Amethyst
Automatic tiling window manager for macOS, modeled on xmonad.
- Stars
- 16.3k
- Forks
- 539
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Swift
- Last update
- 5 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Amethyst is a macOS app that automatically arranges your open windows into tiled layouts, so they fill the screen without overlapping. It is inspired by the xmonad window manager on Linux and is controlled mostly with keyboard shortcuts. People use it to keep their desktop organized and to move between windows and Spaces quickly.
- Automatically split a browser and a code editor into a main pane and a side pane
- Cycle through layouts such as Tall, Wide, Column, or Fullscreen with a keyboard shortcut
- Throw a focused window to another Space or to a second screen
- Toggle a single window to floating while the rest stay tiled
Great for
- Mac users who often work with several windows side by side
- Keyboard-focused users who want to avoid dragging windows with the mouse
- Fans of xmonad or other tiling window managers who use a Mac
- Users who switch between multiple Spaces or external screens
Not ideal for
- People who prefer manual window placement, since layouts are applied automatically (the README describes a Floating mode, but the default is tiling)
- Users on macOS versions older than 10.15, which the README says are not supported
- People who want a mouse-driven workflow, since the README centers on keyboard shortcuts
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: macOS 10.15 or later · Homebrew (optional, for the cask install)
Install with Homebrew Cask
brew install --cask amethystDisable automatic Space rearranging (optional)
defaults write com.apple.dock workspaces-auto-swoosh -bool NORestart the Dock after the change
killall Dock - 2
Run it
- Install Amethyst with Homebrew or download it from the releases page.
- Open Amethyst and grant it permission under Privacy & Security, then Accessibility.
- Optionally turn off 'Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use' in Mission Control.
- Press option+shift+space to cycle layouts and watch your windows tile.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Review the default shortcut table and remap keys to suit your workflow
- Enable or disable layouts so only the ones you use appear in the cycle
- Use mod1 + z to force windows to be reevaluated when a layout looks wrong
- Check the troubleshooting guide in docs/troubleshooting.md for common issues
- Watch the community video linked in the README for a walkthrough of features
Downloads
Strengths
- Free and open source under the MIT license, with a large community (over 16,000 GitHub stars)
- Many layouts are available and can be enabled or disabled in the cycle
- Keyboard shortcuts are configurable, and the README documents the defaults
Trade-offs
- Requires granting Accessibility permission, and the README recommends changing a macOS Mission Control setting to keep Space navigation predictable
- The README notes that some default shortcuts are unassigned ("none") and must be set manually if wanted
- The README is truncated here, so details on configuration files and advanced options are not confirmed
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amethyst (this) | 16.3k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | Mac users who often work with several windows side by side |
| yabai | 29.8k | App | intermediate | 5 months ago | Mac users who want keyboard-driven window layouts |
| AeroSpace | 23.7k | App | intermediate | 5 days ago | Keyboard-centric users who want to manage windows without the mouse |
| marktext | 63.5k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who write notes or articles in Markdown and want a clean, minimal editor |
| Kap | 19.4k | App | beginner | 2.0 years ago | Mac users who want to record part of their screen quickly from the menu bar |
| MonitorControl | 34.6k | App | beginner | 23 days ago | Mac users with an external monitor who want keyboard brightness keys to work on it |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.