bspwm on a Mac: the closest alternatives
bspwm is Linux only. yabai brings its binary space partition tiling to macOS; here is how that compares with AeroSpace and a scrolling strip.
bspwm runs on Linux, not macOS. Its idea, splitting the screen in two again and again (binary space partitioning), is available on a Mac through yabai, which tiles the same way. Key bindings, which bspwm leaves to sxhkd, are handled on a Mac by skhd or by the window manager itself.
Options
| Option | Feels like bspwm because |
|---|---|
| yabai with skhd | Same BSP tiling, keys in a separate daemon |
| AeroSpace | Keyboard first, config file, workspaces |
| ClutterFreeMac | Not BSP: a scrolling strip, for people who found BSP made windows too small |
BSP halves the space with every new window, so the fifth window is a sliver. If that is the part you never liked, a scrolling layout is the answer: each window keeps its width and the strip grows. See BSP tiling explained.
Questions
Is there bspwm for macOS?
No, but yabai uses the same binary space partition tiling on macOS.
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