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Automatic tiling window manager

Amethyst — Official Website
Amethyst stands out in 2026 as an exceptional, free, and open-source tiling window manager for macOS, particularly for users committed to a keyboard-driven workflow. It offers robust automatic window organization, extensive layout options (including custom JavaScript-based ones), and seamless integration with multi-monitor and Spaces setups. While it demands a learning curve for newcomers to tiling window managers, its power, flexibility, and active community support make it an indispensable tool for maximizing productivity and screen real estate on a Mac, far surpassing native window management capabilities.
brew install --cask amethystAmethyst is a powerful, open-source tiling window manager designed specifically for macOS, drawing inspiration from the highly efficient xmonad popular on Linux. Its core function is to automatically manage the size and position of application windows, eliminating the need for manual resizing and dragging. Originally written in Objective-C as an alternative to similar tools, Amethyst has evolved to include robust Spaces support, which is critical for modern macOS workflows. The application targets keyboard-heavy users, developers, and anyone seeking to maximize their screen real estate and boost productivity by reducing mouse reliance. What sets Amethyst apart in 2026 is its balance of deep functionality with a relatively approachable learning curve compared to more complex alternatives like Yabai, which might require disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP). By intelligently arranging windows into various predefined or custom layouts across multiple monitors and virtual desktops, Amethyst helps users maintain focus and streamline their digital workspace, addressing the often-cited limitations of macOS's native window management.
Amethyst intelligently resizes and positions all open application windows based on a chosen layout, ensuring no overlap and optimal use of screen space. For instance, if you have a browser, a code editor, and a terminal open, Amethyst might arrange them into a main pane for the code editor and two smaller, equally sized panes for the browser and terminal on the side. When you close one, the remaining windows instantly re-tile to fill the available space. This automation significantly reduces the time and effort typically spent manually arranging windows, allowing users to concentrate on their tasks.
The application offers a rich selection of built-in layouts such as Tall, Wide, Fullscreen, Binary Space Partitioning, and TwoPane, among others, each optimized for different workflows. Users can effortlessly cycle through these layouts using keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Option+Shift+Space) to find the most suitable arrangement for their current tasks. Furthermore, Amethyst extends its flexibility by supporting custom layouts written in JavaScript, empowering advanced users to design and implement bespoke tiling rules that perfectly match their unique productivity requirements and screen configurations.
At its core, Amethyst is designed for a keyboard-centric workflow, providing an extensive array of shortcuts for every window management action. Users can move window focus, swap windows within a layout, resize main panes, and even move windows between different macOS Spaces—all without lifting their hands from the keyboard. For example, pressing Option+Shift+J or K moves focus counter-clockwise or clockwise, respectively, through your tiled windows. This level of control dramatically enhances efficiency for users who prefer navigating their operating system primarily with shortcuts.
Amethyst offers robust support for multi-monitor setups and integrates seamlessly with macOS's native Spaces (virtual desktops). It can apply different tiling layouts to each individual Space or external display, allowing users to craft distinct work environments for various tasks. For example, one Space might have a 'Tall' layout for coding, while another uses a 'Fullscreen' layout for focused writing. This feature is particularly valuable for professionals working with multiple displays or frequently switching between different project contexts, ensuring an organized and consistent workspace across all screens.
While Amethyst excels at tiling, it also provides the essential capability to designate specific applications or windows as 'floating.' This means these windows will not adhere to the automatic tiling rules and can be moved and resized freely, just like standard macOS windows. This is incredibly useful for utility applications, pop-up dialogs, calculators, or communication apps like Slack or Messages, which might not benefit from being tiled. By identifying applications that should float, users can prevent important, smaller windows from being awkwardly integrated into layouts, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted workflow.
Meet Alex, a full-stack developer working on a complex project. His typical setup involves an IDE (like VS Code), a terminal, a web browser for testing, and a documentation window. Without Amethyst, Alex constantly wastes time manually resizing and dragging these four windows to see them all. With Amethyst, he sets up a 'Binary Space Partitioning' layout on his main monitor. When he opens these four applications, Amethyst automatically arranges them into an optimal, non-overlapping grid. He uses Option+Shift+J/K to quickly switch focus between his code, terminal, and browser without touching the mouse, and Option+Shift+L to expand his main IDE pane when deep coding. This significantly speeds up his development workflow by keeping all critical tools visible and accessible.
Dr. Sarah Chen is an academic researcher who spends her days reading papers, writing articles, and analyzing data. Her workflow often requires having a primary PDF viewer or word processor, several reference articles (in a browser or another PDF app), and a note-taking application open simultaneously. Before Amethyst, her desktop was a cluttered mess of overlapping windows, making it hard to compare sources. Now, she utilizes Amethyst's 'Center Focus' custom layout on her large external display. Her primary writing application takes center stage, while two to three reference documents are neatly tiled on the left and right sides. She cycles through her reference materials using keyboard shortcuts and easily moves new articles into the secondary panes, maintaining an organized and efficient research environment.
David, a digital project manager, frequently juggles multiple communication channels, project management software, and client-facing applications across several macOS Spaces. He might have Slack and Mail on Space 1, Asana and Trello on Space 2, and a Zoom call with a browser for screen sharing on Space 3. Manually arranging these in each Space was a time sink. With Amethyst, he configures a 'Tall' layout for his communication Space, splitting Slack and Mail vertically. On his project management Space, he uses a 'Wide' layout for Asana and Trello. Crucially, he uses Amethyst's shortcuts to instantly move between Spaces and within each Space, ensuring he's always presenting a tidy and professional screen during virtual meetings and maximizing his productivity throughout the day.
