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Amethyst alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Amethyst: less scriptable than yabai or AeroSpace, and relies on macOS Spaces, which can be sluggish. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Amethyst, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. AeroSpace currently ranks first.

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Show all 4 alternatives

The best Amethyst alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

AeroSpace logo

Best Amethyst alternative for most people

AeroSpace

i3-style tiling with very fast virtual workspaces and a text config.

yabai logo

Best Amethyst alternative for a free option

yabai

More powerful and scriptable tiling, if you accept partially disabling SIP.

Rectangle logo

Best Amethyst alternative for open source

Rectangle

Manual snapping for people who find automatic tiling too rigid.

Moom logo

Best Amethyst alternative for Mac

Moom

Saved window layouts as a middle ground between snapping and tiling.

Amethyst alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Amethyst?

AeroSpace ranks first right now. i3-style tiling with very fast virtual workspaces and a text config. yabai and Rectangle follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Amethyst?

Yes. AeroSpace (open source), yabai (open source) and Rectangle (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Amethyst?

Yes: AeroSpace, yabai and Rectangle.

Why do people switch from Amethyst?

The complaints we hear most: less scriptable than yabai or AeroSpace; relies on macOS Spaces, which can be sluggish; some apps resist being tiled.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Amethyst, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.