AeroSpace vs Polybar
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 customizable status bar for Linux desktops, mainly used with X11 window managers.
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 Polybar if you need…
- Linux users who run a tiling window manager such as i3 or bspwm
- People who want a custom desktop bar without writing much shell code
- Users who want built-in modules for audio, music player, network and battery
- Users who want a lightweight bar and are comfortable editing a config file
Side-by-side
| AeroSpace | Polybar | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23.7k | 15.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Swift | C++ |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 14 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.
Polybar
Polybar is a program that draws a status bar along the edge of your Linux desktop. The bar can show things like workspaces, the window title, volume, battery, network, CPU and memory load, and the time. It is configured through a settings file rather than by writing scripts, and the README says it is built to avoid needing shell-scripting skills.
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
Polybar
- Linux users who run a tiling window manager such as i3 or bspwm
- People who want a custom desktop bar without writing much shell code
- Users who want built-in modules for audio, music player, network and battery
- Users who want a lightweight bar and are comfortable editing a config file
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
Polybar
- The README describes it as fast and easy to use, and it has built-in modules for many common services
- It is free and open source under the MIT license
- It is packaged for many Linux distributions, so it is often installable with the system package manager
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
Polybar
- Users on macOS or Windows, since the README and topics focus on Linux and X11 window managers
- Users who want a bar that works out of the box with no configuration, because the README points to the wiki for setup and configuration
- Users of Wayland-only desktops, since the README does not describe Wayland support
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
Polybar
- Setup depends on editing configuration and reading the wiki, which the README sends users to for details
- The README focuses on X11 and window managers such as i3 and bspwm, so fit with other environments is unclear from the text provided
Getting started
AeroSpace
Install via Homebrew (preferred, includes autoupdates)
brew install --cask nikitabobko/tap/aerospacePolybar
Debian or Ubuntu install
sudo apt install polybarArch Linux install
sudo pacman -S polybarFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between AeroSpace and Polybar?
AeroSpace: A keyboard-driven window manager for macOS that tiles windows automatically, inspired by i3. Polybar: A customizable status bar for Linux desktops, mainly used with X11 window managers. AeroSpace suits keyboard-centric users who want to manage windows without the mouse, while Polybar suits linux users who run a tiling window manager such as i3 or bspwm.
Are AeroSpace and Polybar free?
AeroSpace: Free and open source. Polybar: Free and open source.
Is AeroSpace or Polybar more popular?
AeroSpace has more GitHub stars (23.7k) than Polybar (15.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to AeroSpace and Polybar?
Other options people compare them with include yabai, Amethyst, Hammerspoon, Waybar, eww.
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.