What is a window manager, and does a Mac have one?
A window manager decides where windows go and how you move between them. What macOS has built in, what the add on kinds do, and how to choose.
A window manager is the part of a computer that decides where each window sits, how big it is, which one is in front, and how you move between them. Every Mac has one built in. When people say "a window manager for Mac" they usually mean an app that adds to it: one that arranges windows for you, or gives you faster ways to move them.
What macOS does on its own
- Floating windows: you drag and resize every window yourself, and windows overlap.
- Mission Control and Spaces: see every window at once, and keep several desktops.
- Stage Manager: one app in the middle, the rest in a strip at the side.
- Tiling (macOS Sequoia and later): drag a window to an edge or corner to fill half or a quarter.
The kinds of window manager apps
| Kind | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Snapping | Moves the window you choose into a half, third or corner | Rectangle, Magnet, Moom |
| Tiling | Splits the screen between every open window automatically | AeroSpace, yabai, Amethyst |
| Scrolling | Puts every window in a column on a strip that runs past the screen | ClutterFreeMac |
| Scriptable | Lets you write your own rules in code | Hammerspoon, Phoenix |
How to choose
If you keep two or three windows open and like placing them, a snapping app is enough. If you want windows arranged for you, look at tiling. If you keep more windows open than fit on the screen, a scrolling window manager keeps them all full size and lets you scroll to the rest. More on the difference in scrolling vs tiling.
Questions
Does macOS have a window manager?
Yes. macOS manages windows itself, with overlapping windows, Mission Control, Spaces, Stage Manager and, since Sequoia, basic tiling. Window manager apps add automatic layouts and faster controls.
Do I need a window manager on my Mac?
Not if a few overlapping windows suit you. If you often hunt for windows under other windows, or resize them by hand many times a day, one will save you time.
Read next
- Guide
What is a tiling window manager?
A tiling window manager arranges every window so none overlap. How tiling works, the main styles, why people love it, and what it is like on a Mac.
Read › - Guide
Do you need a window manager on your Mac?
Five signs a window manager would save you time, three signs it would not, and what kind to look at first if the answer is yes.
Read › - Guide
BSP tiling, explained: how binary space partitioning arranges windows
Each new window splits the one in focus in two. How binary space partition tiling works in bspwm and yabai, why people love it, and its trade off.
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