNull/OmniWM)Apple silicon; macOS 26+; separate Spaces enabledApp settings and config; Accessibility and Input MonitoringFree scrolling containers plus Dwindle layout and CLI/IPC
The project links are the source of truth for compatibility and permission changes. PaperWM.spoon and Paneru do not state a simple matching minimum-version row here, so check their current docs against your Mac before installing. ## Glidro for an app interface Glidro keeps layout controls in its Mac interface. You can change column widths, spacing, gestures and shortcut bindings, then use keyboard navigation or trackpad scrolling to move through your windows. Stacks and tabbed columns help when several windows belong together. Its strip map gives you a way to find a window beyond the screen edge. Consider it if these controls are useful and you prefer a paid app to maintaining a scripting setup. The Glidro 1.0.0 build 244 download is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Start with the [interactive demo](https://glidro.app/#demo) to understand the layout, then check the [setup requirements](https://glidro.app/setup) for the Mac app. ## PaperWM with Hammerspoon PaperWM.spoon is a free scrolling option inside Hammerspoon. Its Lua setup is a good fit if you already maintain Hammerspoon bindings, and its README supports configurable trackpad swipes. The same README notes that macOS keeps fully off-screen windows visible at the screen edge and recommends arranging displays vertically to prevent windows bleeding across screens. Our [PaperWM for Mac guide](https://glidro.app/paperwm-for-mac) explains that choice in more detail. ## Paneru for configuration files Paneru provides a scrolling strip with an open-source, command-line route. It accepts TOML or Lua configuration (one active route at a time) and reloads the active file when you change it. Installation options include Cargo, Homebrew and Nix; the running binary needs Accessibility access. That makes it an option for people who want their window settings alongside other configuration files. Its README explains that it leaves a narrow visible sliver for windows macOS will not move fully off-screen and recommends a vertical display arrangement for some multi-monitor setups. Check that guidance if you work with a laptop beside an external display. ## OmniWM for multiple layouts OmniWM offers scrolling containers and a Dwindle layout in the same free app, with graphical settings and local CLI/IPC automation. Its current requirements include Apple silicon, macOS 26 or later, Accessibility, Input Monitoring and “Displays have separate Spaces.” Consider it if you want to switch layout styles and your Mac meets those requirements. Follow the project's compatibility guide for the permissions and limitations involved. ## Try a normal task before choosing Pause any other automatic tiler so two tools do not compete to position the same windows. Then open the apps you usually work in. For example, edit a document with its reference material nearby, and open mail while those windows remain in place. Check whether you can find the new window easily and return to the document without rearranging everything. Change the document's width, try a stack if the tool supports one, and see whether your apps respect the resulting sizes. If you use a trackpad, check that scrolling the strip does not also switch macOS desktops. If you dock a laptop, include connecting and disconnecting your display in the evaluation. This tells you more about suitability than a generic feature count. ## When ordinary window tiling is enough If you mainly want two windows side by side, [macOS window tiling](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/mac) may already cover the job. Scrolling becomes more useful when you want to keep additional windows in a stable sequence beyond the visible area. For a setup built around your screen, see [working on a MacBook display](https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager) or [arranging windows on an ultrawide monitor](https://glidro.app/ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac). ## Related guides - [Niri-style scrolling on Mac](/niri-for-mac) — Read the focused guide to bringing that workflow to macOS. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac Mirror file: /excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac.md # How to view two Excel workbooks side by side on Mac Source: https://glidro.app/excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac Published: 2026-10-08 · Author: Glidro To put two Excel workbooks side by side on a Mac, open both files and use **View > Arrange All > Vertical**. Excel can arrange its own windows, so you can start there before choosing a separate window manager. First check what you want to compare: two different files, two sheets from the same file, or two distant areas of one sheet. Each calls for a different setup. ## Arrange two different workbook files Open both workbooks in the desktop version of Excel for Mac. In the View tab's Window group, choose Arrange All, select Vertical and confirm. Vertical places the workbook windows beside each other. If more Excel windows are open, close any you don't want included. These steps follow [Microsoft's current Excel for Mac guide](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/excel/view-multiple-panes-sheets-or-workbooks). The labels below apply to the desktop app, rather than Excel in a browser. ## View two sheets from the same workbook Open the workbook and choose View > New Window. In the second window, select the other sheet. Use Arrange All > Vertical, select Windows of active workbook and confirm. You now have two views of the same file; New Window doesn't create an independent workbook copy. ## Compare two areas of a single sheet For rows or columns far apart in one sheet, select below the desired row or to the right of the desired column, then use View > Split. The panes can scroll independently. Choose Split again to remove them. This is worth sorting out before you rearrange your desktop. Opening another application window won't help much if the real task is checking a total against rows elsewhere in the same sheet. ## Make a comparison you can actually read Suppose you are checking this month's expenses against last month's. Keep the same identifier columns visible in both files, such as the account name or cost centre. Start each view at the same part of the table and decide which columns you need for this pass. For example, compare the account and total columns first. Review descriptions in a separate pass if they make the windows too wide. Be careful about changing the workbook itself just to fit the screen; window layout and data editing are different jobs. An equal split works when the files have similar tables. If one file is a wide model and the other is a short reference table, give the model more room. A layout should follow the information you are checking. ## When the comparison also needs a PDF or browser Excel's arrangement controls handle its workbook windows. For a reconciliation task, you may also need a source report in Preview, a browser-based dashboard or a note explaining a difference. Those windows need a layout across apps. A proposed Glidro arrangement is: source report, current workbook, previous workbook. Keep the two spreadsheets next to each other for checking totals; move to the report when a number needs explaining. The horizontal strip can hold the additional windows without requiring every window to fit at once. Follow the [setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup), then open those files as ordinary desktop windows. Use **Option + Shift + Left or Right** to put them in order. Use **Option + Left or Right** to move focus between them. These are Glidro's defaults, and custom bindings can change them. Press **Option + R** on a focused workbook to cycle its column width. If you need a temporary wide view of a model, use **Option + F** for full width. This changes its width within Glidro's layout; it is different from macOS full screen. ## Choose a layout for the screen you have On a laptop, two readable workbooks may use more width than the display provides. Work with the current workbook wide and the comparison window nearby, or use one sheet's split panes when that answers the task. Avoid shrinking spreadsheet text until every figure becomes hard to check. On an ultrawide display, try narrower column presets so more of the comparison is visible. Excel's minimum window width and your display scaling still matter. A percentage preset is a starting point, not a promise about how many sheets will fit. See the [ultrawide Mac window guide](https://glidro.app/ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac) for wider displays, or the [MacBook guide](https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager) for a single laptop screen. This guide is published by Glidro, a paid scrolling window manager for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later. Glidro arranges application windows; Excel handles workbook contents, sheet panes and calculations. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-aerospace Mirror file: /glidro-vs-aerospace.md # Glidro vs AeroSpace: scrolling strip vs i3-style tiling Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /glidro-vs-aerospace Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Looking for an **AeroSpace alternative**? AeroSpace is i3-style tree tiling with its own workspaces. Glidro is a scrolling strip on native macOS Spaces. Both are excellent — at different things. > **tl;dr:** Coming from i3 or sway on Linux and want free, keyboard-driven tree tiling with instant workspace switching? Stay on [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) — it brings i3-like tree tiling to macOS. Want windows that never resize each other, with a trackpad swipe, native Spaces and GUI settings? That's [Glidro](/) ($9.99 before applicable taxes, one time). ## Should you switch? Switch if reflow bothers you, you want native macOS Spaces instead of AeroSpace's own workspaces, or you'd rather swipe a trackpad than live in a TOML file. Stay if you specifically want i3/sway muscle memory on a Mac — Glidro offers Scrolling, with its own controls and workspace behavior. ## What AeroSpace is [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) is a free, open-source tiling window manager inspired by i3. Windows are arranged in a tree of splits — vertical and horizontal containers you can nest, resize, and navigate with keybindings. It's configured through a TOML file (`~/.aerospace.toml`) — its README says it will never have a configuration GUI — driven by the keyboard and a CLI, and it's actively developed (a public beta as of September 2026, v0.21.3). For Linux expats who miss i3 or sway, it's the closest thing the Mac has — and it needs no SIP changes. Its boldest design decision is workspaces: AeroSpace **implements its own virtual workspace system and bypasses macOS Spaces entirely**. Switching workspaces is instant — no Mission Control animation — because windows on inactive workspaces are moved off to the bottom-right or bottom-left corner of the screen. It works remarkably well, but your windows live in AeroSpace's world: Mission Control, native full-screen behavior, and the macOS Spaces you already use don't map onto it. ## What Glidro is [Glidro](/) is a native macOS app (SwiftUI + Glidro Engine) built on the scrolling-strip model instead of a tree: windows sit side by side on an [endless horizontal strip](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) at whatever size you give them, new windows open beside the focused window by default, and you navigate by scrolling — a trackpad swipe with adjustable sensitivity or [Vim-style Option shortcuts](/#shortcuts), with keyboard and trackpad navigation. Where AeroSpace replaces Spaces, Glidro embraces them: **each native macOS Space keeps its own independent strip**, and so does each display. Everything is configured from a [GUI that applies instantly](/#features) — no TOML, no CLI required (though there is a CLI and a URL scheme if you want to script it). ## Tree vs strip: the layout question An i3-style tree is a power tool: you decide where each split goes and build exactly the grid you want. The cost is that space is finite — windows share the screen, so adding one to a container squeezes the others, and deep trees take skill to manage. The strip refuses to squeeze. Every window keeps its width forever; the strip just gets longer and you scroll. You lose the see-everything grid, and gain layouts that never degrade as the day gets messy. Neither is objectively right — it's i3 discipline versus scrolling calm. ## The workspaces question This one matters more than people expect. If you love macOS Spaces — three-finger swipes between them, Mission Control, one Space per project — AeroSpace asks you to give that up for its own (faster) system. Glidro layers onto what macOS already does: your Spaces stay your Spaces, each with its own strip. If you've never liked Spaces, AeroSpace's instant switching may genuinely be the better model for you. ## Day-to-day feel Living with AeroSpace means living in `~/.aerospace.toml`: keybindings, workspace assignments, and window rules are all text you write, and the CLI answers anything you can't bind. That's a feature for its audience — the config is versionable, portable, and exact. Movement is instant and unanimated — its README lists animations as a non-goal, which i3 veterans consider correct behavior. Glidro trades the text layer for a settings window that applies changes instantly: width presets, focus behavior, gestures, and [shortcut recording](/#shortcuts) are all clickable, and window layout updates follow keyboard or trackpad input. Both are light on system resources; the difference is whether configuring your window manager should feel like maintaining a dotfile or adjusting System Settings. ## Glidro vs AeroSpace, side by side | | AeroSpace | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Price | Free, open source | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime | | Layout model | i3-style tree of splits | Scrolling horizontal strip | | Workspaces | Own virtual system, bypasses Spaces | Native macOS Spaces, strip per Space | | New window opens | Joins a container; siblings resize | Opens beside focus; scrolling widths stay the same | | Configuration | TOML file + CLI | GUI settings, applied instantly | | Navigation | Keyboard + CLI | Keyboard, trackpad swipe, title-bar dragging to reorder | | Animations | None — a non-goal by design | Yes — synced to display refresh | | Compatibility | macOS 13+; Intel and Apple silicon | macOS 13+; Apple silicon | | Status | Public beta (v0.21.3, Sept 2026) | 1.0.0 | | SIP changes | No | No | | Multi-monitor | Yes | Yes — independent strip per display | | Learning curve | Steep-ish (i3 concepts + TOML) | Minutes | | Support | Community / GitHub issues | Glidro email support | ## Which one should you pick? ### Choose AeroSpace if… - you come from i3 or sway and want that exact mental model on macOS; - instant workspace switching matters more to you than native Spaces integration; - free, open source, and keyboard-everything is your happy place, and TOML config feels like home. ### Choose Glidro if… - you want your windows to keep the sizes you set — no tree, no squeezing; - you like macOS Spaces and want a manager that works *with* them, not around them; - you navigate by trackpad as much as keyboard; - you'd rather adjust a [settings panel](/#features) than maintain a config file. AeroSpace brings an i3-like tree model to a Mac. Glidro isn't trying to be i3 at all — it's trying to make window management something you stop thinking about. Want to see every option, not just these two? See [AeroSpace alternatives for Mac](/aerospace-alternatives), or [i3 for Mac](/i3-for-mac) if i3 is where you started. Check macOS, Apple silicon and Accessibility requirements in the [setup guide](/setup) before choosing Glidro. **Native Spaces. No config files. No reflow.** The scrolling strip with trackpad gestures and GUI config — running in two minutes. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+; Intel and Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Does AeroSpace use macOS Spaces? No — by design. AeroSpace implements its own virtual workspaces that bypass macOS Spaces entirely. Switching is instant, but your windows live in AeroSpace's model: windows on hidden workspaces are parked in a corner of a hidden area rather than on real Spaces. [Glidro](/) takes the opposite approach and works with native macOS Spaces — each Space keeps its own strip. ### Does AeroSpace need SIP disabled? No. AeroSpace deliberately avoids SIP changes — one of the reasons it's popular. Glidro doesn't require any SIP changes either. On this one, both tools agree. (The manager that does ask for SIP concessions for its full feature set is [yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai).) ### Is AeroSpace free? Yes — AeroSpace is free, open source (MIT) and actively developed; as of September 2026 it's a public beta (v0.21.3). It's configured through a TOML file and driven by the keyboard and CLI. Glidro is a paid native app: [$9.99 before applicable taxes one time](/#pricing) for a lifetime license with free updates, configured entirely through a GUI. ### Can I use trackpad gestures with AeroSpace? AeroSpace is keyboard-centric — navigation happens through keybindings and CLI commands, which is exactly what its i3-inspired audience wants. Glidro is built for trackpad-friendly navigation: a three- or four-finger swipe moves the strip with your fingers, and [Vim-style Option shortcuts](/#shortcuts) cover everything too. ### Can I run AeroSpace and Glidro together? No — run one window manager at a time. Both continuously manage window positions, so they'll fight over the same layout. Pick the model you prefer and let that tool own the screen. ## Related - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Seven Mac window managers for people leaving AeroSpace. - [i3 for Mac](/i3-for-mac) — i3 and sway don't run on macOS. Here's what comes closest. - [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) — Scrolling strip vs BSP tiling — and the SIP question. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-amethyst Mirror file: /glidro-vs-amethyst.md # Glidro vs Amethyst: auto-tiling vs the scrolling strip Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /glidro-vs-amethyst Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Amethyst is a free, automatic, xmonad-inspired tiling manager for macOS. Its layouts resize windows to share the screen; Glidro uses a scrolling strip where window widths stay fixed. > **tl;dr:** [Amethyst](https://github.com/ianyh/Amethyst) is free and offers automatic tiling on macOS — if you don't mind windows resizing as others open and close. If that reflow is exactly what bothers you, [Glidro](/) ($9.99 before applicable taxes, one time) keeps every window at the size you set on a [scrolling strip](/#how-it-works), with trackpad gestures and a full GUI. ## Who should use which | | Amethyst | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Use if | You want free auto-tiling and don't mind reflow | Windows resizing themselves is the problem | | Layout | Tall / wide / column cycles | Scrolling strip, never reflows | | Price | Free | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time | | Navigation | Keyboard shortcuts (xmonad-style) | Keyboard, trackpad swipe, title-bar dragging to reorder | | Skip if | Reflow drives you crazy | You want cycling geometric layouts | ## What Amethyst is [Amethyst](https://github.com/ianyh/Amethyst) is a free, open-source tiling window manager inspired by xmonad. It automatically arranges your windows into cyclable layouts — tall (one main window, others stacked beside it), wide, fullscreen, column, and more — and you flip between layouts and shuffle windows with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike the terminal-first tilers, it has an actual preferences window, needs no SIP changes, and works minutes after installing. That's why it's so often the first tiling manager people try on a Mac, and it's earned its place. Its limits are the flip side of its simplicity: the preferences GUI is basic, layout logic is ratio-based rather than precise, and apps with minimum window sizes (think Spotify or some Electron apps) can fight the layout engine. Development is community-driven, so polish arrives at community pace. ## What Glidro is [Glidro](/) is a native macOS app — SwiftUI interface, Glidro Engine — built on the scrolling-strip model. Windows sit side by side on an [endless horizontal strip](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) at the widths you choose. New windows never trigger a reflow; they open beside the focused window by default and the strip extends. You navigate by scrolling: a trackpad swipe with adjustable sensitivity, or [Vim-style Option shortcuts](/#shortcuts), with keyboard and trackpad navigation. It's GUI-first everywhere — width presets, focus-follows-mouse, gestures, window rules, shortcut recording, all applied instantly — plus [window stacking](/#features), an independent strip per display, and native macOS Spaces integration. ## The reflow problem, named Here's the trade at the center of this comparison. Amethyst's layouts divide the screen among however many windows exist. Open a fourth window in tall layout and the other three make room; close it and they expand back. The layout is always "correct" — and never stable. For some people that's the entire appeal: everything visible, always. For everyone else, it's a slow drip of annoyance: your editor is a different width at 4pm than it was at 9am, and you never chose either. The strip model was invented for exactly this. Your editor is 60% wide because you made it 60% wide, and it will still be 60% wide next week. The screen doesn't re-divide; the strip just gets longer, and you scroll. ## Where Amethyst genuinely shines Amethyst can be installed directly or through Homebrew, and it uses macOS Accessibility permission to arrange windows. Its built-in layouts make it a straightforward way to try automatic tiling, and if the tall layout happens to match how you work, you may be done shopping entirely. The friction shows up at the edges: apps with minimum window sizes can wrestle the layout engine, precise per-window sizing isn't really the model, and when a layout misbehaves your options are cycling to a different one or shuffling windows until it settles. None of that is disqualifying for a free tool — it's just where the ceiling is, and it's exactly the ceiling the strip model removes. ## Glidro vs Amethyst, side by side | | Amethyst | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Price | Free, open source | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime | | Layout model | Auto layouts (tall, wide, column…) | Scrolling horizontal strip | | New window opens | Layout re-divides; others resize | Opens beside focus; scrolling widths stay the same | | Layout stability | Reflows constantly | Never reflows | | Configuration | Basic preferences GUI | Full GUI, applies instantly | | Navigation | Keyboard shortcuts | Keyboard, trackpad swipe, title-bar dragging to reorder | | Window stacking | Layout-dependent | Yes — stack any column | | Multi-monitor | Yes | Yes — independent strip per display | | SIP changes | No | No | | Support | Community / GitHub issues | Glidro email support | ## Which one should you pick? ### Choose Amethyst if… - you want to try automatic tiling for free before deciding how deep to go; - everything-visible-at-once layouts are the point for you, and reflow doesn't bother you; - xmonad-style cyclable layouts are your favorite feature. ### Choose Glidro if… - you tried auto-tiling and the constant resizing is what pushed you away; - you want per-window widths that persist, plus [stacking](/#features) when you need density; - you navigate with the trackpad as much as the keyboard; - you want per-display strips and native Spaces without extra setup. Amethyst is a great free on-ramp to tiling. Glidro is where a lot of tiling users end up once they realize the reflow was the part they never liked. Check macOS, Apple silicon and Accessibility requirements in the [setup guide](/setup) before choosing Glidro. **Automatic layout. Zero reflow.