Scrolling vs tiling window managers: which suits you?
Tiling splits one screen between all your windows. Scrolling gives each window its width and lets the row grow. How they differ, and who each one suits.
Both kinds stop windows overlapping. They disagree about what to do when you open one more.
| Tiling | Scrolling | |
|---|---|---|
| Open a window | Others shrink to make room | Row gets longer, nothing shrinks |
| Space | The screen | A strip wider than the screen |
| Many windows | Cramped | Off to the side, a swipe away |
| See everything at once | Yes | Only what fits, plus a map |
| Best on | Large monitors, few windows | Laptops, many windows |
Tiling suits you if
You keep three or four windows open, want them all visible all the time, and have a big screen.
Scrolling suits you if
You keep many windows, work on a laptop at least some of the time, and care more about each window being a usable width than seeing all of them.
Both, on a Mac
ClutterFreeMac's Screens layout behaves a lot like tiling within each screen (windows fill it exactly, side by side) while the screens themselves scroll. Focus and Free scrolling layouts are pure scrolling. You can switch any time in Settings, Layout.
Questions
Is a scrolling window manager better than tiling?
Better for many windows and small screens; tiling is better if you want every window visible at once on a big display.
Read next
- Guide
What is a scrolling window manager?
A scrolling window manager lays windows side by side on a strip wider than your screen. How it differs from overlapping and grid tiling, and who it suits.
Read › - Guide
Stacked and tabbed windows in window managers, explained
Two ways to put several windows in one slot: stacked one above another, or tabbed with only one showing. How each works, from i3 to a scrolling strip.
Read › - Guide
The master and stack layout, explained
One big window and a stack of small ones: the layout behind xmonad, dwm and Amethyst. How it works, what it is good at, and where it gets cramped.
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