Installing Amethyst on your Mac is straightforward, with the recommended method being through Homebrew, the popular package manager for macOS. This ensures you get the latest stable version and simplifies future updates.
If you don't already have Homebrew installed, open your Terminal application (found in Applications/Utilities) and paste the following command, then press Enter: `/bin/bash -c '$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)'`. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
Once Homebrew is installed, return to your Terminal and execute the following command: `brew install --cask amethyst`. This command will download and install the Amethyst application into your Applications folder.
After installation, launch Amethyst from your Applications folder. You should see a small crystal icon appear in your macOS menu bar. Click this icon to access Amethyst's preferences. Crucially, you must grant Amethyst accessibility permissions. Navigate to 'System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility' and ensure 'Amethyst' is checked and enabled. For optimal functionality, cycling through layouts (Option+Shift+Space) should now adjust your open windows.
Amethyst allows you to define the visual spacing around and between your tiled windows. In Amethyst's preferences, under the 'General' tab, you can set 'Screen Padding' (space between windows and screen edges) and 'Window Margins' (space between individual windows). Recommended values are typically 5-10 pixels. This subtle adjustment significantly improves visual aesthetics, reduces clutter, and prevents accidental clicks on adjacent windows or menu items, making your workspace feel more refined and less cramped, especially with many applications open.
Amethyst uses default modifier combinations (e.g., Option+Shift for `mod1`, Control+Option+Shift for `mod2`) for its extensive keyboard shortcuts. If these conflict with existing muscle memory or other applications, you can remap them within Amethyst's preferences or by editing its `~/.amethyst.yml` configuration file. This flexibility ensures Amethyst integrates seamlessly into your established workflow, allowing you to personalize keybindings for cycling layouts, moving focus, and swapping windows to your absolute preference, thereby enhancing speed and comfort.
Not every application benefits from tiling. Amethyst provides a 'Floating' tab in its preferences where you can add applications that should always remain untiled. Common examples include System Settings, calculators, small utility apps, or specific pop-up windows. By marking these as floating, Amethyst will ignore them during its tiling operations, allowing you to freely move and resize them as needed. This ensures critical, non-tiling elements of your workflow remain accessible without disrupting the carefully organized tiled layout of your primary workspace.
While Amethyst offers a robust tiling experience, the macOS ecosystem provides several other excellent window management solutions, each catering to different preferences and workflows.
Rectangle is a popular, free, and open-source alternative known for its simpler, more 'snapping' based approach to window management, akin to Windows' Aero Snap. Unlike Amethyst's automatic tiling, Rectangle primarily relies on keyboard shortcuts and dragging windows to screen edges to snap them into predefined halves, quarters, or corners. It offers a gentler learning curve and is ideal for users who prefer a less aggressive, more manual control over window placement, making it a great entry point into efficient window management.
Yabai is considered a more advanced and highly customizable tiling window manager, appealing to power users and developers seeking ultimate control. It offers deeper integration and more granular configuration, often requiring users to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP) for its full feature set, which carries security implications. Compared to Amethyst, Yabai demands a greater technical commitment and setup effort but provides unparalleled customization for those willing to invest the time in its complex configuration.
Moom takes a more mouse-centric approach to window management, contrasting with Amethyst's keyboard-driven philosophy. It allows users to easily move and zoom windows to halves, quarters, or custom sizes by hovering over the green maximize button or using simple drag-and-drop actions to screen edges. Moom excels for users who prefer visual interaction and immediate feedback when arranging windows, offering powerful snapping capabilities without the automatic tiling or extensive keyboard shortcuts that define Amethyst's workflow.
Amethyst operates entirely on an Open Source model, making it completely free for all users. It is licensed under the MIT license, signifying its commitment to freedom and accessibility. There are no hidden costs, subscriptions, in-app purchases, or 'Pro' versions to unlock additional features. Users receive full access to all its powerful tiling capabilities, multi-monitor support, and custom layout functionality without any financial obligation. This freemium approach stands in stark contrast to many other commercial window managers available for macOS, relying instead on community contributions and voluntary support for its ongoing development and maintenance.
Amethyst thrives on an active and dedicated open-source community, with its development primarily hosted on GitHub. This platform serves as the central hub for discussions, bug reporting, feature requests, and direct contributions from developers worldwide. Users can access comprehensive documentation, review past issues, and engage with maintainers and other users for troubleshooting and guidance. The community also extends to various online forums and platforms like Reddit's r/macapps, where users share tips, custom configurations, and solutions. Furthermore, numerous YouTube tutorials created by community members offer visual guides and workflow examples, making Amethyst more accessible for new users seeking to optimize their macOS productivity.
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Amethyst stands out in 2026 as an exceptional, free, and open-source tiling window manager for macOS, particularly for users committed to a keyboard-driven workflow. It offers robust automatic window organization, extensive layout options (including custom JavaScript-based ones), and seamless integration with multi-monitor and Spaces setups. While it demands a learning curve for newcomers to tiling window managers, its power, flexibility, and active community support make it an indispensable tool for maximizing productivity and screen real estate on a Mac, far surpassing native window management capabilities.
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