** Your windows keep their size on an endless strip — gestures, stacking, GUI config, all native. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Is Amethyst free? Yes — Amethyst is free and open source, maintained by the community. It's often the first "real" tiling window manager people try on macOS because it works out of the box with sensible layouts. Glidro is a paid native app: [$9.99 before applicable taxes one time](/#pricing) for a lifetime license with free updates. ### Why do my windows keep resizing in Amethyst? Because that's how its layouts work. Amethyst's xmonad-style layouts are ratio-based: the screen is divided among however many windows exist, so every open or close redistributes space and resizes what's already there. If that constant reflow is what bothers you, a [scrolling window manager](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) like Glidro is the direct answer — windows keep the size you set, always. ### Does Amethyst have a GUI? Yes — unlike [yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) or [AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace), Amethyst has a preferences window for layouts, shortcuts, and basic behavior, though the depth is limited. Glidro is GUI-first end to end: width presets, focus behavior, gestures, window rules, and shortcut recording are all settings panels with changes that apply instantly. ### Can Glidro cycle layouts like Amethyst (tall, wide, fullscreen)? No — Glidro has one model: the scrolling strip. Instead of cycling whole-screen layouts, you set per-window widths (with presets you can cycle per window), stack related windows into columns, and scroll. If cycling geometric layouts is the feature you love, Amethyst does that better. ### Can I run Amethyst and Glidro at the same time? No — run one window manager at a time. Both continuously arrange windows and will fight over the same layout. Quit one before enabling the other. ## Related - [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) — When you outgrow window snapping — and when you honestly haven't. - [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) — Scrolling strip vs BSP tiling — and the SIP question. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. - [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-loop Mirror file: /glidro-vs-loop.md # Loop vs Glidro: moving windows vs managing them Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /glidro-vs-loop Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Loop is a lovely, free way to move and resize windows with a radial gesture. Glidro keeps every window arranged for you. **They solve different problems, and they can run side by side.** > **tl;dr:** Loop is a free, open-source window *mover*: hold a trigger key, flick toward a direction on a radial menu, and the window snaps there. It's great if you arrange windows now and then. [Glidro](/) is a scrolling window *manager* that places every window automatically on an endless strip, so you stop arranging at all. If you only manage a few windows, Loop may be all you need. If you juggle many windows all day, a maintained layout saves more time. You can also run both. ## Two different categories [Loop](https://github.com/MrKai77/Loop) and Glidro both "manage windows" in the loose sense, but they work in different ways. - **Loop is manual.** Each action moves or resizes one window, once. After that, the window stays where you put it until you move it again. Loop's own comparison table places it next to Rectangle and Magnet, the snapping tools. - **Glidro is automatic.** It maintains a layout. Every window has a place on a horizontal strip, new windows slot in next to the focused one, and **opening a window never resizes the others**. You don't place windows. You scroll to them. ### What that feels like day to day With a mover like Loop, your layout is only as tidy as your last few gestures. Open a new browser window and it lands wherever the browser decides, so you move it. Open a terminal next to your editor and you resize both. None of that is hard, and Loop makes each move quick and pleasant, but it adds up if you open and close windows all day. With a scrolling manager, the new window slides in beside the one you were using, at its own width, and the windows you already had keep their size. When the strip is wider than your screen, the extra windows sit off to the side until you scroll to them. The trade-off is that you give up some freedom: windows live in columns on the strip, not wherever you drop them. That's why Glidro lets you float apps that don't belong there. So the real question isn't which one is better. It's whether you want to arrange windows yourself or have them arranged for you. ## What Loop does well Loop is free, GPL-3.0, has about 11.6k GitHub stars and runs on macOS 13 and later (version 1.4.2 as of September 2026). Its main feature is the **radial menu**: hold the trigger key, move toward a direction, and a preview shows where the window will land before you commit. It's a very satisfying way to move a window. Beyond that: - keyboard shortcuts that combine with the trigger key; - **Cycles**; - **Stash**, which hides windows at the edge of the screen; - theming, plus a `loop://` URL scheme and AppleScript support; - install with `brew install loop`. If you want Caps Lock as the trigger, remap it first in System Settings or with Hyperkey or Karabiner. ## What Glidro does differently [Glidro](/) is a [scrolling window manager](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) in the style of Niri and PaperWM. Windows sit side by side on a strip that extends past the edges of your screen: - **Automatic placement.** A new window opens next to the one you're using. Existing column widths remain stable. - **Navigation instead of arrangement.** Option+H/L (or Option+arrows) moves focus along the strip, and a 3- or 4-finger trackpad swipe follows your fingers, then glides to the nearest window. - **Widths and stacks.** Option+R cycles width presets, Option+F goes full width, and stacks and tabbed columns let several windows share one column. - **Per-display strips, Spaces integration and session restore**, so your column order survives a restart. It's a native SwiftUI app with the Glidro Engine, and needs only the Accessibility permission. It's $9.99 before applicable taxes one time for a lifetime license, runs on macOS 13 and later, and requires Apple silicon. The live demo on this page is a working model of it. ## Loop vs Glidro at a glance | | Loop | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Category | Manual window mover/resizer | Automatic scrolling window manager | | How you use it | Trigger key + radial menu, or shortcuts | Windows placed for you; scroll or swipe to them | | Keeps a layout | No, one action at a time | Yes | | New windows | Open wherever the app puts them | Join the strip next to the focused window | | Hiding windows | Stash at the screen edge | Off-screen along the strip | | Automation | loop:// URLs, AppleScript | macglide://action/ action URLs and GlidroEngine send-cmd | | macOS | 13+ | 13+, Apple silicon | | Source | Open source, GPL-3.0 | Closed source | | Price | Free | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime | ## Where each one wins ### Loop is better when… - you have a handful of windows and rearrange them occasionally; - you like being in charge of exactly where every window goes; - you want something free and open source; - you enjoy a gesture more than a key sequence. The radial menu really does feel great. ### Glidro is better when… - you have many windows open all day (editor, terminals, browser, docs, chat) and keep re-arranging them; - you want new windows to land in a sensible place without thinking about it; - you'd rather scroll to a window than find it and move it; - you work on a laptop screen or an ultrawide and want every window at a usable width. ## Using Loop and Glidro together Apps lets you exclude apps from tiling, such as a music player, calculator or video call. Loop can position those unmanaged windows. Control+Option+T toggles floating for an individual window. Avoid shortcut conflicts; Glidro's Controls page supports custom and multiple bindings. ## Who should use what - **Use Loop** if you arrange windows now and then and want a free, pleasant way to do it. You probably don't need a window manager. - **Use Glidro** if arranging windows has become a daily chore and you want a layout that looks after itself. - **Use both** if you want the strip for work windows and Loop for the floating ones. Weighing other snappers too? See [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle). Check macOS, Apple silicon and Accessibility requirements in the [setup guide](/setup) before choosing Glidro. **Stop arranging windows. Let the strip hold them.** Glidro places every new window beside the focused one by default on an endless strip, and existing column widths remain stable. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### What is Loop on Mac? Loop is a free, open-source (GPL-3.0) app for moving and resizing windows on macOS 13 and later. You hold a trigger key and move toward a direction on a radial menu to send the window there. It also has keyboard shortcuts, Cycles, Stash, theming and a `loop://` URL scheme. Install it with `brew install loop`. ### Is Loop a tiling window manager? No. Loop moves and resizes a window when you tell it to, and its own comparison table sits next to Rectangle and Magnet rather than tiling managers. It doesn't keep a layout for you. A tiling or scrolling window manager like [Glidro](/) places and maintains every window automatically. ### Can I use Loop and Glidro together? Yes. One way is to let Glidro manage your main working windows on the strip and use per-app rules to float the apps you'd rather place by hand. Loop can then position those floating windows. Just make sure the two apps' keyboard shortcuts don't overlap. ### How do I use Caps Lock as Loop's trigger key? Loop's README says Caps Lock needs remapping first, either in System Settings (map it to Control) or with Hyperkey or Karabiner. ### What's a Loop alternative that tiles automatically? For a scrolling layout where windows keep their size, use [Glidro](/) (paid, macOS 13+, Apple silicon). For grid tiling, see [AeroSpace and its alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) or [yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai). If you want another manual snapper, see [Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle). ## Related - [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) — When you outgrow window snapping — and when you honestly haven't. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Seven Mac window managers for people leaving AeroSpace. - [Window manager for a MacBook](/macbook-window-manager) — Comfortable windows on a 13" screen, without cramming a grid. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-omniwm Mirror file: /glidro-vs-omniwm.md # OmniWM vs Glidro: an honest comparison Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /glidro-vs-omniwm Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Both bring Niri-style scrolling to the Mac without SIP changes. OmniWM is free, open source and packed with features. **The biggest practical difference is which version of macOS you're on.** > **tl;dr:** If you're on macOS 26 Tahoe and want a free tool with lots of power features, pick OmniWM. It's open source, very actively developed, and gives you Niri-style scrolling or Dwindle for each workspace. If you're on macOS 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma or 15 Sequoia, OmniWM won't run, and [Glidro](/) is the scrolling option. It's also the choice if you want a native scrolling tool with a GUI and direct support from the developer. ## What they have in common Both are native macOS window managers that bring the Niri/PaperWM [scrolling model](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) to the Mac. Windows sit in columns on a horizontal strip, and new windows don't squeeze the old ones. Neither needs SIP changes. Both require Apple silicon, and both have a settings GUI. If you like one, you'll probably get along with the other. ## OmniWM in brief [OmniWM](https://github.com/OmniNull/OmniWM) started in October 2025 and has moved fast: the official repository lists v0.7.6, released on 8 October 2026, and it has about 2,950 GitHub stars (as of September 2026). It's GPL-2.0 and promises "no subscriptions, feature paywalls, trial limits". Each workspace gets one of two layouts: **Niri-style scrolling** or **Hyprland-style Dwindle** (BSP). It has a lot of features: a quake-style drop-down terminal (Ghostty), scratchpads, an overview, a command palette, "Menu Anywhere", tabbed containers, a workspace bar, a multi-monitor routing assistant, and the `omniwmctl` IPC/CLI. Settings live in a GUI (Hotkeys, Monitors, General) and in `~/.config/omniwm/settings.toml`. Install with `brew install --cask omniwm`, from nixpkgs, or from a zip. Its requirements: **macOS 26 Tahoe or later on Apple silicon**, the Accessibility and Input Monitoring permissions, and "Displays have separate Spaces" turned on (Screen Recording is optional). It uses "selected Apple private APIs". ## Glidro in brief [Glidro](/) offers Scrolling. Scrolling uses an endless horizontal strip where opening a window never resizes the others. Inside that model it goes deep. You get stacks (several windows in one column, with stack, pop out and reorder), tabbed columns, width presets plus wider/narrower, full width, and centering of the focused column. It also has a strip minimap while you navigate, a 3- or 4-finger trackpad swipe with adjustable sensitivity, title-bar dragging to reorder, and a separate strip on each display. It pairs a native SwiftUI app with the Glidro Engine. Settings apply instantly in a GUI, and the shortcut recorder works on AZERTY, QWERTZ and Dvorak. Automation uses `macglide://action/` URLs and the `GlidroEngine send-cmd` helper. It runs on **macOS 13 Ventura and later** (Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe) on Apple silicon and needs only the Accessibility permission. It's paid and not open source. ## Side by side | | OmniWM | Glidro | |---|---|---| | macOS | 26 Tahoe or later | 13 Ventura or later (13, 14, 15, 26) | | Chip | Apple silicon | Apple silicon | | Layouts | Niri-style scrolling or Dwindle, per workspace | Scrolling | | Config | Settings GUI + settings.toml | GUI, applies instantly (native preferences) | | Permissions | Accessibility + Input Monitoring; separate Spaces on | Accessibility | | SIP changes | None | None | | Release signing | Developer ID signed and Apple-notarized | Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple | | CLI | omniwmctl | GlidroEngine send-cmd + macglide URLs | | Extras | Quake terminal, scratchpads, overview, command palette, workspace bar | Overview, strip minimap, session restore, app include/exclude rules | | Install | Homebrew cask, nixpkgs, zip | Private download after purchase; signed and notarized app | | Source | Open source, GPL-2.0 | Closed source | | Price | Free | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime | | Support | GitHub | Glidro email support | ## The differences that actually decide it ### 1. Your macOS version This decides it for most people. OmniWM needs Tahoe. If your Mac runs Ventura, Sonoma or Sequoia, because of work policy, an app that isn't ready for Tahoe, or plain preference, OmniWM isn't an option today. Glidro supports macOS 13 and later. ### 2. One model or two OmniWM lets you run a scrolling workspace next to a Dwindle (BSP) workspace. If you sometimes want classic tiling, that's a real advantage. Glidro offers Scrolling. Stacks and tabbed columns give you vertical splits and grouping inside the strip. If "focused" sounds limiting rather than appealing, lean toward OmniWM. ### 3. Power-user extras OmniWM adds a quake terminal, scratchpads and a command palette. Glidro also has an overview for finding windows. Glidro puts its effort into the strip itself: stacks, tabs, widths, trackpad navigation, the minimap, and session restore that keeps column order, stacks and tabs across a restart. ### 4. Permissions and setup OmniWM asks for Accessibility and Input Monitoring, and it needs "Displays have separate Spaces" switched on in System Settings. Screen Recording is optional. Glidro asks only for Accessibility. Neither touches SIP. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. OmniWM installs through Homebrew, nixpkgs or a zip. Glidro the private app download link is delivered after payment. Unexpected engine exits get up to five recovery attempts before manual Resume is needed; intentional Pause stays paused, and quitting brings every off-screen window back onto the screen. ### 5. Free vs paid, community vs developer OmniWM is free, and you can read and change the code. Support comes through GitHub. Glidro is $9.99 before applicable taxes one time for a lifetime license with free updates. If you need help, you contact product support. ## What about Nehir? [Nehir](https://github.com/apphane-dev/nehir) is an "opinionated fork of OmniWM" that keeps only the scrolling (Niri-style columns) layout. It's GPL-2.0, at v0.5.1 with v0.6.0 release candidates (as of September 2026). It uses split TOML config in `~/.config/nehir/` plus a Settings window, and `nehirctl`. Install it with `brew tap guria/tap && brew install --cask nehir`. We haven't verified its minimum macOS or SIP requirements, so check the README. ## Who should use what ### Pick OmniWM if… - you're on macOS 26 Tahoe and want free and open source; - you want both scrolling and Dwindle layouts; - you'll use the quake terminal, scratchpads, overview or `omniwmctl`. ### Pick Glidro if… - you're on macOS 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma or 15 Sequoia; - you want a native tool with Scrolling that installs like a normal app and is configured in a GUI; - you'd rather contact product support than open a GitHub issue. Still comparing? See [the best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) or [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives). Check macOS, Apple silicon and Accessibility requirements in the [setup guide](/setup) before choosing Glidro. **Scrolling tiling on Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe.** Glidro runs on macOS 13 and later with Apple silicon: a GUI for every setting, no SIP changes, and you can contact product support. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### What is OmniWM? OmniWM is a free, open-source (GPL-2.0) tiling window manager for macOS. Each workspace can use Niri-style scrolling or Hyprland-style Dwindle. It needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later on Apple silicon, and it doesn't require disabling SIP. ### Does OmniWM work on macOS Sequoia or Sonoma? No. OmniWM requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later. If you're on macOS 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma or 15 Sequoia, [Glidro](/) gives you a scrolling layout on those versions (Apple silicon required). ### Is OmniWM free? Yes. It's free and open source, and the project explicitly promises no subscriptions, feature paywalls or trial limits. Glidro is paid: a one-time lifetime license with free updates. ### What is Nehir? Nehir is an "opinionated fork of OmniWM" that keeps only the scrolling (Niri-style columns) layout. It's GPL-2.0, configured with TOML files in `~/.config/nehir/` plus a Settings window. Check its README for macOS version and permission requirements. ### Do OmniWM or Glidro need SIP disabled? Neither does. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. OmniWM asks for Accessibility and Input Monitoring and needs "Displays have separate Spaces" on. Glidro asks for Accessibility. ## Related - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Seven Mac window managers for people leaving AeroSpace. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. - [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared. - [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip) — What yabai does with SIP on, and the no-SIP alternatives. