AeroSpace vs Hammerspoon
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A keyboard-driven window manager for macOS that tiles windows automatically, inspired by i3.
Open source · MIT
A macOS automation tool that runs Lua scripts to control your Mac's windows, keys, and system.
The short answer
Choose AeroSpace if you need…
- Keyboard-centric users who want to manage windows without the mouse
- Developers and advanced users comfortable editing a text configuration file
- People with multi-monitor setups who want i3-style monitor handling
- Users who already know i3 or other tiling window managers
Choose Hammerspoon if you need…
- Mac users comfortable writing small scripts who want custom keyboard shortcuts or window behavior
- Power users who want to automate repetitive desktop tasks on macOS
- People who used Mjolnir and want a more integrated version with built-in extensions
- Developers who want to script their own macOS environment
Side-by-side
| AeroSpace | Hammerspoon | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23.7k | 16.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Swift | Objective-C |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 4 months ago |
What each one is
AeroSpace
AeroSpace arranges the windows on your Mac into tiled layouts so they fill the screen without overlapping, and lets you move between them with the keyboard. It is inspired by the i3 window manager on Linux. Its configuration is a plain text file, and it is controlled through a command-line interface. It does not use macOS Spaces for workspaces; it emulates its own workspaces instead.
Hammerspoon
Hammerspoon is a macOS tool that acts as a bridge between the operating system and a Lua scripting engine. It ships with extensions that expose many system features, so you can write Lua scripts to automate parts of your Mac. Out of the box it does nothing; you write your own configuration file to decide what it does.
Best for
AeroSpace
- Keyboard-centric users who want to manage windows without the mouse
- Developers and advanced users comfortable editing a text configuration file
- People with multi-monitor setups who want i3-style monitor handling
- Users who already know i3 or other tiling window managers
Hammerspoon
- Mac users comfortable writing small scripts who want custom keyboard shortcuts or window behavior
- Power users who want to automate repetitive desktop tasks on macOS
- People who used Mjolnir and want a more integrated version with built-in extensions
- Developers who want to script their own macOS environment
Strengths
AeroSpace
- Built on a tree-based tiling model and inspired by i3, which the README describes as its core design
- Does not require disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP), and the project states it will never require this
- Configuration is a plain text file that works well with dotfiles, and manpages and shell completion are included
Hammerspoon
- Built on Lua, a simple and widely used scripting language
- Extensions expose many system features, and API docs are available online
- Open source under the MIT license with an active community and CI testing
Not ideal for
AeroSpace
- People who want a graphical settings panel, since the project says it will never provide a GUI for configuration
- Users who rely on native macOS Spaces, because AeroSpace does not acknowledge them and uses its own workspace emulation
- Users looking for visual effects such as window borders, transparency or animations, which the project deliberately does not prioritize
- Users who need a stable release today, since the README describes it as a Public Beta with breaking changes expected before 1.0
Hammerspoon
- People who want a ready-made app with no configuration, since it does nothing until you write Lua code
- Users on other operating systems, because it is macOS only
- Anyone unwilling to learn basic Lua, since scripting is the main way to use it
Trade-offs
AeroSpace
- Described as a Public Beta, with breaking changes expected until version 1.0
- The README notes the app is not notarized by Apple; the Homebrew install script removes the quarantine attribute to avoid warnings
- The README lists open issues it considers important before 1.0, including window-jumping stability problems and no native macOS tabs support yet
Hammerspoon
- Requires writing code, so it is not a point-and-click tool
- MacOS only, and the README does not list supported macOS versions
- Its extension coverage is still growing according to the project's own future plans
Getting started
AeroSpace
Install via Homebrew (preferred, includes autoupdates)
brew install --cask nikitabobko/tap/aerospaceHammerspoon
Install with Homebrew
brew install hammerspoon --caskFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between AeroSpace and Hammerspoon?
AeroSpace: A keyboard-driven window manager for macOS that tiles windows automatically, inspired by i3. Hammerspoon: A macOS automation tool that runs Lua scripts to control your Mac's windows, keys, and system. AeroSpace suits keyboard-centric users who want to manage windows without the mouse, while Hammerspoon suits mac users comfortable writing small scripts who want custom keyboard shortcuts or window behavior.
Are AeroSpace and Hammerspoon free?
AeroSpace: Free and open source. Hammerspoon: Free and open source.
Is AeroSpace or Hammerspoon more popular?
AeroSpace has more GitHub stars (23.7k) than Hammerspoon (16.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to AeroSpace and Hammerspoon?
Other options people compare them with include yabai, Amethyst, Polybar.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.