yabai AlternativesWindow Managers and other similar apps like yabai

yabai is described as 'Started as a C99 rewrite of chunkwm, originally supposed to be its first RC version' and is a Window Manager in the os & utilities category. There are more than 100 alternatives to yabai for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, BSD, Wayland and Windows apps. The best yabai alternative is Rectangle, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like yabai are Hyprland, Loop - Window Management, SnapZones and i3.

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yabai started as a C99 rewrite of chunkwm, originally supposed to be its first RC version.

More about yabai
More about yabai
yabai alternatives page was last updated Apr 29, 2025
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  1. AquaSnap icon

    AquaSnap

    Sponsored

    Optimize your desktop environment with this management tool offering window docking, snapping, multi-monitor support, and keyboard shortcuts for enhanced productivity.

    88 AquaSnap alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    Dock window to sides or corners

    AquaSnap Features

    1.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    2.  Portable
    3.  Snap windows
    4.  Window organizer
    5.  Window docking
    6.  Shortcut keys
    7.  Dock
  2. Rectangle icon

    Rectangle

     94 likes
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    Move and resize windows on macOS with keyboard shortcuts. Rectangle is a window management app based on Spectacle Wndow Manager, written in Swift (programming language).

    72 Rectangle alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Rectangle screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Window Resizing
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Usability
    4.  Window move resize
    5.  Snap windows
    6.  Low memory usage
    7.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    8.  No registration required

    Rectangle VS yabai

     
    Comments about Rectangle as an Alternative to yabai
    Mutant
    Negative Apr 20, 2024
    1

    Rectangle isn't a tiling window manager

    yabai Icon
    Rectangle icon

    • Rectangle is the most popular Mac alternative to yabai.

    • Rectangle is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to yabai.

    • Rectangle is Freemium and Open Sourceyabai is Free and Open Source
    • Rectangle is Lightweight and Privacy focusedyabai is not according to our users
  4. Hyprland icon

    Hyprland

     26 likes
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    An independent tiling Wayland compositor written in C++. Noteworthy features of Hyprland include dynamic tiling, tabbed windows, a clean and readable C++ code-base, and a custom renderer that provides window animations, rounded corners, and Dual-Kawase Blur on transparent windows.

    20 Hyprland alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • openSUSE
    • Arch Linux
    • Gentoo
    • Fedora
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • FreeBSD
    • Alpine Linux
    • Slackware
    Screenshot of a preconfigured setup

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Tiling Window Manager
    2.  Compositor
    3.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    4.  Support for scripting
    5.  Support for Multiple Monitors

    Hyprland VS yabai

     

    • Hyprland is the most popular Linux alternative to yabai.

    • Hyprland is Free and Open Sourceyabai is also Free and Open Source
    • Hyprland is Customizable and Lightweightyabai is not according to our users
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    AquaSnap icon
    AquaSnap

    Optimize your desktop environment with this management tool offering window docking, snapping, multi-monitor support, and keyboard shortcuts for enhanced productivity.

    https://www.nurgo-software.com
    Learn More
  6. Loop - Window Management icon

    Loop - Window Management

     13 likes
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    Loop is a macOS app that simplifies window management for you! You can effortlessly choose your window direction using a radial menu triggered by a simple key press, and customize it according to your preferences with personalized colors and settings.

    28 Loop - Window Management alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Loop - Window Management screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Snap windows
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Sits in the MenuBar
    4.  No registration required
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Swift

    Loop - Window Management VS yabai

     
  7. SnapZones icon

    SnapZones

     7 likes
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    Organize windows with ease using SnapZones. Enjoy magnetic snapping, predefined and custom layouts, multiple display configuration, and seamless transitioning between workspaces. SnapZones auto-starts at login, ensuring streamlined productivity for macOS users in any environment.

    License model

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • AT flagAustria
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    SnapZones screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  No registration required
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  Custom layouts
    6.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts

    SnapZones VS yabai

     

    • SnapZones is the most popular commercial alternative to yabai.

    • SnapZones is Paid and Proprietaryyabai is Free and Open Source
    • SnapZones is Privacy focused and Lightweightyabai is not according to our users
  8. i3 icon

    i3

     71 likes
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    i3 is a dynamic tiling window manager with clean, readable and documented code, featuring extended Xinerama support, usage of libxcb instead of xlib and several improvements over wmii.

    72 i3 alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    i3 with VIM, git, MPlayer, i3bar

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Tiling Window Manager
    2.  Tiling
    3.  X server
    4.  Built-in bar/panel
    5.  Mod Keys
    6.  Tabbed interface

    i3 VS yabai

     
  10. AquaSnap icon

    AquaSnap

     90 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Optimize your desktop environment with this management tool offering window docking, snapping, multi-monitor support, and keyboard shortcuts for enhanced productivity.

    88 AquaSnap alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    Dock window to sides or corners

    AquaSnap Features

    1.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    2.  Portable
    3.  Snap windows
    4.  Window organizer
    5.  Window docking
    6.  Shortcut keys
    7.  Dock

    AquaSnap VS yabai

     

    • AquaSnap is the most popular Windows alternative to yabai.

    • AquaSnap is Freemium and Proprietaryyabai is Free and Open Source
  11. Sway icon

    Sway

     20 likes
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    Sway is a Tiling Wayland Compositor and a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager for X11. It works with your existing i3 configuration and supports most of i3's features, plus a few extras.

    20 Sway alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Sway screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Wayland Support
    2.  Tiling Window Manager
    3.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    4.  Tiling Layouts
    5.  Tiling

    Sway VS yabai

     
  12. Openbox icon

    Openbox

     78 likes
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    Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

    69 Openbox alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CA flagCanada

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    BlackWhite theme by lyrae @ box-look.org
    Discontinued

    No actively developed anymore. Last commit was in 2015.

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    6.  KDE

    Openbox VS yabai

     
  13. MacsyZones icon

    MacsyZones

     4 likes
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    Make your workflow more efficient with MacsyZones. Organize your windows with ease.

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • TH flagThailand

    Platforms

    • Mac
    MacsyZones screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  No registration required
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    4.  No Tracking
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Snap windows
    7.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
    8.  Workflow Management
    9.  Window organizer

    MacsyZones VS yabai

     
  14. awesome icon

    awesome

     37 likes
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    awesome is a highly configurable, next generation framework window manager for X. It is very fast, extensible and licensed under the GNU GPLv2 license.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    awesome screenshot 1

    awesome Features

    1.  X server
    2.  Tiling
    3.  Extensible window manager

    awesome VS yabai

     
  15. Fluxbox icon

    Fluxbox

     33 likes
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    Fluxbox is a window manager for X that was based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code. It is very light on resources and easy to handle but yet full of features to make an easy, and extremely fast, desktop experience. It is built using C++ and licensed under the MIT license.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • C++
    fluxbox with a custom theme

    Fluxbox VS yabai

     
  16. Sxmo icon

    Sxmo

     2 likes
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    A minimalist Linux smartphone environment that is truly yours to control. Sxmo, or Simple X Mobile, is a collection of simple and suckless X programs and scripts used together to create a fully functional mobile UI adhering to the Unix philosophy for the PinePhone and other...

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • postmarketOS
    • Linux Mobile
    Sxmo screenshot 1
    Sxmo screenshot 2
    Sxmo screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Support for scripting
    2.  Support for Gestures
    3.  SSH
    4.  Tiling Window Manager

    Sxmo VS yabai

     
13 of 103 yabai alternatives