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-rectangle Mirror file: /glidro-vs-rectangle.md # Rectangle alternative: when snapping isn't enough Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /glidro-vs-rectangle Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Rectangle is a manual window snapper for macOS. A **Rectangle alternative** may make sense when you want a manager that maintains a layout, rather than another snapper. Here's how to tell. > **tl;dr:** If you arrange a few windows a day and like doing it by hand, keep [Rectangle](https://rectangleapp.com) — it's free, tiny, and excellent. If you're re-snapping the same windows all day, every day, you've outgrown snapping: [Glidro](/) ($9.99 before applicable taxes, one time) maintains the layout for you on a [scrolling strip](/#how-it-works) where windows never resize each other. ## Looking for a Rectangle alternative? Rectangle Pro adds paid features such as pinning and stashing, but it's still a snapper: you issue commands, it moves one window, then it stops. A Rectangle alternative in the window-*manager* sense is a different category. Glidro is that category — it owns the layout so you stop re-snapping. If Pro's extra snap tricks were enough, stay there. If the chore is the snapping itself, switch categories, not just apps. ## What Rectangle is [Rectangle](https://rectangleapp.com) is a free, open-source window snapper. Press a shortcut (or drag a window to a screen edge) and it snaps into halves, thirds, quarters, or custom fractions. It's tiny, rock-solid, needs no SIP changes, and does exactly what it says. There's also **Rectangle Pro**, a paid upgrade with features including app arrangements, pinning, and stashing. See the [official Pro page](https://rectangleapp.com/pro/) for current features and purchase details. Let's be clear: for a huge number of Mac users, Rectangle is all the window management they will ever need. If that's you, this page ends happily with you keeping it. ## What a snapper doesn't do A snapper executes one command on one window, then stops. Nothing remembers your arrangement. Nothing maintains it. Snap your editor left and your browser right — perfect. Now open Slack: it lands wherever it wants, covering both. You snap again. Open your mail, snap again. Come back from a meeting, windows have drifted, snap again. Call it **layout entropy**: with a snapper, order is something you re-impose by hand, forever. That's not a flaw of Rectangle — it's the definition of the category. The moment it starts to feel like a chore is the moment you've outgrown the category, not the app. ## What a scrolling window manager does instead [Glidro](/) is a window *manager*: it maintains the arrangement continuously. Every window has a place on an [endless horizontal strip](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager), at the width you gave it. New windows don't land on top of things — they open beside the focused window by default, and existing column widths remain stable. Come back from that meeting and the layout is exactly as you left it, because keeping it that way is the app's whole job. And unlike grid tilers ([yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai), [Amethyst](/glidro-vs-amethyst)), the strip never resizes your windows to fit newcomers. You navigate by scrolling — a trackpad swipe with adjustable sensitivity, or [Vim-style Option shortcuts](/#shortcuts) — with keyboard and trackpad navigation, per-display strips, native Spaces support, and a full [GUI](/#features) for every setting. The difference is starkest on a laptop. A 14-inch screen fits two comfortable windows, so snapping is a constant triage of which two deserve to exist. On the strip, every window stays full-sized and comfortable — your screen becomes a viewport onto a longer desk, and a two-finger swipe replaces the snap-shuffle-snap routine entirely. ## Glidro vs Rectangle, side by side | | Rectangle | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Price | Free (Pro is paid) | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime | | Category | Window snapper | Scrolling window manager | | Maintains a layout | No — one-off snaps | Yes — continuously | | New window opens | Lands anywhere; you snap it | Slots into the strip automatically | | Window navigation | Not a feature | Yes — scroll, gestures, shortcuts | | Windows resize each other | Only when you snap them | Never | | Configuration | Simple preferences | Full GUI, applies instantly | | Multi-monitor | Yes — manual snaps per screen | Yes — independent strip per display | | macOS Spaces | Works alongside | Yes — strip per Space | | SIP changes | No | No | | Learning curve | Trivial | A few minutes — one new concept | | Support | Community / GitHub issues | Glidro email support | ## Which one should you pick? ### Keep Rectangle if… - you arrange windows a few times a day and enjoy the manual control; - your workflow is one or two apps side by side, mostly static; - free is the feature — honestly, many people should just keep Rectangle. ### Choose Glidro if… - you're re-snapping the same windows all day and it's started to feel like tidying; - you juggle many windows — especially on a laptop screen where only two fit at once; - you want new windows handled automatically without your layout ever reflowing; - you want to move between windows by swiping instead of hunting through Mission Control. Snapper or manager isn't a rivalry — it's a stage. Rectangle is the right first tool, and for many people the last one they need. Glidro is what the day-long window jugglers graduate to when tidying windows becomes the job instead of the fix. Check macOS, Apple silicon and Accessibility requirements in the [setup guide](/setup) before choosing Glidro. **Stop re-snapping. Start scrolling.** A layout that maintains itself — windows keep their size on an endless strip, and you just scroll. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Is Rectangle really free? Yes — Rectangle is free and open source. Rectangle Pro is a paid upgrade with features including app arrangements, pinning, and stashing; see the [official Pro page](https://rectangleapp.com/pro/) for current purchase details. Glidro is a different category of tool: a [scrolling window manager](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager), [$9.99 before applicable taxes one time](/#pricing) for a lifetime license. ### What's the difference between a window snapper and a window manager? A snapper like Rectangle moves one window when you ask — snap left, snap right, thirds — and then it's done; nothing maintains the arrangement. A window manager maintains the layout continuously: every window has a place, and new windows are placed automatically. A scrolling window manager like [Glidro](/) does that on a horizontal strip where windows keep their size and you scroll between them. ### Does Rectangle tile windows automatically? No. Rectangle executes one snap per command — it never rearranges windows on its own, which is exactly why people like it: full manual control. If you find yourself re-snapping the same windows all day, that's the signal you've outgrown a snapper and want a manager that maintains the layout for you. ### Can I use Rectangle and Glidro together? Let one tool own the layout. While Glidro manages the strip, snapping a managed window with Rectangle fights the manager. You can keep Rectangle installed for floating windows you've excluded from tiling, but disable overlapping shortcuts and treat Glidro as the owner of arranged windows. ### Is Glidro harder to learn than Rectangle? A little, honestly. Rectangle is a handful of shortcuts you already understand. Glidro introduces one new idea — your windows live on a scrolling strip — and most people internalize it in a few minutes of swiping. After that there's less to do than with a snapper, because the layout maintains itself. ## Related - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. - [Glidro vs Amethyst](/glidro-vs-amethyst) — Auto-tiling vs the scrolling strip — the reflow problem, named. - [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac) — The GNOME original, the Hammerspoon port, and the native option. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. ## Practical window guides - [Moving from Windows](/windows-snap-layouts-on-mac) — Choose native tiling, fixed snapping or scrolling columns. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-yabai Mirror file: /glidro-vs-yabai.md # Glidro vs yabai: scrolling strip vs BSP tiling Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /glidro-vs-yabai Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Looking for a **yabai alternative** that doesn't touch SIP? yabai is BSP grid tiling from the terminal. Glidro is a scrolling strip that never reflows. They disagree about what a layout should do when a new window appears. > **tl;dr:** [yabai](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai) is free, scriptable to an absurd degree, and the right choice if you love BSP grids and the terminal. Its tiling works with SIP on; only its extras (Spaces management, animations, opacity and so on) need SIP partially disabled. [Glidro](/) ($9.99 before applicable taxes, one time) is the other model: windows keep the size you set on a [scrolling strip](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager), configured from a GUI, with no SIP changes for any feature. ## Looking for a yabai alternative? Switch if you want native Spaces integration without touching SIP, don't want a `yabairc` + hotkey-daemon stack, or you're tired of every new window resizing the others. Stay on yabai if BSP grids and a queryable CLI are the whole point — Glidro offers Scrolling with native settings and supported automation commands. ## What yabai is [yabai](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai) (now at github.com/asmvik/yabai) is a free, open-source (MIT) tiling window manager driven entirely from the command line. It arranges windows in binary-space-partition layouts — each new window splits an existing region in half — with stack and float modes available too. Configuration is a `yabairc` script full of CLI commands, hotkeys aren't built in — most people use the companion tool [skhd](https://github.com/asmvik/skhd), and its query interface lets you script practically anything about your window state. It's a genuinely impressive project, and for terminal-native users it's the deepest tiling toolkit on macOS. That depth has a price: there's no GUI at all, the learning curve is steep, and its changelog shows scripting-addition fixes landing for specific macOS releases. Then there's the SIP question. yabai's core tiling works on a stock Mac, but its advanced features — creating, destroying and moving Spaces, window animations, opacity, shadows, sticky windows, picture-in-picture — require **partially disabling System Integrity Protection** so yabai can inject a scripting addition into Dock.app ([what works with SIP on](/yabai-without-sip)). Plenty of people do it happily; plenty of people are not willing to relax a security boundary for window management. ## What Glidro is [Glidro](/) is a native macOS app (SwiftUI interface, Glidro Engine) built around a different model: the [endless horizontal strip](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager). Windows sit side by side at whatever size you give them; new windows open beside the focused window by default; you navigate by scrolling — a three- or four-finger swipe with adjustable sensitivity, or [Vim-style Option shortcuts](/#shortcuts). Nothing ever reflows. Everything is configured from a GUI that applies instantly — width presets, gaps, gestures, window rules and shortcut recording. It works with native macOS Spaces (each Space keeps its own strip), runs an independent strip per display, and requires only the standard Accessibility permission. **No SIP changes at any feature level, no config files, no companion tools.** ## The real difference: what happens when a window opens This is the heart of it. In a BSP layout, screen space is a fixed pie: every new window takes a slice from an existing one, so your editor gets narrower as your day gets busier. That's not a yabai flaw — it's the BSP contract, and many people like the everything-always-visible discipline of it. The strip makes the opposite trade. Your editor stays at the width you chose forever; new windows extend the strip past the screen edge instead of carving up what's visible. You see fewer windows at once and scroll between them — calm layouts, at the cost of the at-a-glance grid. Which contract you prefer is the whole decision. ## Day-to-day feel The workflows differ as much as the layouts. Tuning yabai means editing `yabairc`, reloading, checking behavior, editing `skhd` for the matching hotkey, reloading again — a loop that terminal users find comfortable and everyone else finds like homework. Window animations are one of the features that need the SIP-disabled scripting addition, and that addition has to keep pace with macOS releases — part of the deal with any tool that reaches as deep as yabai does. Glidro's loop is: open the settings window, click the thing, watch it apply live. Rebinding a shortcut is [click the field and press the keys](/#shortcuts). Keyboard and trackpad commands manage window positions. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple; the private app download link is delivered after payment. Neither approach is wrong — they're just built for different owners. ## Glidro vs yabai, side by side | | yabai | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Price | Free, open source | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime | | Layout model | BSP grid (+ stack, float) | Scrolling horizontal strip | | New window opens | Splits a region; others resize | Opens beside focus; scrolling widths stay the same | | Configuration | yabairc script + skhd hotkeys | GUI settings, applied instantly | | SIP changes | Tiling: none. Spaces management, animations, opacity, sticky windows: partial disable | Never | | Animations | Needs SIP partially disabled | Yes — synced to display refresh | | Multi-monitor | Yes | Yes — independent strip per display | | macOS Spaces | Create/destroy/move Spaces needs SIP disable | Yes — native, per-Space strips | | Scriptability | Exceptional — full query CLI | URL scheme, CLI and Raycast commands | | Learning curve | Steep | Minutes | | Support | Community / GitHub issues | Glidro email support | ## Which one should you pick? ### Choose yabai if… - you live in the terminal and want to script every aspect of your window state; - BSP grids are exactly the layout discipline you're after; - free and open source matters more to you than convenience, and you're comfortable with the SIP trade-off for the full feature set. ### Choose Glidro if… - the thing you dislike about tiling is the reflow — you want windows to keep the sizes you set; - you want native Spaces and keyboard or trackpad navigation, without disabling SIP; - you want trackpad gestures and a [settings GUI](/#features) instead of a yabairc file; - you'd rather spend an afternoon working than configuring. No hard feelings either way — yabai is superb at being yabai. The question is whether you want a grid you can program or a strip that stays out of your way. Check macOS, Apple silicon and Accessibility requirements in the [setup guide](/setup) before choosing Glidro. **Tiling automation. Zero SIP changes.** The scrolling strip, trackpad gestures, and GUI config — set up in two minutes on a stock Mac. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Does yabai need SIP disabled? Not for its core tiling. yabai's basic BSP layouts work with just the Accessibility permission. Its advanced features — creating, destroying and moving Spaces, window animations, opacity, shadows, sticky windows and a few more — require partially disabling System Integrity Protection so yabai can load a scripting addition into Dock.app. [Glidro](/) never touches SIP at any feature level. Details: [using yabai without disabling SIP](/yabai-without-sip). ### Is yabai free? Yes — yabai is free and open source, and it's an excellent piece of engineering. Hotkeys usually come from the separate skhd tool, and configuration lives in a yabairc script. Glidro is a paid native app: [$9.99 before applicable taxes one time](/#pricing) for a lifetime license with free updates. ### Can Glidro do BSP grid layouts like yabai? No — and that's deliberate. Glidro is built around the [scrolling strip model](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager), where windows keep their size and new windows never cause a reflow. If binary-space-partition grids are exactly what you want, yabai or [AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) are the better fit. ### Can I run yabai and Glidro at the same time? No — run one window manager at a time. Both continuously move and resize windows, so they'll fight over the same layout. Quit or disable one before starting the other. ### Does Glidro work with macOS Spaces? Yes, natively. Each macOS Space keeps its own independent strip, and no SIP changes are needed for it. yabai can also work with Spaces, but its deeper Space-management features are the part that requires the SIP-disabled scripting addition. ## Related - [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip) — What yabai does with SIP on, and the no-SIP alternatives. - [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) — i3-style tree tiling vs the strip — and the Spaces question. - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Seven Mac window managers for people leaving AeroSpace. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/hyprland-for-mac Mirror file: /hyprland-for-mac.md # Hyprland for Mac: the closest macOS alternatives Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /hyprland-for-mac Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Hyprland is a Wayland compositor for Linux, so there's no macOS version and there can't be one. **Parts of the workflow do run on a Mac.** Here's which tool matches which part, and what you'll have to give up. > **tl;dr:** Hyprland is a Wayland compositor for Linux and can't run on macOS. For Hyprland's **dwindle** tiling, the closest Mac tool is [OmniWM](https://github.com/BarutSRB/OmniWM) (free, but it needs macOS 26 Tahoe). For Hyprland's **scrolling** layout, try OmniWM or [Glidro](/), which runs on macOS 13 or later. What no Mac tool can match is Hyprland's compositor-level eye candy, because Apple draws the windows. ## Why Hyprland can't come to macOS [Hyprland](https://github.com/hyprwm/Hyprland) is a "dynamic tiling Wayland compositor" for Linux and FreeBSD (v0.56.2 as of September 2026). A compositor isn't an app you run on top of the desktop. It *is* the display layer: it owns every window, every frame and every effect. macOS already has a compositor, the WindowServer, and Apple doesn't let anyone replace it. So a Hyprland port would need Apple to hand over the display stack, which won't happen. Every Mac window manager, free or paid, works as a regular app that moves windows through the macOS Accessibility API while Apple keeps drawing. ## Hyprland users can scroll now, too This matters for picking a Mac tool. Since v0.54.0 (February 27, 2026), Hyprland ships a built-in `scrolling` layout ([wiki page](https://wiki.hypr.land/Configuring/Layouts/Scrolling-Layout/)). The hyprscrolling plugin was dropped from hyprland-plugins in May 2026, and dawsers/hyprscroller is archived. Scrolling went from a plugin to a first-class layout. So before choosing, check which Hyprland you actually use: - **Dwindle / BSP.** Every new window splits the space of the focused one. You want the same automatic splits on your Mac. - **Scrolling.** Windows sit as columns on a strip that extends past the screen, and you scroll through them. Nothing gets squeezed when a window opens. - **Ricing.** Blur, rounded corners, custom animations and shaders. Read the section on eye candy below first, because this is the part that doesn't carry over. ## The Mac options, compared | | Hyprland | OmniWM | yabai | Glidro | |---|---|---|---|---| | Runs on | Linux, FreeBSD | macOS 26 Tahoe+, Apple silicon | macOS | macOS 13+, Apple silicon | | Dwindle / BSP | Yes | Yes (Hyprland-style Dwindle) | Yes (BSP) | No | | Scrolling layout | Yes (since v0.54) | Yes (Niri-style) | No | Yes, it's the whole app | | SIP changes | n/a | None | Only for extras | None | | Config | Text config | GUI + TOML | ~/.yabairc | GUI (native preferences) | | Hotkeys | Built in | Built in | Needs skhd or similar | Built in, with a shortcut recorder | | Price | Free, BSD-3 | Free, GPL-2.0 | Free, MIT | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime license | ### OmniWM: closest to Hyprland's dwindle If you live in dwindle, [OmniWM](https://github.com/BarutSRB/OmniWM) is the most direct match on a Mac, and we'd point you there first. Each workspace can use either a Niri-style scrolling layout or a Hyprland-style Dwindle layout. It's free and open source (GPL-2.0), notarized, needs no SIP changes, and has a settings GUI plus `~/.config/omniwm/settings.toml`. It also has scratchpads, an overview, a command palette and an `omniwmctl` CLI. As of September 2026 it's at v0.7.0 and very actively developed. The catch: it requires **Apple silicon and macOS 26 Tahoe or later**. If you're on Sequoia or earlier, it's not an option yet. Full comparison: [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm). ### yabai: BSP for older macOS versions [yabai](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai) does automatic BSP tiling and is free (MIT). Tiling works with SIP enabled. Hotkeys come from a separate tool such as skhd. It's the ricer's Mac option, since it can do window opacity, window animations and removing shadows, but all of those need SIP partially disabled, which is a real trade-off on a work machine. See [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip). ### Glidro: scrolling, on the macOS you already run [Glidro](/) offers Scrolling. In Scrolling, windows sit side by side on an endless strip, opening one never resizes the others, and you move along the strip with the keyboard or a three- or four-finger swipe with adjustable sensitivity that settles on a column. It pairs a native SwiftUI app with the Glidro Engine, with no SIP changes, and it runs on macOS 13 Ventura and later on Apple silicon. That's the main practical difference from OmniWM. What a Hyprland scrolling user will recognise: - **Columns and stacks.