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nikitabobko/AeroSpace

AeroSpace is an i3-like tiling window manager for macOS, configured through a plain text file and driven from the command line.

Open-source alternative to:MagnetRectangle

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What is it?

AeroSpace arranges macOS windows automatically into tiled layouts organized as a tree, following the i3 window manager model. Users switch between workspaces quickly, and the project uses its own emulated virtual workspaces instead of native macOS Spaces, so switching happens without animations and without disabling System Integrity Protection.

Configuration is a plain text TOML file, which suits dotfiles-based setups. The tool is CLI first, with manpages and shell completion included, and it offers multi-monitor support following the i3 paradigm. Installation is available through Homebrew, which also handles automatic updates.

The project is in public beta, so breaking changes to configuration, CLI, or behavior may still occur before the 1.0 release. It runs on macOS 13 and later.

Key features

  • 01Tiling layouts based on a tree structure, inspired by i3
  • 02Fast workspace switching without animations or disabling SIP
  • 03Emulated virtual workspaces independent of native macOS Spaces
  • 04Plain text TOML configuration that works well with dotfiles
  • 05CLI-first control with manpages and shell completion
  • 06Multi-monitor support following the i3 model

Use cases

  • Keyboard-driven developers who want to manage window layouts without a mouse
  • Users who already keep their setup in dotfiles and prefer text-based configuration
  • People with multiple monitors who want i3-style workspace handling on macOS

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install via Homebrew cask

    brew install --cask nikitabobko/tap/aerospace

Things to know

  • macOS only.
  • Not notarized by Apple, so it relies on the Homebrew install to avoid quarantine warnings.
  • Public beta with expected breaking changes until 1.0.
  • Targeted at advanced users; configuration is via a plain text file and CLI, with no GUI.

In collections

Open-source Mac apps

Topics

#window-manager#tiling#macos#i3#swift#keyboard#productivity#apple#i3wm#mac

FAQ

What is AeroSpace?
AeroSpace is an i3-like tiling window manager for macOS, configured through a plain text file and driven from the command line. AeroSpace arranges macOS windows automatically into tiled layouts organized as a tree, following the i3 window manager model. Users switch between workspaces quickly, and the project uses its own emulated virtual workspaces instead of native macOS Spaces, so switching happens without animations and without disabling System Integrity Protection.
Is AeroSpace free to use? What license does it have?
AeroSpace is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is AeroSpace still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to AeroSpace was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use AeroSpace for?
Keyboard-driven developers who want to manage window layouts without a mouse Users who already keep their setup in dotfiles and prefer text-based configuration People with multiple monitors who want i3-style workspace handling on macOS
How do I install AeroSpace?
Install via Homebrew cask: brew install --cask nikitabobko/tap/aerospace
Where can I get AeroSpace?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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