ClutterFreeMac vs Hammerspoon for windows
Hammerspoon lets you script window moves yourself in Lua. ClutterFreeMac is a finished scrolling window manager. When to write your own, and when not to.
Hammerspoon is a free, open source automation tool for macOS. You write Lua scripts that can move and resize windows, bind keys, watch for apps opening and much more. Community add ons ("Spoons") include window layouts, among them a PaperWM style scrolling layout.
How they differ
| Hammerspoon | ClutterFreeMac | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Write or copy Lua scripts | Install, allow one switch, done |
| Flexibility | Anything you can script | Settings for widths, rules, layouts and shortcuts |
| Scrolling layout | Via a community Spoon | Built in, with trackpad swipes that follow your fingers |
| Maintenance | Yours | Updates included |
Who should pick which
Pick Hammerspoon if you enjoy scripting and want one tool to automate many things beyond windows. Pick ClutterFreeMac if you want a scrolling layout that works today without code. You can use both: keep Hammerspoon for other automation, and let ClutterFreeMac handle windows. See PaperWM for Mac.
Questions
Can Hammerspoon tile windows?
Yes, with scripts or community Spoons. It does not tile on its own until you set it up.
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