** Stack several windows in one column, reorder them, make them taller, shorter or equal. Or turn a column into tabs. - **Width presets.** Option+R cycles widths, Option+F goes full width, and Option+C centers the focused column. - **Vim-style keys.** Option+H/J/K/L to focus, Option+Shift to move. Every shortcut can be rebound. - **Multi-monitor.** Each display has its own strip, and windows stay on their display. - **Scripting.** A `GlidroEngine send-cmd` helper, a supported macglide action URLs. You can try the model in the live demo on this page. It's a working model of Glidro, not a video. ## The eye candy problem, honestly This is where Hyprland users get disappointed. Hyprland draws every frame itself, so it can blur, round, shade and animate however you configure it. On a Mac, **Apple's compositor draws all windows**, and window managers can only move and resize them. None of the tools here can add blur behind a terminal or run shaders on your windows the way Hyprland does. Glidro provides keyboard and trackpad navigation, an optional focus border, and optional inactive-window dimming. Browser demo motion is illustrative. OmniWM lists refresh-rate-synced animations; yabai offers opacity and shadows with partial SIP changes. No Mac setup fully reproduces Hyprland compositor effects. ## Who should use what ### Stay on Hyprland if… - you can keep Linux for daily work; nothing on macOS matches a full compositor; - compositor-level effects are a big part of why you love it. ### Use OmniWM if… - you're on macOS 26 Tahoe and want dwindle, or want to switch between dwindle and scrolling per workspace; - you want a free, open-source tool. ### Use yabai if… - you want BSP on an older macOS, and you're fine pairing it with a hotkey daemon. ### Use Glidro if… - you've moved to Hyprland's scrolling layout and want the same idea on a Mac running Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia or Tahoe; - you want trackpad swipes, a GUI for settings, and no SIP changes; - you're happy to pay once for a focused, polished scrolling tool. **Running Hyprland's scrolling layout? Here it is on macOS.** Columns on an endless strip, trackpad swipes with adjustable sensitivity and native GUI settings. On macOS 13 or later, no SIP changes. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Can I install Hyprland on macOS? No. [Hyprland](https://github.com/hyprwm/Hyprland) is a dynamic tiling Wayland compositor for Linux (and FreeBSD). A compositor replaces the display server, and macOS's WindowServer can't be replaced. Mac window managers work as regular apps that move windows through the Accessibility API instead. ### What is the closest thing to Hyprland on a Mac? For Hyprland's dwindle tiling, [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm), which has a Hyprland-style Dwindle layout, but it needs macOS 26 Tahoe. For Hyprland's scrolling layout, OmniWM or [Glidro](/) (macOS 13+). For classic BSP tiling, [yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai). ### Does Hyprland have a scrolling layout? Yes. Since v0.54.0 (February 2026), Hyprland ships a built-in `scrolling` layout, documented on the [Hyprland wiki](https://wiki.hypr.land/Configuring/Layouts/Scrolling-Layout/). The older hyprscrolling plugin was dropped from hyprland-plugins, and hyprscroller is archived. ### Can I get Hyprland's blur and animations on macOS? Apple's compositor draws every window, so macOS window managers do not provide Hyprland-style compositor effects. OmniWM lists display-synced animations. Glidro focuses on native window management; its browser demo motion is illustrative. yabai can animate windows with SIP partially disabled. ### Do Mac tiling window managers need SIP disabled? Usually not. Glidro and OmniWM never need SIP changes. yabai's tiling works with SIP on; only extras like space management, opacity and animations need it partially off. See [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip). ## Related - [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it. - [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared. - [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) — Scrolling strip vs BSP tiling — and the SIP question. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. ## Related guides - [i3 and Sway on Mac](/i3-for-mac) — Compare another Linux workflow and its macOS options. - [Scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Review the available scrolling approaches. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/i3-for-mac Mirror file: /i3-for-mac.md # i3 for Mac: the closest i3 and sway setups on macOS Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /i3-for-mac Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. i3 is an X11 window manager and sway is a Wayland compositor, so neither runs on a Mac. **The workflow does.** Here's which macOS tool matches which part of i3, mapped concept by concept. > **tl;dr:** i3 and sway don't run on macOS. If you want i3's model (manual tree tiling, workspaces, everything on the keyboard), the closest Mac tool is [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace), which is free and calls itself "i3-like". GlazeWM now runs on macOS too, and yabai does BSP tiling. If what you really liked about i3 was *never reaching for the mouse and windows that stay where you put them*, a scrolling window manager like [Glidro](/) may suit you better. ## Why i3 and sway can't run on a Mac [i3](https://i3wm.org) is an "improved tiling X11 window manager" for GNU/Linux and BSD. Sway is its Wayland twin: an "i3-compatible Wayland compositor" for Linux. Both depend on the Linux display stack. macOS has its own window server, and no third-party app can replace it. So every Mac option is a different kind of program: a normal app that moves other apps' windows through macOS's Accessibility API, while Apple keeps drawing everything. That's why none of them is a drop-in i3. Each one copies part of the model and has to live with macOS rules, like the fact that windows can't be pushed fully off screen. ## First, figure out which part of i3 you actually miss "I want i3 on my Mac" usually means one of two things: 1. **The i3 model itself.** A tree of splits you build by hand, numbered workspaces, tabbed and stacked containers, and a plain-text config you keep in your dotfiles. You want a faithful copy. 2. **The feeling i3 gave you.** Hands on the keyboard, every window reachable in a keystroke, and no overlapping mess. You don't care much about trees or splits. If you're in camp 1, go with AeroSpace or GlazeWM. If you're in camp 2, keep reading, because a newer model called scrolling tiling might fit better than any i3 clone. ## The i3-like options on macOS ### AeroSpace: the closest thing to i3 [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) describes itself as an "i3-like tiling window manager for macOS" and uses a tree, just like i3. It's free (MIT), needs macOS 13 or later, and never asks you to touch SIP. You configure it in `~/.aerospace.toml`, and the project says it "will never have a configuration GUI". If you think in config files, that's a plus. A few things to know (as of September 2026, v0.21.3-Beta): it's still a public beta that warns of breaking changes until 1.0, and it isn't notarized, so you install it through its Homebrew cask. It also uses its own emulated workspaces and ignores macOS Spaces. Windows on inactive workspaces are parked in a screen corner. More: [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) and [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives). ### GlazeWM: new on macOS [GlazeWM](https://github.com/glzr-io/glazewm) is "inspired by i3wm" and was Windows-only until v3.10.0 (March 16, 2026), when it became cross-platform. It's GPL-3.0 and installs with `brew install --cask glzr-io/tap/glazewm`. The Mac version is only a few months old, so check its README and open issues before relying on it for daily work. ### yabai: BSP tiling [yabai](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai) tiles automatically with binary space partitioning, which is more bspwm than i3. It has no built-in hotkeys; you pair it with skhd or another hotkey tool. Tiling works with SIP enabled; extras like space management need SIP partially disabled ([details here](/yabai-without-sip)). ## i3 concepts, mapped to the Mac The table below shows how i3 ideas map onto AeroSpace and Glidro. Glidro shortcuts are the defaults on fresh installs, and all of them can be rebound. | i3 / sway | AeroSpace | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Focus with $mod + direction | Bindings you set in the TOML config | Option+H/J/K/L or Option+arrows | | Move window with $mod+Shift + direction | Bindings you set in the TOML config | Option+Shift+H/J/K/L or arrows | | Layout model | Tree of splits (i3-like) | Endless horizontal strip of columns | | Tabbed / stacked containers | Accordion layout | Tabbed columns (Option+D) and stacks (Option+] / Option+[) | | Resize | Via config bindings | Option+R cycles width presets; Ctrl+Option+Shift+= / - wider/narrower | | Fullscreen a window | Via config bindings | Option+F full width | | Floating toggle | See the README | Ctrl+Option+T | | Workspaces | Its own emulated workspaces | Works with macOS Spaces; one strip per display | | Config | ~/.aerospace.toml, no GUI | GUI (TOML file exists, but you never have to edit it) | | Price | Free, MIT | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime license | The biggest difference is the layout model. In i3 you split containers by hand, and every new window takes space from its neighbours. Glidro doesn't split anything. It adds the new window as a new column on a strip, so nothing else shrinks. ## The other option: stop splitting, start scrolling If your i3 day usually looks like two or three windows on screen and the rest tucked into other workspaces or tabs, scrolling tiling may suit you. It's the model behind Niri and PaperWM, and it drops the split bookkeeping. Windows sit side by side on an endless horizontal strip. Opening one never resizes the others. You move along the strip with the keyboard or a trackpad swipe. [Glidro](/) is a native scrolling window manager for Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 13 Ventura or later. It pairs a native SwiftUI app with the Glidro Engine, with no SIP changes. For an i3 user, the parts that carry over: - **Vim-style keys by default.** Option+H/J/K/L to focus, add Shift to move. The shortcut recorder handles AZERTY, QWERTZ and Dvorak, and an action can have several shortcuts. - **Tabs and stacks.** Put several windows in one column as a stack, or turn a column into tabs, which covers what you used i3's stacked and tabbed layouts for. - **Per-app rules.** Float the apps that shouldn't tile, like your for_window rules. - **Scriptable.** A `GlidroEngine send-cmd` helper, a `macglide://action/` supported macglide action URLs. Honest limits: it's paid, closed source and Apple silicon only. macOS won't let any app push a window fully off screen, so macOS may retain a narrow offscreen window remnant; Glidro usually masks exposed remnants in focused scrolling layouts. Want to feel the model before deciding? Try the live demo on this page. It's a working model of Glidro, not a video. For a free scrolling option, [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) offers Niri-style scrolling plus a BSP layout, but needs macOS 26 Tahoe. On Linux, dawsers/scroll is a sway fork with a PaperWM-style layout, in case you want scrolling on both machines. ## Who should use what ### Use AeroSpace if… - you want i3's tree model as close to the original as you can get on a Mac; - you're happy editing a TOML file and installing through Homebrew; - free and open source matters to you. ### Try GlazeWM if… - you already use it on Windows and want the same tool on your Mac, and you're OK with a young macOS port. ### Use yabai if… - you'd rather have automatic BSP tiling than build splits by hand. ### Use Glidro if… - you liked i3 because of the keyboard, not because of the tree; - you're tired of every new window squeezing the ones you already had; - you want native macOS Spaces, trackpad swipes and a GUI instead of a config repo. **Keyboard-driven like i3. Calm like a strip.** Option+H/J/K/L to move around, windows that never reflow, and a GUI for every setting. No SIP changes, no config file to maintain. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Can I install i3 on macOS? No. [i3](https://i3wm.org) is a tiling window manager for X11 on GNU/Linux and BSD, and macOS doesn't use X11 for its desktop. Sway is a Wayland compositor for Linux, so it can't run either. On a Mac you use a tool that recreates the workflow: [AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) is the one that describes itself as i3-like. ### What is the best i3 alternative for Mac? If you want i3's tree tiling and workspaces, try [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace): free, i3-like, TOML config, no SIP changes. If what you loved was never touching the mouse while your windows stay put, try a scrolling window manager like [Glidro](/), where opening a window never resizes the others. ### Is there a sway for Mac? No. Sway is an i3-compatible Wayland compositor, and macOS's own compositor can't be replaced. The Mac options are the same as for i3: AeroSpace, GlazeWM (which has run on macOS since March 2026) or yabai for classic tiling, and Glidro or OmniWM for scrolling. ### Does GlazeWM work on Mac? Yes, since v3.10.0 (March 2026) [GlazeWM](https://github.com/glzr-io/glazewm) is cross-platform and installs with `brew install --cask glzr-io/tap/glazewm`. The macOS version is new, so check its README and issues for what works on your setup. ### Do I need to disable SIP to get i3-style tiling on a Mac? No. AeroSpace never needs SIP changes, and Glidro doesn't either. yabai's tiling also works with SIP enabled; only some extras (like space management and window animations) need SIP partially disabled. Details: [yabai without SIP](/yabai-without-sip). ## Related - [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) — i3-style tree tiling vs the strip — and the Spaces question. - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Seven Mac window managers for people leaving AeroSpace. - [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) — Scrolling strip vs BSP tiling — and the SIP question. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. ## Related guides - [Hyprland for Mac](/hyprland-for-mac) — See which parts of a Wayland workflow have Mac equivalents. - [komorebi for Mac](/komorebi-for-mac) — Compare a Windows tiling workflow with the Mac options. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/komorebi-for-mac Mirror file: /komorebi-for-mac.md # komorebi for Mac: what it is, and how it compares Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /komorebi-for-mac Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Yes, komorebi runs on macOS: **komorebi for Mac** is an official, separate project from the same author. Here's what we could verify about it, and when a different Mac tool might suit you better. > **tl;dr:** Yes, there's a komorebi for Mac: [LGUG2Z/komorebi-for-mac](https://github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi-for-mac), at v0.1.1 as of September 2026, installable with Homebrew, with a `scrolling` layout in its CLI docs. It uses the same license as komorebi: free for personal use, paid for work use. If you already use komorebi on Windows and want the same tool on your Mac, try it first. If you'd prefer a native app with Scrolling and GUI settings, that's what [Glidro](/) is for. ## komorebi, in one paragraph [komorebi](https://github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi) is a tiling window manager for Windows by LGUG2Z (v0.1.41 and about 15.2k GitHub stars as of September 2026). It added a scrolling layout in v0.1.38 (September 2025), the same model Niri and PaperWM use: windows side by side on a strip you scroll through. ## komorebi for Mac: what we could verify The Mac version exists and is a separate repository from the same author: [komorebi-for-mac](https://github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi-for-mac). Here's what we could confirm from the project itself, as of September 2026: - **Releases:** v0.1.0 on March 2, 2026 and v0.1.1 on May 3, 2026. The version number shows it's early. - **Install:** `brew install lgug2z/tap/komorebi-for-mac`. - **Scrolling:** the CLI documentation lists a `scrolling` layout. - **License:** the same terms as komorebi. That's the Komorebi License 2.0.0, a fork of PolyForm Strict. It's free for personal use, and using it at work needs a paid Individual Commercial Use License. - **Nightlies:** nightly builds live in a private repository available to some GitHub Sponsors tiers. What we *couldn't* verify: whether it needs any SIP changes, which macOS versions it supports, how its config works on macOS, and how complete it is compared with the Windows version. For those, read the project's README before installing. We'd rather send you to the source than guess. ## A note on the license Worth being precise here. komorebi and komorebi for Mac are **source-available, not open source** by the OSI definition. The code is public, but the Komorebi License 2.0.0 restricts use. For personal use it costs nothing. If you use it for work, the author asks you to buy an Individual Commercial Use License. That's a fair model, just check which side of it you're on before you set it up on a work laptop. If "free and open source" is a hard requirement, the Mac scrolling options that meet it are [OmniWM](https://github.com/BarutSRB/OmniWM) (GPL-2.0, needs macOS 26 Tahoe) and [PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon) (MIT, runs inside Hammerspoon). ## komorebi for Mac vs Glidro | | komorebi for Mac | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Version | v0.1.1 (Sept 2026) | 1.0.0 | | Layouts | Includes scrolling (per CLI docs) | Scrolling only, with stacks and tabbed columns | | Setup | Homebrew tap, CLI | Notarized app; grant Accessibility | | Settings | See the README | Full GUI, changes apply instantly | | SIP changes | See the README | None | | Also runs on Windows | Yes, via komorebi | No, macOS only | | Source | Source-available (Komorebi License 2.0.0) | Closed source | | Price | Free for personal use; paid license for work use | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime license | The biggest reason to pick komorebi for Mac is **one tool on both machines**. If you have a Windows PC at work and a Mac at home, or the other way round, having the same window manager and the same CLI on both is worth a lot. Glidro can't give you that. ## What Glidro does differently [Glidro](/) is a native scrolling window manager for Macs with Apple silicon on macOS 13 Ventura or later. It pairs a native SwiftUI app with the Glidro Engine, with no SIP changes, kernel extensions or scripting additions. It only needs the Accessibility permission. It uses a scrolling layout: - **The strip.** Windows sit side by side on an endless horizontal strip. Opening a window never resizes the others. - **GUI first.** Every setting has a panel and applies instantly, with no Save button. A shortcut recorder handles AZERTY, QWERTZ and Dvorak. - **Trackpad.** A three- or four-finger swipe follows your fingers, then glides to the nearest window. - **Columns you can shape.** Stacks, tabbed columns, width presets, full width, and centering the focused column. - **macOS citizen.** Works with Spaces, gives each display its own strip, restores your layout after a restart, and brings every off-screen window back when you quit. - **Scriptable when you want it.** A `GlidroEngine send-cmd` helper, a `macglide://action/` supported macglide action URLs. Honest limits: it's paid, closed source, Apple silicon only, and macOS-only. Like every Mac window manager, it can't push windows fully off screen, so macOS may retain a narrow offscreen window remnant; Glidro usually masks exposed remnants in focused scrolling layouts. The live demo on this page is a working model of Glidro, not a video, so you can try the feel before you decide. ## Coming from komorebi's scrolling layout on Windows? If you've been using komorebi's scrolling layout on a Windows PC, the core idea carries over to Glidro: windows as columns on a strip, the focused one in view, the rest a keystroke away. The keys differ. Glidro defaults to Option+H/J/K/L (or Option+arrows) to move focus and Option+Shift with the same keys to move a window, and you can rebind any of them in the shortcut recorder. Width works through presets: Option+R cycles them, and Control+Option+Shift+= or - selects the next/smaller width preset. Option+C centers the focused column. What won't carry over is your config file, since Glidro is set up through its GUI. ## Who should use what ### Use komorebi for Mac if… - you already use komorebi on Windows and want the same tool and CLI on your Mac; - you're comfortable with an early v0.1 release and a CLI-driven setup; - you're using it personally, or you're happy to buy the commercial license for work. ### Use OmniWM or PaperWM.spoon if… - you want free and open source. OmniWM if you're on macOS 26 Tahoe, PaperWM.spoon if you already use Hammerspoon. See the [full roundup](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac). ### Use Glidro if… - scrolling is the layout you want, and you'd like a tool built only around it; - you want a native app with a full settings GUI instead of a CLI setup; - you're on macOS 13 through 26 and want trackpad swipes, stacks and tabs that work out of the box. **Want scrolling without a CLI setup?** Glidro is a native, GUI-first scrolling window manager for macOS 13 and later. Install it, grant Accessibility, and start scrolling. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Is there a komorebi for Mac? Yes. [komorebi for Mac](https://github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi-for-mac) is a separate repository from komorebi's author, LGUG2Z. Its first release, v0.1.0, came out on March 2, 2026, and v0.1.1 on May 3, 2026. Install it with `brew install lgug2z/tap/komorebi-for-mac`. ### Does komorebi for Mac have a scrolling layout? Its CLI documentation lists a `scrolling` layout. The Windows version of komorebi has had a scrolling layout since v0.1.38 (September 2025). How the Mac version behaves in daily use is best checked in the project's README and issues. ### Is komorebi for Mac free? It uses the same terms as komorebi: the Komorebi License 2.0.0, a fork of PolyForm Strict. It's free for personal use, and using it at work needs a paid Individual Commercial Use License. It's source-available, not OSI open source. ### Is komorebi open source? Not by the OSI definition. The source is public on GitHub, but the Komorebi License 2.0.0 is based on PolyForm Strict and restricts commercial use. If you need a free, open-source scrolling window manager on a Mac, look at [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) (GPL-2.0, macOS 26+) or [PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-spoon-setup) (MIT). ### How is Glidro different from komorebi for Mac? [Glidro](/) offers Scrolling, and is built around a GUI: every setting has a panel and applies instantly, and shortcuts are recorded, not typed into a file. It needs no SIP changes, and is a paid one-time purchase for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later. ## Related - [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. - [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) — i3-style tree tiling vs the strip — and the Spaces question. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. ## Related guides - [i3 and Sway on Mac](/i3-for-mac) — Explore similar questions for Linux tiling workflows. - [Hyprland for Mac](/hyprland-for-mac) — See which parts of the Linux workflow carry over. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/learn Mirror file: /learn.md # Mac window management guides Source: https://glidro.app/learn Author: Glidro Start with the way you work. These guides explain scrolling layouts, compare Mac options, and show practical setups for common screens and tasks. ## Understand scrolling layouts - [What is a scrolling window manager?](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — How a scrolling strip differs from grid tiling and window snapping. - [Scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Compare the available approaches and choose by workflow. - [Niri-style scrolling on Mac](/niri-for-mac) — What carries over from Niri, and which Mac options support it. - [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac) — Compare the Hammerspoon Spoon with a native app approach. - [Niri vs PaperWM](/niri-vs-paperwm-mac) — Understand the shared scrolling idea and the practical differences. ## Find a Mac alternative - [AeroSpace alternatives for Mac](/aerospace-alternatives) - [Alternatives to Stage Manager](/stage-manager-alternative) - [Hyprland for Mac](/hyprland-for-mac) - [i3 and Sway setups on Mac](/i3-for-mac) - [komorebi for Mac](/komorebi-for-mac) - [Using yabai without SIP changes](/yabai-without-sip) ### Direct comparisons - [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) - [Glidro vs Amethyst](/glidro-vs-amethyst) - [Glidro vs Loop](/glidro-vs-loop) - [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) - [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) - [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) ## Set up a Mac workflow - [Set up Glidro](/setup) — Installation, Accessibility access, gestures and macOS settings. - [Set up PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-spoon-setup) — Install and troubleshoot the Hammerspoon scrolling layout. - [Windows Snap Layouts on Mac](/windows-snap-layouts-on-mac) — Compare built-in tiling, familiar snapping and scrolling layouts. ## Build a layout around your work - [Window manager for MacBook](/macbook-window-manager) - [Window manager for an ultrawide](/ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac) - [Code on a MacBook](/macbook-coding-window-setup) - [PDF and notes side by side](/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac) - [Excel workbooks side by side](/excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac) New to Glidro? [See the live demo](/#demo) or follow the [setup guide](/setup). --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/macbook-coding-window-setup Mirror file: /macbook-coding-window-setup.md # Coding on a MacBook: VS Code, browser and terminal on one screen Source: https://glidro.app/macbook-coding-window-setup Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro Start with VS Code and a browser in separate windows, and use VS Code's integrated terminal for commands. That gives you a workable coding setup on one MacBook screen without finding room for a third window. When you need a separate terminal or more reference windows, keep the editor readable and move between the other windows. Trying to display everything at once often leaves too little room for the code. If you want to group apps rather than tile them, macOS offers Stage Manager and Spaces. Stage Manager keeps the current group in the center and recent apps along the left; you can add the browser and terminal to the editor's group. If Glidro is managing this same setup, leave Stage Manager off so both tools aren't arranging those windows. Spaces give you separate desktops for different tasks, which you can switch between with Control + Left or Right. These are ways to group and switch work, while tiling or Glidro controls the windows within your coding setup. See Apple's guides to [Stage Manager](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/organize-your-mac-desktop-with-stage-manager-mchl534ba392/mac) and [Spaces](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/work-in-multiple-spaces-mh14112/mac). ## Try a two-window setup first Open your project in VS Code and your preview or documentation in the browser. On macOS 15 or later, use the green window button's tiling options to arrange them on the desktop. Apple's [tiling guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/15.0/mac/15.0) covers the controls. On older versions, resize the pair manually or use Split View. In VS Code, choose **Terminal > New Terminal**. Use **Control + backtick** to toggle the terminal panel, or choose View > Terminal if that key is awkward on your keyboard. The [VS Code terminal documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/terminal/basics) describes these controls. Give the editor most of the usable width. If the Explorer sidebar leaves the code cramped, **Command + B** toggles that sidebar with VS Code's default bindings. Keep the terminal panel open when you need its output, then hide it when you need more editor height. ## Separate the terminal when its output needs space An integrated terminal is convenient for short commands. A separate terminal window can be easier to read when a long-running process produces logs or you need to compare output with a browser error. For a small web project, try this sequence: edit a component, check the browser preview, inspect the terminal if the preview fails, then return to the editor. You only need the relevant windows visible at each step. This is a proposed workflow to adapt to your project, rather than a measured speed improvement. ## Build a scrolling layout with Glidro Glidro places windows in a horizontal strip. A useful starting order is editor, browser, terminal. The editor can stay wide enough for code while the other windows remain reachable along the strip. You don't need prior experience with Linux window managers to use that arrangement. Complete the [Glidro setup](https://glidro.app/setup) and open the three apps as normal desktop windows. Use **Option + Shift + Left or Right** to reorder a focused window. Then use **Option + Left or Right** to move focus through the strip. Custom shortcuts saved in Glidro may differ from these defaults. Focus VS Code and press **Option + R** to cycle its width. Try the 65% preset, then check a real file with your usual sidebar, font size and split editors. Use a wider preset if lines wrap too much. The right width is the one that lets you read and edit the code comfortably. The browser might need similar room for a desktop preview. A narrow browser column can be useful for a small reference page, but it changes the viewport you are testing. Check the viewport size separately when validating a responsive layout; the window manager doesn't define your site's test coverage. ## Choose between a visible stack and a tabbed column If you want the browser above a separate terminal, first put their windows in neighboring columns with the terminal on the right. Focus the terminal and press **Option + ]** to stack it into the browser's column. Both windows share that column's height. If the half-height views are cramped, press **Option + D** after creating the stack. That makes a tabbed column with one member visible at a time. Use **Option + Up or Down** to change the focused member. A tabbed column is useful for alternating between a preview and logs; use a visible stack when you need to read both together. ## Keep documentation close without crowding the editor A second browser window can hold documentation while the first keeps your preview open. Put it beside the windows you use most. Browser tabs work too if you prefer fewer application windows; choose the arrangement that makes the page easy to find. When you connect another display, **Option + N** moves the focused window to the next display. It moves the window itself, so use it when you want the browser or terminal on that screen. For more on laptop widths, see the [MacBook window guide](https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager). Readers coming from Linux can also compare the layout with [Niri-style scrolling on Mac](https://glidro.app/niri-for-mac). This guide is published by Glidro, a paid scrolling window manager for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later. VS Code's panels and terminals remain part of VS Code; Glidro arranges the app windows around them. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager Mirror file: /macbook-window-manager.md # Setting up a window manager for your MacBook Source: https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager Updated: 2026-10-08 · Author: Glidro On a MacBook, start by giving your main window enough room to read and work. A second window can stay beside it when you need a reference. Everything else can wait nearby without being squeezed into the same screen. A scrolling window manager helps with that arrangement: windows occupy columns, and you move along the strip to reach the ones outside the visible area. Glidro lets you adjust those columns with app controls, keyboard shortcuts and trackpad gestures. ## Start with the job you are doing For writing, try a document beside your notes or source material. For coding, start with an editor and the browser page you are consulting. Leave chat further along the strip if you only need to check it occasionally. You do not need to fit every open app on screen. Choose which windows need to be visible together. If the task only needs a pair of windows, [macOS's own tiling controls](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/mac) may be enough. Scrolling is worth considering when you keep opening related windows and want them to remain in a predictable order. ## Pick widths that suit the content In Glidro, begin with your main column around 65% of the screen and adjust from there. A browser with a large sidebar may need more. A short reference note may need less. Use Option + R to cycle the focused column through your configured widths. Resist choosing a narrow width just because it makes another window fit. If you are repeatedly scrolling sideways inside the editor or losing part of a toolbar, give that column more room. Exact results depend on the app's minimum size, your display scaling and the space taken by gaps. A percentage is a starting point, not a guarantee that two particular apps will fit together. When you need the whole display for a document or spreadsheet, Option + F toggles the focused column to full width. This keeps it in the managed layout; macOS fullscreen is a separate action. ## Keep the first shortcuts simple Learn Option + Left and Right to move between windows, then Option + Shift + Left and Right to reorder them. That is enough to build a useful strip before adding more commands. If a browser belongs next to your document, place it there. You can then reach it with the same directional shortcut each time. Glidro's strip map can help when a window is several columns away. These are the current default bindings. If you have changed them, use the Shortcuts page to check the action names and choose keys that work with your other apps. ## Group windows that belong together A vertical stack can work for two short windows, such as a terminal and a log. It is less useful when both need the full screen height. In that case, a tabbed column lets them share a position while you view one at a time. To try this in Glidro, stack neighboring windows with Option + ] or Option + [, then press Option + D to turn that stack into a tabbed column. Use Option + Up or Down to select a member. Press Option + D again to return to the vertical stack. Use grouping for a specific pair you want together. You can leave other windows in their own columns. ## Set up the trackpad without fighting macOS Glidro supports three- or four-finger window scrolling. Choose the gesture you find comfortable, then test it with a short strip before changing its sensitivity. If the same swipe switches desktops, open [System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-trackpad-settings-mchlp1226/mac) and check “Swipe between full-screen applications.” Change or disable the conflicting gesture. If you use three-finger dragging, check that assignment too. You can keep using keyboard navigation while sorting out the conflict. A scrolling layout does not depend on using gestures. ## Include your external display in the setup If you dock your MacBook, decide which windows belong on each display. Glidro manages separate strips, and Option + N moves the focused window to the next available display. Test your usual dock-and-undock routine with the apps you use most. A layout that is comfortable on an external monitor may need wider columns when you return to the laptop screen. The current Glidro release requires Apple silicon and macOS 13 or later. Explore the [browser demo](https://glidro.app/#demo) for the layout, and use the [setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup) for installation and Accessibility access. If most of your work happens on a wider screen, read the [ultrawide window guide](https://glidro.app/ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac). ## Practical window guides - [PDF and notes](/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac) — Keep source material readable while you take notes. - [Coding on a MacBook](/macbook-coding-window-setup) — Keep your editor, browser and terminal within reach. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/niri-for-mac Mirror file: /niri-for-mac.md # Niri for Mac and the scrolling window workflow Source: https://glidro.app/niri-for-mac Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro Niri has no native macOS release. It is a Wayland compositor for Linux, so installing it will not give your Mac desktop a scrolling layout. If you want windows arranged in columns that continue beyond the screen, you need a Mac window manager with that layout. Glidro, PaperWM.spoon, Paneru and OmniWM offer versions of that workflow. The useful question is which one fits your Mac and how you prefer to configure it. This guide is published by Glidro and compares documented features and setup requirements. ## Which part of Niri do you want to keep In [Niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri), windows occupy columns on a scrolling strip. Each monitor has its own strip, and you navigate to the window you want. Opening another window does not make all the existing windows smaller. That layout is useful when you want an editor at a readable width, documentation nearby and a terminal further along. You can keep the same order while changing which part of the strip is visible. A Mac app can arrange your existing windows in a similar way. It does not replace macOS with Niri: Niri is a Wayland compositor, while Mac options manage windows within the macOS desktop. The strip and focus workflow can carry over; compositor features, configuration and workspace behavior do not automatically transfer. ### What carries over, and what changes - **The strip:** keep windows in sequence beyond the visible screen, and move focus along the sequence. Niri's defining behavior is that opening a window does not resize the existing columns. - **Your setup:** expect a Mac-specific app, script or command-line tool. Niri's Wayland session and its KDL configuration are not used by these Mac options. - **Displays and workspaces:** Niri documents a separate strip and dynamic workspaces for each monitor. Mac projects make their own choices; check the notes below for each one rather than assuming the same behavior. - **Screen edges:** macOS can relocate windows moved fully off-screen. Some Mac implementations keep a visible edge sliver or require a particular display arrangement to work around that behavior. ## Four Mac options to consider - **Glidro:** a paid Mac app with settings for column widths, gaps, shortcuts and three- or four-finger scrolling. It also supports stacks, tabbed columns and a map of the strip. The current release targets Apple silicon and macOS 13 or later; see the [setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup) for the Accessibility onboarding. - **[PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon):** a free Hammerspoon extension configured in Lua. Its README documents configurable trackpad swipes and visible edge slivers for windows macOS will not move fully off-screen. - **[Paneru](https://github.com/karinushka/paneru):** an open-source, command-line option configured with TOML or Lua. Its README documents Accessibility access for the running binary and display-arrangement guidance. - **[OmniWM](https://github.com/OmniNull/OmniWM):** a free app with scrolling and Dwindle layouts. Its current requirements are Apple silicon, macOS 26 or later, Accessibility and Input Monitoring; it also requires “Displays have separate Spaces.” Check compatibility before comparing smaller features. A tool that requires a newer version of macOS may be a poor fit if you need to keep your present system. For the current requirements and limitations, check the [PaperWM.spoon README](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon), [Paneru README](https://github.com/karinushka/paneru) and [OmniWM compatibility guide](https://github.com/OmniNull/OmniWM). Requirements can change between releases. ## Recreate a familiar workflow in Glidro Start with the windows you use for one task. For a coding session, try putting your editor next to a browser with documentation, with a terminal beside them. Treat this as a starting arrangement, then adjust it to your work. Choose a comfortable editor width first. A column around 65% of the screen is a reasonable starting point on a laptop; it is a setting to adjust, not a target every app must meet. Give the browser more room if its sidebar or page layout needs it. The current default shortcuts are: - Option + Left or Right to focus a neighboring window. - Option + Shift + Left or Right to change its position in the strip. - Option + R to cycle the focused column's width. - Option + F to toggle full width. Once that feels comfortable, add a stack for windows you consult together. A terminal and a small log window might share a column. If you prefer to see one of them at a time, turn the stack into a tabbed column. For an external display, Option + N moves the focused window to the next available display. Shortcuts can be changed, so check Glidro's Shortcuts page if your bindings differ. ## What to check before switching Try the layout with the apps you actually use. Some apps enforce a minimum window size, and fullscreen windows have their own macOS behavior. If you use several displays, include your usual monitor arrangement in that check. Trackpad users should also check for gesture conflicts in macOS settings. A swipe that switches desktops will interrupt window scrolling if both actions use the same gesture. You can explore the column layout in the [Glidro browser demo](https://glidro.app/#demo), then follow the [setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup). The demo illustrates the layout; compatibility with your apps needs to be checked in the Mac app. For a wider comparison, read [the scrolling window manager guide](https://glidro.app/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac). If you are choosing specifically between Hammerspoon and Glidro, see [PaperWM for Mac](https://glidro.app/paperwm-for-mac). ## Related guides - [Niri vs PaperWM](/niri-vs-paperwm-mac) — Compare two scrolling workflows and the options available on Mac. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/niri-vs-paperwm-mac Mirror file: /niri-vs-paperwm-mac.md # Niri vs PaperWM: the real differences (and what runs on a Mac) Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /niri-vs-paperwm-mac Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Both put your windows on an endless horizontal strip. **The difference is what sits underneath** — and that decides which one fits you. If you're on a Mac, use the Mac implementations below; skip to that section. > **tl;dr:** Same scrolling-strip idea, different foundations. [Niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri) is a standalone Wayland compositor written in Rust — minimal, fast, you log into it. [PaperWM](https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM) is a GNOME Shell extension — you keep the whole GNOME desktop. Neither original project is a macOS app: Niri targets Wayland, and PaperWM is a GNOME Shell extension. Mac implementations include [Glidro](/), [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) (macOS 26+) and [PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-spoon-setup). ## What they share Both are [scrolling window managers](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager). Windows sit side by side on a strip that continues past the edges of your screen. Opening a window adds a column next to the focused one; nothing else resizes. You move through your work by scrolling the strip, not by rearranging a grid. If you like one, the other will feel familiar within minutes. ## Niri vs PaperWM: the differences that matter | | Niri | PaperWM | |---|---|---| | What it is | Standalone Wayland compositor | GNOME Shell extension | | Written in | Rust | JavaScript (GNOME Shell) | | Desktop around it | None — bring your own bar, launcher, notifications | All of GNOME | | Configuration | Text config file | GNOME extension preferences | | Setup | Install, pick the Niri session at login | Enable the extension | | Depends on | Nothing but itself | Your GNOME version being supported | | Runs on macOS | No | No | ### Foundations decide the feel Because Niri *is* the display server, it draws every frame itself. That's why people describe it as smooth and tight — there's no host environment to negotiate with. The cost is that you assemble the rest of the desktop yourself. PaperWM lives inside GNOME Shell. You get GNOME's settings, app grid, notifications and extensions for free, and PaperWM rearranges the windows. The cost is coupling: when GNOME ships a new major version, PaperWM has to catch up. ### Configuration Niri is configured in a text file, which suits people who keep dotfiles in git. PaperWM exposes its options through GNOME's extension preferences, which suits people who'd rather click than edit. ## Who should pick which (on Linux) - **Pick Niri** if you want a minimal, standalone setup, you're happy to choose your own bar and launcher, and you like a config file. - **Pick PaperWM** if you're already on GNOME and want the strip without giving up the rest of your desktop. ## On a Mac? Here's what actually runs Neither original project is a macOS app: Niri targets Wayland, and PaperWM is a GNOME Shell extension. On a Mac, you can install implementations of the same model: | | Glidro | OmniWM | PaperWM.spoon | |---|---|---|---| | What it is | Native app (SwiftUI + Glidro Engine) | Native app, open source | Lua script for Hammerspoon | | macOS | 13 Ventura and later | 26 Tahoe and later | Any version Hammerspoon supports | | Closest to | Niri's strip, stacks and tabbed columns | Niri (plus a Dwindle layout) | PaperWM | | Configuration | GUI, applies instantly | GUI + TOML | init.lua | | Price | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time | Free | Free | If you liked **PaperWM** and enjoy scripting, [PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-spoon-setup) is the faithful free recreation. If you liked **Niri**'s calm strip and want it to feel built into macOS — GUI settings, a trackpad swipe with adjustable sensitivity, stacks, tabbed columns — that's what [Glidro](/) is for, and it runs back to macOS 13. On macOS 26 Tahoe, [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) is a strong free alternative. The full Mac rundown lives at [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac). **The Niri/PaperWM strip, as a Mac app.** No Hammerspoon, no SIP, no config file — a native app with a trackpad swipe with adjustable sensitivity. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Is Niri better than PaperWM? Neither is strictly better — they share the scrolling model. Niri is a standalone Wayland compositor, so it controls every frame and doesn't need a desktop environment. PaperWM runs inside GNOME, so you keep GNOME's apps, settings and extensions. Pick Niri for a minimal, fast, standalone setup; pick PaperWM if you want to stay on GNOME. ### Did Niri copy PaperWM? PaperWM popularised the scrolling strip on the Linux desktop, and Niri's own README credits PaperWM as its inspiration. Niri rebuilt the idea as a standalone compositor written in Rust. ### Can I run Niri or PaperWM on a Mac? Neither original project targets macOS: Niri is a Wayland compositor and PaperWM is a GNOME Shell extension. On macOS, use an implementation of the same model: [Glidro](/), [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) (macOS 26+) or [PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-spoon-setup). ### Is PaperWM.spoon the same as PaperWM? No. PaperWM.spoon is a separate project: a Lua recreation of PaperWM's layout for Hammerspoon on macOS, not a port of the GNOME extension. The strip model is faithful; the environment is completely different. ### Which is easier to set up? PaperWM, if you already run GNOME — it's an extension you enable. Niri means installing and logging into a new session and writing its config file. On a Mac, the easiest is a native app you drag to Applications. ## Related - [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared. - [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac) — The GNOME original, the Hammerspoon port, and the native option. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/paperwm-for-mac Mirror file: /paperwm-for-mac.md # PaperWM for Mac with Hammerspoon or a separate app Source: https://glidro.app/paperwm-for-mac Updated: 2026-10-08 · Author: Glidro The Mac project you are looking for is PaperWM.spoon, an extension for Hammerspoon. The original [PaperWM](https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM) is a GNOME Shell extension and does not install on macOS. If you already use Hammerspoon, the Spoon is a sensible place to start. If you would prefer to change window settings in an app, Glidro offers a scrolling layout with a graphical interface. We make Glidro. This guide compares the setup choices and features described in the projects' documentation. ## Features of PaperWM on Mac [PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon) arranges Mac windows on a scrolling strip. Its configuration includes directional focus, width changes and commands to move windows into or out of a column. It also supports horizontal trackpad scrolling. The number of fingers and scrolling sensitivity are configured in Lua, and scrolling is disabled by default. The project documents some Mac limitations, including visible window edges and monitor-arrangement considerations. Read those notes if you use more than one display. ## The choice is mostly about how you want to configure it
QuestionPaperWM.spoonGlidro
How do I change settings?Hammerspoon Lua configurationApp controls for common layout, gesture and shortcut settings
Can I scroll with a trackpad?Yes, after configurationYes, with three- or four-finger controls
Is it free?YesA paid license is required
Who is it likely to suit?Someone who already uses Hammerspoon or enjoys scriptingSomeone who wants to manage the layout through a Mac app
If your Hammerspoon setup already works well, there is no need to replace it just to get scrolling windows. Consider an app when editing and maintaining that setup becomes work you would prefer to avoid. ## Before you configure the Spoon Follow the [maintainer's installation instructions](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon#installation). Keep a copy of an existing Hammerspoon configuration before adding window management, and check that the proposed shortcuts do not overlap with bindings you already use. Start with a few windows and keyboard navigation. Add trackpad scrolling once you can move through the strip reliably. That gives you a clear way to distinguish a layout problem from a gesture conflict. For the full walkthrough, see our [PaperWM.spoon setup guide](https://glidro.app/paperwm-spoon-setup), alongside the project's current documentation. ## A similar layout through Glidro's interface In Glidro, you can set column widths and gaps in the app, choose the scrolling gesture, and edit keyboard bindings without writing Lua. The current release supports Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. A useful first arrangement is a main document next to its reference material. Leave mail or chat further along the strip if you only need them occasionally. Adjust the main window until its text is comfortable to read, then decide whether the reference window needs a separate column. Glidro can also group windows vertically or in a tabbed column. To make a tabbed column, first stack neighboring windows with Option + ] or Option + [, then press Option + D. Option + Up or Down selects members of that column. These are current defaults; saved custom bindings can differ. The strip map helps you find a window that is outside the visible area. It shows the arrangement and lets you select a window, so you do not have to scroll through every column to find it. ## Choose with your own windows Use the same small task when comparing setups: write in one window, read a reference in another, then open a third. Check that each remains usable at the width you chose. Include an app with a sidebar or a large minimum size if that is part of your daily work. PaperWM.spoon is worth considering if you want the free scripting route. Glidro is worth considering if its interface and column controls suit how you work. You can explore the [Glidro demo](https://glidro.app/#demo) before reading its [Mac setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup). ## Related guides - [Niri-style scrolling on Mac](/niri-for-mac) — See how the Niri workflow maps to macOS. - [Niri vs PaperWM](/niri-vs-paperwm-mac) — Compare their shared scrolling idea and differences. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/paperwm-spoon-setup Mirror file: /paperwm-spoon-setup.md # PaperWM.spoon setup and troubleshooting guide Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /paperwm-spoon-setup Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro PaperWM.spoon is a free, actively maintained Hammerspoon Spoon that brings PaperWM-style scrolling tiling to macOS. **Here's how to install it properly and fix it when it misbehaves.** > **tl;dr:** To install [PaperWM.spoon](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon): install Hammerspoon and grant it Accessibility, clone the repo into `~/.hammerspoon/Spoons/PaperWM.spoon`, set two Mission Control options (uncheck "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use", check "Displays have separate Spaces"), and add three lines to `init.lua`. It's free, MIT-licensed and actively maintained. If it misbehaves, the fix is usually one of those steps, or a known issue with a specific app or macOS version, listed below. ## What PaperWM.spoon is PaperWM.spoon describes itself as a "tiled scrollable window manager for MacOS". It's modeled on [PaperWM](https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM), the GNOME Shell extension (Linux only): windows sit side by side on a horizontal strip and you scroll through them instead of cramming them into a grid. If the idea is new, start with [what a scrolling window manager is](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager). It isn't a standalone app. It's a *Spoon*, a Lua plugin for Hammerspoon, the macOS automation tool. As of September 2026 it has about 1,760 stars, an MIT license, and its last commit landed on 2026-09-03. It doesn't publish GitHub releases. ## What you need - **Hammerspoon**, installed and running. - **Accessibility permission for Hammerspoon.** Every window manager on macOS needs it to move windows. Grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. - **git**, to clone the Spoon (or download the repo by hand). No SIP changes are required. ## Install, step by step ### 1. Clone the Spoon This is the command from the README: `git clone https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon ~/.hammerspoon/Spoons/PaperWM.spoon` To update later, run `git pull` inside that folder and reload your Hammerspoon config. ### 2. Change two Mission Control settings Open System Settings → Desktop & Dock and scroll to Mission Control: - **Uncheck** "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use". - **Check** "Displays have separate Spaces". Skipping these is one of the easiest ways to end up with a setup that half-works. ### 3. Load it in init.lua Add this to `~/.hammerspoon/init.lua`: `PaperWM = hs.loadSpoon("PaperWM") PaperWM:bindHotkeys(PaperWM.default_hotkeys) PaperWM:start()` Reload the Hammerspoon config. `PaperWM.default_hotkeys` is the Spoon's built-in keymap; check the README for the current bindings before you change them. ### Alternative: SpoonInstall If you manage Spoons with SpoonInstall, point it at the PaperWM.spoon repo. Since the project doesn't publish GitHub releases, SpoonInstall uses its `release` branch. The README has the details. ### 4. Optional extras Built in: trackpad swipe scrolling (set with `swipe_fingers`), moving windows with mouse drag/lift, and scrolling with the mouse wheel. The README also mentions companion Spoons: **WarpMouse**, **ActiveSpace**, **Swipe** and **FocusMode**. ## Known limitations (from the README) - **Off-screen windows show at the edges.** macOS won't let windows go fully off screen, so hidden windows sit in a visible margin at the left and right edges. Glidro encounters the same macOS rule but usually masks exposed narrow remnants in focused scrolling layouts. - **Dragging windows between Spaces or screens is hard to detect.** Use the `move_window_N` actions instead of dragging. - **Multiple monitors:** arrange your screens vertically in Display settings so windows parked off screen don't bleed onto the other monitor. ## Troubleshooting: the problems people hit most These are the recurring themes in the project's GitHub issues. Check the linked threads for the current status and any workarounds. ### Nothing happens at all 1. Confirm Hammerspoon is running and has Accessibility permission. 2. Open the Hammerspoon Console and look for a Lua error when you reload. 3. Make sure the folder is named exactly `PaperWM.spoon` inside `~/.hammerspoon/Spoons/`. 4. Double-check both Mission Control settings above. ### Some apps' windows aren't tiled, or tile wrong Specific apps come up again and again: Finder ([#126](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/126)), Safari ([#72](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/72)), Microsoft Office ([#55](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/55)), Chromium-based browsers ([#159](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/159)), and native tabs ([#39](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/39)). If an app misbehaves, search the issues for its name before debugging your config. ### Focus jumps or flickers across monitors Multi-monitor focus and flicker problems are tracked in [#14](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/14), [#139](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/139) and [#71](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/71). First try the README's advice: stack your displays vertically in the arrangement. ### Animations feel jittery See [#103](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/103), [#74](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/74) and [#108](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/108). ### Moving windows between Spaces broke Discussed in [#52](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/52) and [#60](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/60). **Open as of September 2026:** [#173](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/173), macOS 27 breaks `moveWindowToSpace`. If you're on macOS 27, expect Space moves not to work until that's resolved. ### Layout is lost after sleep, closing a window, or full screen See [#117](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/117) and [#165](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/165). **Open as of September 2026:** [#133](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues/133). ### Before you open a new issue The maintainer and other users can help much faster with a good report. Include: - your macOS version and how many displays you use (and how they're arranged); - the app whose windows misbehave, and whether it uses native tabs; - any error from the Hammerspoon Console after a config reload; - whether the problem still happens after a `git pull` of the latest Spoon. Search the existing issues first: most problems above already have a thread, and adding details there helps more than a duplicate. ## PaperWM.spoon vs a native app PaperWM.spoon is a good tool, and if you already live in Hammerspoon, it's the natural choice. If you'd rather not maintain a Lua setup, [Glidro](/) is a native app built on the same strip model. | | PaperWM.spoon | Glidro | |---|---|---| | Price | Free, MIT | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time, lifetime license | | Runs as | Hammerspoon Spoon (Lua) | Native app (SwiftUI + Glidro Engine) | | Configuration | init.lua | Settings window; changes apply instantly | | Shortcuts | Lua hotkey table | Shortcut recorder, several per action | | Trackpad | Swipe scrolling | 3- or 4-finger swipe with adjustable sensitivity | | Stacks / tabs in a column | See README | Stacks and tabbed columns | | Off-screen windows | Visible margin at left/right edges | Narrow macOS remnants usually masked in focused scrolling layouts | | Source | Open source | Closed source | | Requirements | Hammerspoon | macOS 13+, Apple silicon | Glidro also restores your column order, stacks and tabs after a restart, shows a minimap while you navigate, and brings every off-screen window back when you quit. Longer comparison: [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac), or [Niri vs PaperWM on Mac](/niri-vs-paperwm-mac). ## Who should use what ### Use PaperWM.spoon if… - you already use Hammerspoon and enjoy scripting your setup in Lua; - you want free and open source. ### Use Glidro if… - you'd rather set things up in a settings window than maintain `init.lua`; - you want stacks, tabbed columns, a minimap and session restore out of the box; - you're on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 13 Ventura or later. **Like the strip, not the Lua?** Glidro is the same scrolling workflow as a native Mac app, set up in a settings window instead of init.lua. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### How do I install PaperWM.spoon? Install Hammerspoon and give it Accessibility permission, then clone the repo into `~/.hammerspoon/Spoons/PaperWM.spoon`. In System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Mission Control, uncheck "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use" and check "Displays have separate Spaces". Finally load it in `~/.hammerspoon/init.lua` with `hs.loadSpoon("PaperWM")`, bind the default hotkeys and call `PaperWM:start()`. ### Why is PaperWM.spoon not working? The most common causes are Hammerspoon lacking Accessibility permission, the two Mission Control settings not being set, or an error in `init.lua` (check the Hammerspoon Console). Beyond that, some apps' windows aren't tracked correctly and some macOS versions break Spaces moves; the [GitHub issues](https://github.com/mogenson/PaperWM.spoon/issues) are the place to check. ### Does PaperWM.spoon need SIP disabled? No. It runs as a Hammerspoon Spoon using the permissions Hammerspoon already has. No SIP changes are needed. ### Is PaperWM.spoon still maintained? Yes. As of September 2026 the last commit was on 2026-09-03 and the repo has about 1,760 stars. It doesn't publish GitHub releases; SpoonInstall uses its `release` branch. ### Does PaperWM.spoon support trackpad scrolling? Yes. It has built-in trackpad swipe scrolling (configured with `swipe_fingers`), plus mouse drag/lift and mouse-wheel scrolling. See the README for the exact options. ### Is there a PaperWM for Mac that doesn't need Hammerspoon? [Glidro](/) is a native app with the same scrolling model and a settings window instead of Lua. It's paid and needs an Apple silicon Mac. Comparison: [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac). ## Related - [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac) — The GNOME original, the Hammerspoon port, and the native option. - [Niri vs PaperWM](/niri-vs-paperwm-mac) — The two Linux originals compared — and what runs on macOS. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac Mirror file: /pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac.md # How to read a PDF and take notes side by side on a Mac Source: https://glidro.app/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro Open your PDF and your notes in separate windows, then put them next to each other. For one paper and one note, the Mac's built-in window controls are usually enough. The harder part comes when you need a second paper or a browser reference without losing your place. This guide starts with that simple pair, then shows a Glidro layout for a reading session with more sources. ## Start with a readable PDF and a separate note Open the PDF in Preview or your usual reader. Open a note or document in the app you already use. A plain document is fine; you don't need to change your note-taking system to arrange its window. Give the PDF enough room to read a paragraph without constant horizontal scrolling. A two-column academic paper may need more width than a letter or a short report. Your note can often be narrower because it contains a few lines at a time. Try this with one page before arranging the rest of your desktop. If the PDF is already too small, adding more visible windows will make the problem worse. ## Put the two windows side by side for free On macOS Sequoia 15 or later, drag the PDF window to the left edge and release when the tile appears. Place the notes window at the right edge. You can also choose a layout by hovering over the green window button. Apple explains these controls in its [window tiling guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/15.0/mac/15.0). For a pair that fills its own Space, use [Split View](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-apps-in-split-view-mchl4fbe2921/mac): hover over the green button, choose the left or right full-screen tile, then select the second window. Split View opens in a separate desktop Space, so use Mission Control to return to your other desktop windows. Menu wording varies with macOS. Drag the divider to give the PDF more room. Split View also offers a two-app option on older macOS versions. Or simply resize both windows by dragging their edges. That gives you a quick uneven split without installing anything. Close unrelated windows while you read, and keep the source beside the note you are writing. ## Make the notes useful when you return to them Imagine you are comparing two papers about the same research question. Start a note with the question and the first paper's title. For each point you keep, record the page number and a short explanation in your own words. Mark direct quotations clearly. When a second paper disagrees, add its title and page beside that point. This keeps the comparison in one place instead of leaving you with several notes that say roughly the same thing. Window placement helps you check the source; it doesn't replace a citation manager or your own judgment. ## Add a browser reference without shrinking the PDF With Glidro, the windows sit in a horizontal strip. You can keep the PDF at a comfortable width, put your notes next to it and move to a browser window farther along the strip. Some windows will be outside the current view; the purpose is to reach them while preserving usable widths. After following the [Glidro setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup), open the PDF, notes and browser as ordinary desktop windows. Use **Option + Shift + Left or Right** to reorder them into PDF, notes, browser. Use **Option + Left or Right** to focus the neighboring window. These are the default bindings; saved custom shortcuts may differ. Focus the PDF and press **Option + R** to cycle its width. Start with the 65% preset if it makes the page readable, then adjust the notes separately. Don't expect a 65% PDF and a 35% note to fit perfectly together: gaps, display scaling and each app's minimum size affect the result. ## Keep extra papers in one reference column If two PDF windows need their own vertical space, arrange them in neighboring columns, focus the right one and press **Option + ]** to stack it into the left column. A vertical stack lets you see parts of both documents, but each has less height. For long pages you read one at a time, press **Option + D** after creating that stack to turn it into a tabbed column. The documents share the column while one is visible. Use **Option + Up or Down** to move between its members. Keep the notes in a separate neighboring column. On a small MacBook, switch between sources rather than forcing every page onto the screen. Our [MacBook window guide](https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager) covers width choices. If this layout is new to you, the [scrolling window manager guide](https://glidro.app/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) explains how the strip works. This guide is published by Glidro, a paid scrolling window manager for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. Start with the free built-in arrangement above; consider Glidro when your reading session needs more windows. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/stage-manager-alternative Mirror file: /stage-manager-alternative.md # Stage Manager alternatives for Mac, explained simply Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /stage-manager-alternative Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Stage Manager works well for some people and gets in the way for others. **If it's getting in your way, you have better options.** Here's how to switch it off, and what to use instead. > **tl;dr:** To turn Stage Manager off, click it in Control Center, or switch it off in System Settings → Desktop & Dock. What to use instead depends on how you work. For the occasional side-by-side, use the **tiling built into macOS Sequoia**, which is free. For quick snapping, try an app like [Loop](/glidro-vs-loop). If you want every window to have its own place automatically, try a scrolling window manager like [Glidro](/). ## What Stage Manager does Stage Manager arrived in macOS Ventura (2022). It puts the window you're working on in the middle of the screen and lines up your recent apps as small thumbnails along the left side. Click a thumbnail and that app moves to the center. You can also group a few apps together so they come forward as a set. For some people that's exactly right: one task at a time, the rest out of the way. For others it doesn't fit, and it usually comes down to a few trade-offs: - **Screen space.** The thumbnails on the left take up room, which you notice on a laptop screen. - **One group at a time.** You see the current app or group, and everything else is a thumbnail. - **Windows still overlap.** Inside a group, windows can still sit on top of each other the way they always did. Stage Manager decides what's *in front*, not where things go. None of this makes Stage Manager bad. It's one way of organizing windows, and there are others. ## How to turn off Stage Manager 1. Click **Control Center** in the menu bar. 2. Click **Stage Manager** to switch it off. Or go to **System Settings → Desktop & Dock** and switch off Stage Manager in the "Desktop & Stage Manager" section. If you like Stage Manager but want your screen space back, keep it on and turn off **Show recent apps** there instead. You can also choose whether an app's windows appear "All at Once" or "One at a Time". Apple's full guide: [Use Stage Manager on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-stage-manager-mchl534ba392/mac). ## The alternatives ### 1. macOS tiling (free, built in since Sequoia) If you're on macOS 15 Sequoia or later, your Mac can already put windows side by side. Drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen to fill that half, drag it to a corner for a quarter, or drag it to the menu bar to fill the screen. You can also hover over the green button in the top-left of any window for a menu of layouts. There are keyboard shortcuts too, all using **Fn (Globe) + Control**: - **Fn-Control-F**: fill the screen - **Fn-Control-C**: center the window - **Fn-Control-Left/Right Arrow**: left or right half - **Fn-Control-R**: return to the previous size It's manual, so you place each window yourself. For "I just want Safari and Notes side by side sometimes", that's all you need. Apple's guide: [Tile app windows on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/mac). ### 2. Snapping apps: Loop and Rectangle Snapping apps do the same job as macOS tiling with more options. [Loop](https://github.com/MrKai77/Loop) is free and runs on macOS 13 or later. Hold a trigger key and move your mouse toward a direction, and a radial menu shows where the window will go before you commit. Rectangle is another snapping app. Both are still manual: you decide where each window goes. See [Glidro vs Loop](/glidro-vs-loop) and [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle). ### 3. A scrolling window manager: Glidro This is a different idea, and easiest to explain with something you already use. Think of the photos on your phone. They don't pile on top of each other. Each one has its own spot in a row, and you swipe sideways to get to the next. Nothing gets lost or covered up. [Glidro](/) does that for your windows. Every window gets its own place on a long strip that runs sideways past the edges of your screen. Open a new window and it takes the next spot. The windows already there stay the same size. To get to a window, swipe left or right with three or four fingers on your trackpad. The strip follows your fingers and settles neatly on the nearest window. Keyboard fans can press Option with H/J/K/L or the arrow keys instead. What that means day to day: - **No overlapping.** Windows sit side by side and never cover each other. - **No thumbnail strip.** Your windows use the full screen. - **No arranging.** You don't drag or snap anything. New windows go in the right place. - **Easy to change.** Settings are regular switches and menus, and changes apply right away. Drag a window by its title bar to move it along the strip. It needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 13 Ventura or later. It only asks for the standard Accessibility permission. It's $9.99 before applicable taxes one time for a lifetime license, and updates are free. The live demo on this page is a working model of Glidro, not a video. Give it a swipe. We'd suggest switching Stage Manager off first, so only one thing is arranging your windows. Quitting Glidro brings every window back onto the screen, and it leaves apps in macOS full-screen mode alone. ### And don't forget Mission Control Mission Control shows every open window at once, with your Spaces (extra desktops) along the top. Swipe up with three fingers, press the Mission Control key, or press Control-Up Arrow. It doesn't arrange anything, but it's a quick way to find a window, and it works alongside any of the options above. ## Stage Manager vs macOS tiling vs Glidro | | Stage Manager | macOS tiling | Glidro | |---|---|---|---| | Available since | macOS 13 Ventura | macOS 15 Sequoia | Works on macOS 13 Ventura and later | | How it works | Current app in the center, recent apps on the left | You drag or snap windows into halves and quarters | Every window gets its own spot on a sideways strip | | Windows overlap? | They can, within a group | Only if you don't tile them | No | | Who arranges windows | You, inside each group | You, window by window | Automatic | | Trackpad | Click thumbnails | Drag windows | Three- or four-finger swipe | | Cost | Free, built in | Free, built in | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time | ## Who should use what ### Keep Stage Manager if… - you like focusing on one app or group at a time. Try turning off "Show recent apps" before giving up on it. ### Use macOS tiling if… - you're on Sequoia or later and only need two windows side by side now and then. It's free and already there. ### Use Loop or Rectangle if… - you like placing windows yourself but want faster, more flexible snapping than macOS offers. ### Use Glidro if… - you have lots of windows open and keep losing them behind each other; - you'd like every window to have its own place without arranging anything; - you use a trackpad and like the idea of swiping between windows the way you swipe between photos. **Every window gets its own place. Swipe to get there.** Glidro lines your windows up side by side so nothing overlaps and nothing gets lost. Swipe with three or four fingers to move along. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### How do I turn off Stage Manager on a Mac? Open Control Center in the menu bar and click Stage Manager to toggle it. Or go to System Settings → Desktop & Dock, find "Desktop & Stage Manager", and switch Stage Manager off. Apple's guide: [Use Stage Manager on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-stage-manager-mchl534ba392/mac). ### What is the best alternative to Stage Manager? It depends on what you want. For putting two windows side by side now and then, the tiling built into macOS Sequoia is free and already on your Mac. For quick snapping with more control, try an app like [Loop](/glidro-vs-loop). If you want every window to have its own place without you arranging anything, try a scrolling window manager like [Glidro](/). ### Can I hide the recent apps on the left in Stage Manager? Yes. Stage Manager has a "Show recent apps" option in System Settings → Desktop & Dock. Turning it off hides the strip on the left, which gives you that screen space back while keeping Stage Manager on. ### Does macOS have window tiling built in? Yes, since macOS 15 Sequoia. Drag a window to the left or right edge or a corner of the screen, or use the Fn (Globe) + Control shortcuts, like Fn-Control-F to fill the screen. It's manual: you place each window yourself. Apple's guide: [Tile app windows on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/mac). ### Is Mission Control an alternative to Stage Manager? It's a good companion rather than a replacement. Mission Control shows all your open windows at once, with your Spaces along the top. Open it with a three-finger swipe up, the Mission Control key, or Control-Up Arrow. It helps you find a window, but it doesn't arrange them for you. ## Related - [Window manager for a MacBook](/macbook-window-manager) — Comfortable windows on a 13" screen, without cramming a grid. - [Glidro vs Loop](/glidro-vs-loop) — Radial window mover vs scrolling manager, and using both. - [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) — When you outgrow window snapping — and when you honestly haven't. - [Scrolling window managers, explained](/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip model, and how scrolling differs from tiling. ## Related guides - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Compare other Mac window manager workflows. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac Mirror file: /ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac.md # An ultrawide window manager setup for Mac Source: https://glidro.app/ultrawide-monitor-window-manager-mac Updated: 2026-10-08 · Author: Glidro An ultrawide monitor gives you room for several windows, but the width of each one still matters. A document stretched across the display can be awkward to read. Narrow columns can hide the controls you need. Start with the size that makes your main task comfortable, then place its references nearby. A scrolling layout gives you somewhere to put additional windows when the useful part of the display is already occupied. ## Build the arrangement around your main window For a development task, try an editor alongside a browser, with a terminal nearby. For writing, use a document and source material. These are suggested starting arrangements; your apps and display scaling will determine how much fits. In Glidro, a main column around one-third of the screen is worth trying on an ultrawide. A smaller note or utility window might work at one-quarter. Widen the main column if its sidebar, text or tools feel cramped. Keep the window you use most near a comfortable viewing position. Move mail and chat further along the strip if they do not need to stay visible during the task. ## Choose between a fixed arrangement and scrolling A fixed arrangement is useful when the same small set of windows stays on screen all day. You can place them once and keep working. [macOS tiling](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/mac) provides built-in options for arranging windows. Scrolling is useful when the task grows: you open a second reference, another project or a temporary window and want to reach it without reducing every existing column. You keep the sequence and navigate to the part you need. The right choice depends on whether you want a fixed set of visible positions or a longer sequence of windows. An ultrawide screen can work well with either. ## Use width controls before adding more columns In Glidro, use Option + R to cycle the focused column through the widths you have configured. If a spreadsheet needs the display temporarily, Option + F toggles full width. It remains part of the managed strip rather than entering macOS fullscreen. After setting widths, navigate with Option + Left and Right. Use Option + Shift + Left or Right to put frequently paired windows next to each other. Check the content while adjusting. A window's frame may fit neatly while its sidebar leaves too little room for the document. Apps can also enforce minimum widths, so the same percentage will not produce the same useful layout in every app. ## Group secondary windows where it helps You may want a terminal and a log visible in one vertical stack. Two reference documents might work better as a tabbed column, especially when both need the full height. In Glidro, first stack neighboring windows with Option + ] or Option + [, then use Option + D to switch that stack to a tabbed column. Option + Up or Down selects a member. Press Option + D again when you want the vertical stack back. Avoid grouping unrelated windows simply to fill the screen. The arrangement is easier to remember when the windows in a column belong to the same task. ## Keep navigation comfortable across the full display On a wide monitor, keyboard navigation can save repeated pointer travel. Glidro also supports three- or four-finger scrolling with a trackpad and shows a map of the strip so you can find windows outside the visible area. If a swipe also changes macOS desktops, check the matching gesture in Trackpad settings. Choose a finger count and sensitivity that let you stop at the window you want; faster movement is not necessarily more useful. ## If your MacBook stays open beside the monitor Treat the two displays as separate work areas. For example, keep the main document and references on the ultrawide and put an occasional utility on the laptop. Glidro uses a separate strip for each display. Option + N moves the focused window to the next available display. At the edge of a strip, directional focus can also reach a window on a neighboring monitor according to the arrangement in macOS Displays settings. Check the setup after disconnecting the ultrawide as well. The laptop has less room, so you may prefer fewer visible columns and wider individual windows. Our [MacBook window guide](https://glidro.app/macbook-window-manager) covers that starting point. Glidro's current release supports Apple silicon and macOS 13 or later. You can explore the [scrolling layout in the browser demo](https://glidro.app/#demo), then read the [setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup). To compare other apps and configuration routes, see [the scrolling window manager comparison](https://glidro.app/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac). ## Practical window guides - [Excel workbooks](/excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac) — Compare files and add reports to your window layout. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager Mirror file: /what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager.md # What is a scrolling window manager? Scrolling vs tiling, explained Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager Updated: 2026-10-08 · Author: Glidro A **macOS scrolling window manager** puts your windows on an endless horizontal strip. You scroll instead of rearranging. Nothing reflows. Here's the model, and how to run it on a Mac today. > **short answer:** A **scrolling window manager** (also called *scrollable tiling*) places windows side by side on an endless horizontal strip that extends past the edges of your screen. Opening a window adds a column next to the one you're in; nothing else resizes. You move between windows by scrolling the strip. A **tiling** window manager instead divides the visible screen, so every new window shrinks the others. Well-known examples are [Niri](/niri-for-mac) and PaperWM on Linux, and [Glidro](/) on macOS. ## The definition A **scrolling window manager** is a window manager that arranges windows side by side on an endless horizontal strip rather than fitting them all inside the visible screen. The strip extends past the display's edges; you navigate by scrolling it — with trackpad gestures or keyboard shortcuts — and the focused window slides into view. Two properties define the model: - **Windows keep their size.** A window is as wide as you made it, whether there are two windows on the strip or twenty. - **New windows never cause reflow.** Opening an app inserts a window next to the focused one. Nothing else moves, shrinks, or rearranges. The mental model is a camera panning across a long desk: everything has a fixed place; you just look at different parts of it. ## Scrolling vs tiling window managers Both are automatic — the window manager places every window for you. The difference is what happens when you run out of screen: | | Tiling (grid / BSP) | Scrolling (strip) | |---|---|---| | Where windows live | Inside the visible screen, always | On a strip that continues past the screen edges | | Open a new window | Every window on screen gets smaller | A new column appears; nothing else resizes | | Ten windows open | Ten small tiles, or you move some to other workspaces | Ten comfortable columns, a scroll apart | | Navigate | Focus left/right/up/down in the grid | Scroll the strip (keys or trackpad) | | Best at | Seeing many windows at once | Focused work on one or two windows, the rest close by | | Examples | i3, Hyprland (dwindle), yabai, AeroSpace, Amethyst | Niri, PaperWM, Glidro, OmniWM | ## How it differs from grid tiling and snapping ### vs. grid/BSP tiling (yabai, AeroSpace, Amethyst, i3) Traditional tilers keep every window inside the visible screen at all times, which forces a trade-off: **each new window takes space away from the others**. Open a sixth window and all six get resized. Scrollable tiling drops that constraint — the layout grows sideways instead of subdividing. You lose "see everything at once"; you gain layouts that never change behind your back. We compare the two models in depth in [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) and [vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace). ### vs. window snapping (Rectangle, Magnet) Snapping tools move one window to a position when you ask — half-screen left, quarter top-right. They're manual and they don't *maintain* anything: the "layout" is just wherever windows happen to be. A scrolling window manager continuously maintains the strip for you, like a tiler does, while feeling closer to how you already scroll everything else. More in [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle). ## A short history The model was pioneered by [PaperWM](https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM), a GNOME Shell extension whose name nods to the "paper" metaphor — windows on a continuous roll. For years it was a beloved niche tool among GNOME users. Then [Niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri) arrived: a from-scratch Wayland compositor written in Rust with scrollable tiling as its core idea. Niri's polish and performance pushed the model into the mainstream of the Linux desktop conversation, and "scrolling window manager" became a category name rather than one extension's quirk. By 2026 the idea had spread well beyond its origins. [Hyprland](/hyprland-for-mac) added a built-in scrolling layout in v0.54 (February 2026), KDE has [Karousel](https://github.com/peterfajdiga/karousel), sway users have [scroll](https://github.com/dawsers/scroll), and komorebi on Windows gained a scrolling layout in v0.1.38 (September 2025). macOS got there through several routes: community Hammerspoon scripts — [PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-spoon-setup) and the lighter [ScrollDesktop.spoon](https://github.com/jocap/ScrollDesktop.spoon) — and native apps: [Glidro](/), which pairs the Glidro Engine with a SwiftUI interface (origin line: "Niri wasn't for Mac, so I made one"), and the open-source [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) for macOS 26 Tahoe. There's a full rundown in [the best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac). ## Why people prefer it - **No reflow anxiety.** In a grid tiler, opening a terminal can shrink your editor mid-thought. On a strip, layouts are stable by construction. - **Spatial memory.** The strip has a geography — notes to the far left, editor in the middle, browser to the right. Your hands learn where things *are*, not just their names. - **Laptop-friendly.** On a 13-inch screen, a grid of five windows means five unusable windows. A strip shows one or two comfortable windows at a time and keeps the rest a swipe away. The same logic makes ultrawides feel natural too. - **It matches an existing instinct.** You already scroll timelines, docs, and photos. Scrolling your windows needs no new mental model. ## The core interactions Every scrolling window manager is built from a small set of verbs. **Focus movement** walks the strip left and right — in [Glidro](/) that's Option+H and Option+L (or Option+arrows) on a fresh install, or a three- or four-finger trackpad swipe. **Swapping** reorders windows on the strip without resizing anything. **Width presets** cycle a column through sizes you chose (a third, a half, two thirds…), which replaces the fiddly edge-dragging of floating windows. **Centering** pulls the focused window to the middle of the display for deep-focus moments. Implementations then layer on their own ideas: **stacking** (piling related windows into one column that scrolls as a unit), floating exceptions for utility windows and pickers, and rules that pin certain apps to certain sizes. The important part is that all of these operate *on the strip* — there's no layout tree to learn, no split directions to plan. The strip is the whole data structure. ## Who it's *not* for Honest answer: if your workflow depends on seeing six windows at once in a fixed dashboard grid — monitoring, trading, support queues — a BSP tiler like yabai or AeroSpace serves that better. Scrollable tiling optimizes for focused work on one or two windows with fast access to the rest, not for maximum simultaneous visibility. ## How to try scrollable tiling - **On GNOME (Linux):** install the PaperWM extension. - **On Wayland (Linux):** run Niri as your compositor, or switch Hyprland to its scrolling layout. - **On Windows:** komorebi's scrolling layout. - **On macOS:** tinkerers can script it with PaperWM.spoon; if you want it as a polished native app — trackpad gestures, GUI settings, per-display strips, [rebindable shortcuts](/#shortcuts) — that's [Glidro](/). Or just use the live demo on this page — it's a working model, not a video. **See the strip in motion on your own Mac.** Glidro brings scrollable tiling to macOS as a native app — Glidro Engine, trackpad gestures, GUI settings. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Is a scrolling window manager the same as a tiling window manager? It's a subcategory with one big difference. Both tile windows automatically without overlap, but a grid/BSP tiler fits every window inside the visible screen — so each new window resizes the others. A scrolling window manager tiles windows onto a strip that extends past the screen edge, so windows keep their size and you scroll instead of reflowing. ### Does scrollable tiling work with multiple monitors? Yes. Implementations typically give each display its own independent strip with its own focus and scroll position. [Glidro](/) on macOS does this, and also gives each macOS Space its own strip. ### Is there a scrolling window manager for Windows? Nothing mainstream or mature as of 2026. The well-known Windows tilers — GlazeWM and komorebi — are grid tilers, not scrolling ones. The established scrolling options are PaperWM on GNOME, Niri on Wayland, and Glidro on macOS. ### What's the best scrolling window manager for Mac? There are two real options: [PaperWM.spoon](/paperwm-for-mac), a free Hammerspoon script for people who like configuring in Lua, and Glidro, a native app with trackpad gestures, GUI settings, and the Glidro Engine ($9.99 before applicable taxes one time, macOS 13+). See [our full comparison of the options](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) for details. ### Why do people prefer scrolling over grid tiling? Three reasons come up again and again: windows never change size behind your back (no reflow), the left-to-right strip matches spatial memory (your editor is always "to the left of" your browser), and it works beautifully on laptop screens where a grid would make every window too small to use. ## Related - [PaperWM for Mac](/paperwm-for-mac) — The GNOME original, the Hammerspoon port, and the native option. - [Niri for Mac](/niri-for-mac) — Every way to get the Niri workflow on macOS, compared. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. - [Glidro vs Rectangle](/glidro-vs-rectangle) — When you outgrow window snapping — and when you honestly haven't. ## Practical window guides - [PDF and notes](/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac) — Keep source material readable while you take notes. - [Excel workbooks](/excel-workbooks-side-by-side-mac) — Compare files and add reports to your window layout. - [Coding on a MacBook](/macbook-coding-window-setup) — Keep your editor, browser and terminal within reach. - [Moving from Windows](/windows-snap-layouts-on-mac) — Choose native tiling, fixed snapping or scrolling columns. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/windows-snap-layouts-on-mac Mirror file: /windows-snap-layouts-on-mac.md # Windows Snap Layouts on Mac: built-in tiling and other options Source: https://glidro.app/windows-snap-layouts-on-mac Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Glidro If you miss Windows Snap Layouts, start with the Mac's built-in tiling on macOS Sequoia 15 or later. It can place windows in halves or quarters. For more shortcut-driven snapping, try Rectangle. For custom saved arrangements, look at a tool such as Rectangle Pro. Glidro offers another approach: a scrolling strip of windows that can extend beyond the screen. Which option suits you depends on whether you want a fixed arrangement or room to move through more windows. On Windows 11, Snap Layouts are built in: hover over a window's maximize button or press **Win + Z**, choose a layout, then use Snap Assist to place other windows. Snap Groups let you restore the arrangement later. This is separate from FancyZones, the PowerToys tool for custom zones. See Microsoft's [Snap guide](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/snap-your-windows). ## Start with the built-in Mac controls Hover over the green button at the upper left of a window. Choose a position under Move & Resize, or a multi-window layout under Fill & Arrange. You can also drag windows to screen edges and release when the highlighted tile appears. Apple's [tiling guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/15.0/mac/15.0) covers macOS 15 and later. [Split View](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-apps-in-split-view-mchl4fbe2921/mac) pairs two apps in a full-screen Space. Desktop tiling keeps the windows on the desktop. Try the desktop arrangement first if you want other windows readily accessible. For an email window beside a browser, that may be all you need. Before installing an app, try opening a third window and switching among the three. That will tell you more about your needs than choosing a tool from a feature list. ## Use Rectangle for familiar edge snapping [Rectangle](https://rectangleapp.com/) is free and open source. It moves and resizes windows through keyboard shortcuts and screen-edge snap areas. It is a straightforward option if you want to place a window in a half or corner and leave it there. After choosing an action, the window occupies that part of the display. Extra windows can overlap the arrangement, so you still need a way to switch among them. Our [Glidro and Rectangle comparison](https://glidro.app/glidro-vs-rectangle) explains how fixed snapping differs from a scrolling layout. ## When you want something closer to FancyZones [FancyZones](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/fancyzones) is a Windows PowerToys feature that lets you define zones and snap windows into them. If that is the behavior you miss, look for a Mac app with custom positions and saved layouts. [Rectangle Pro](https://rectangleapp.com/pro/docs/layouts/), a separate paid app, supports saved arrangements and custom sizes and positions. Its layout entries can also act as snap targets. Those features are closer to a fixed-zone workflow than Glidro's scrolling strip, though the interface and behavior differ from FancyZones. For example, if you always want a spreadsheet in the middle of a wide monitor, email on the left and a report on the right, a saved fixed arrangement is a sensible place to start. Check the tool's display rules and how it matches multiple windows from the same app before relying on that setup. ## Try scrolling columns when the screen feels full Consider a different task: you begin with a browser and a document, then open two more references. In Glidro, the windows occupy columns along a horizontal strip. You move through the strip while keeping windows at usable widths. Some windows can be outside the visible area. This is useful if you prefer to preserve a readable document width instead of fitting every new window into the current screen. A fixed layout is easier to understand when you need all its assigned windows visible together. With Glidro's default bindings, **Option + Left or Right** focuses neighboring windows, **Option + Shift + Left or Right** changes their order, and **Option + R** cycles the focused column's width. Follow the [setup guide](https://glidro.app/setup) and check any custom bindings you have saved. Glidro doesn't provide a FancyZones-style custom zone editor. Read the [scrolling window manager explanation](https://glidro.app/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) if you want to understand the strip before trying it. ## Learn the difference between apps and windows On a Mac, **Command + Tab** switches between apps. To move between open windows of the front app, use **Command + grave accent**, usually the backtick key near Tab. Keyboard layouts and conflicting input-source shortcuts can affect that binding. Apple lists both in its [keyboard shortcut reference](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102650). This distinction matters when you have several Excel workbooks or browser windows open. A window placement app solves where they sit; finding the right window is a related task. Learn the built-in switching keys alongside whichever layout method you choose. For a simple pair, begin with native tiling. Add Rectangle when you want more fixed snapping shortcuts. Consider custom layouts for repeatable positions on a large display, or Glidro if you want to move through readable columns as your work grows. This guide is published by Glidro, a paid scrolling window manager for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. The options above serve different workflows; the most useful choice is the one that matches how you want your windows to behave. --- ## Source page: https://glidro.app/yabai-without-sip Mirror file: /yabai-without-sip.md # yabai without SIP: what works, what doesn't, and the no-SIP options Glidro uses **Scrolling**. Glidro 1.0.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Release availability: [Creem](https://macglide-license.achrafalloula007.workers.dev/buy). Source: /yabai-without-sip Updated: 2026-10-07 · Author: Glidro > Publisher disclosure: This comparison is published by Glidro. Feature and compatibility details are based on the linked project documentation. Short answer: **yabai tiles windows with SIP fully enabled.** Disabling it partially only unlocks a specific list of extras. Here's that list, what the setup really involves, and what to use if you'd rather never touch SIP. > **tl;dr:** Yes, you can use yabai without disabling SIP. Its BSP tiling works with System Integrity Protection fully on, and the README calls disabling it "optional". You only need SIP partially off for the extras that use a scripting addition in Dock.app: space management, opacity, shadows, animations, scratchpads, window layers, sticky windows and picture-in-picture. If you want to avoid SIP entirely, AeroSpace, OmniWM and [Glidro](/) never ask for it. ## What yabai does with SIP enabled [yabai](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai) is a BSP tiling window manager (MIT, about 29.6k GitHub stars, latest release v7.1.25 as of September 2026). The core job, which is tiling windows into `bsp`, `stack` or `float` layouts and focusing, swapping and resizing them from the keyboard, works on a stock Mac with SIP on. Many setup guides start with disabling SIP, so it's easy to assume it's required. It isn't. That step only exists so yabai can inject a **scripting addition** into Dock.app, and that addition is what powers the features in the table below. ## Which features need SIP partially disabled This list comes from yabai's wiki page, [Disabling System Integrity Protection](https://github.com/asmvik/yabai/wiki/Disabling-System-Integrity-Protection): | Feature | Works with SIP on? | |---|---| | Tiling (bsp / stack / float), focus, swap, resize | Yes | | Moving a window to another Space (as of v7.1.25) | Yes | | Create / destroy / move Spaces, switch Space focus | No, needs the scripting addition | | Remove window shadows | No | | Window transparency (opacity) | No | | Window animations | No | | Scratchpad windows | No | | Window layers (topmost / desktop) | No | | Sticky windows | No | | Picture-in-picture for any window | No | If none of the rows marked "No" matter to you, leave SIP alone and use yabai as it is. yabai also has no built-in hotkeys: the README points you to "skhd or any other suitable software". skhd is optional, and any hotkey tool that can run the `yabai` command will work. ## What partially disabling SIP involves If you do want Spaces control or animations, here's the process from the wiki, summarised so you know the cost up front. Follow the wiki itself when you do it, because it's the source of truth. 1. **Boot into Recovery.** On Apple silicon, shut down, then hold the power button until you see Options. 2. **Partially disable SIP.** In Recovery's Terminal on Apple silicon with macOS 13 or later, run `csrutil enable --without fs --without debug --without nvram`, then reboot. 3. **Set a boot argument.** Back in macOS, run `sudo nvram boot-args=-arm64e_preview_abi` and reboot again. 4. **Add a sudoers entry** at `/private/etc/sudoers.d/yabai` so yabai can load the scripting addition without a password. The entry is pinned to the yabai binary's sha256 hash. 5. **Load the addition from your config.** Add `sudo yabai --load-sa` to your `~/.yabairc`, plus a `dock_did_restart` signal so it reloads whenever the Dock restarts. ### The upkeep people forget - **Every yabai upgrade:** the binary's hash changes, so you update the sha256 in the sudoers entry. Until you do, the scripting addition won't load. - **After an Apple Store or service repair:** SIP can come back fully enabled, and you go through the Recovery steps again. - **After big macOS updates:** the wiki doesn't say you must redo the setup. yabai's changelog does show scripting-addition fixes for particular macOS releases (26.4, 26.6 and 15.7, for example), so read it before you update. For a lot of power users this is a one-time evening's work and well worth it. For others, the reason they searched "yabai without SIP" isn't really the SIP flag. It's that they don't want a window manager they have to maintain. If that's you, read on. ## No-SIP alternatives, if the real goal is less maintenance These tiling window managers never ask you to touch SIP: | | AeroSpace | OmniWM | Glidro | |---|---|---|---| | Layout | i3-like tree (tiles, accordion) | Niri-style scrolling or Dwindle, per workspace | Scrolling strip with stacks and tabbed columns | | SIP changes | Never | None | None | | macOS | 13+ | 26 Tahoe+, Apple silicon | 13 Ventura+, Apple silicon | | Config | TOML file, no GUI by design | Settings GUI + TOML | Full GUI (native preferences) | | Notarized | No (Homebrew cask) | Yes | Yes | | Price | Free, MIT | Free, GPL-2.0 | $9.99 before applicable taxes one time | ### AeroSpace: closest to yabai's tiling [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) is an "i3-like" tree tiler that never needs SIP. It gets its own workspaces by *emulating* them rather than using macOS Spaces: windows on inactive workspaces are moved off to a corner of the screen. It's still in public beta (v0.21.3-Beta as of September 2026) and isn't notarized, and it's configured with `~/.aerospace.toml`. If you like yabai's grid and keyboard-driven style and only dislike the SIP part, start here. Head-to-head: [Glidro vs AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace). ### Glidro: scrolling instead of splitting [Glidro](/) takes a different approach from BSP. Windows sit side by side on an endless horizontal strip, opening a window never resizes the others, and you scroll along the strip with the keyboard or a 3- or 4-finger trackpad swipe. It needs only the Accessibility permission, and uses no SIP changes, kernel extensions or scripting additions. Settings live in a GUI and apply instantly. You still get stacks, tabbed columns, width presets, per-display strips, animation synced to your display's refresh rate, and a `GlidroEngine send-cmd` helper plus URL scheme if you script things. It's $9.99 before applicable taxes one time for a lifetime license, runs on macOS 13 and later, and needs Apple silicon. The live demo above is a working model of it, not a video. ### OmniWM: free, if you're on Tahoe [OmniWM](https://github.com/BarutSRB/OmniWM) offers Niri-style scrolling and Hyprland-style Dwindle, chosen per workspace. It needs no SIP changes and is free, open source and very actively developed. The catch is that it requires macOS 26 Tahoe on Apple silicon. Details: [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm). ## Who should use what - **Keep yabai with SIP on** if BSP tiling is all you need. You lose nothing on the list above that you'd miss. - **Keep yabai and partially disable SIP** if you want Spaces control, opacity or scratchpads, and you're fine updating the sudoers hash after each upgrade. - **Switch to AeroSpace** if you want free, keyboard-first grid tiling and never want to think about SIP. - **Try OmniWM** if you're on macOS 26 Tahoe and want a free tool with both scrolling and dwindle layouts. - **Pick Glidro** if you want scrolling tiling that installs like a normal Mac app, is configured in a GUI, and runs on macOS 13 through 26. For the full feature-by-feature comparison, see [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai). **Tiling on a Mac with SIP left exactly as Apple shipped it.** Glidro is a native scrolling window manager that needs only the Accessibility permission: no Recovery mode, no sudoers file, no scripting addition. Price and checkout: /#pricing (one-time purchase, lifetime license; macOS 13+ on Apple silicon). ## FAQ ### Does yabai need SIP disabled? No. yabai's README lists disabling SIP as optional, and its tiling layouts (`bsp`, `stack`, `float`) work with SIP enabled. Partially disabling SIP lets yabai load a scripting addition into Dock.app, which unlocks extras like space management, window opacity, animations, sticky windows and scratchpads. ### Can yabai create or switch Spaces with SIP enabled? No. Creating, destroying, moving and focus-switching Spaces all need the scripting addition, and that needs SIP partially disabled. As of yabai v7.1.25 (September 2026), moving a *window* to another Space does work with SIP enabled. ### Do I have to redo the SIP steps after every macOS update? yabai's wiki doesn't say that. It does say SIP can be switched back on by Apple Store or service repairs, and then you redo the steps. You also update the sudoers entry after every yabai upgrade, because it's pinned to the binary's sha256 hash. The changelog also shows scripting-addition fixes for specific macOS releases, so check it after a big update. ### Which tiling window managers for Mac never need SIP changes? [AeroSpace](/glidro-vs-aerospace) (i3-like grid, free), [Glidro](/) (scrolling strip, paid, macOS 13+) and [OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) (scrolling or dwindle, free, macOS 26 Tahoe only). None of them ask you to change SIP. ### Is it risky to partially disable SIP? It lowers one of macOS's built-in protections, and that's a trade-off only you can judge. If your Mac is managed by an employer, check the rules first. If you'd rather not think about it at all, pick a window manager that never asks for it. ## Related - [Glidro vs yabai](/glidro-vs-yabai) — Scrolling strip vs BSP tiling — and the SIP question. - [AeroSpace alternatives](/aerospace-alternatives) — Seven Mac window managers for people leaving AeroSpace. - [Glidro vs OmniWM](/glidro-vs-omniwm) — Two no-SIP scrolling tilers. Which macOS you run decides it. - [Best scrolling window managers for Mac](/best-scrolling-window-managers-for-mac) — Every option in 2026, ranked honestly — free ones included. ---