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Hammerspoon

A free, open-source macOS automation tool that you program in Lua to control windows, keys, apps and more.

Open sourceDesktop automation tools
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About Hammerspoon

Hammerspoon is a bridge between macOS and the Lua scripting language. Out of the box it does nothing; you write a Lua configuration file that connects events to actions using its extensive APIs for windows, applications, screens, keyboard and mouse events, the clipboard, audio devices, battery, Wi-Fi, location and the file system. Typical uses include custom window layouts on hotkeys, app launchers, reacting when you join your home network, battery alerts, or replacing several small utilities with a few lines of code. Pre-made plugins called Spoons cover common jobs like window grids, clipboard history and Caffeine-style keep-awake, so you do not have to write everything from scratch. It is free and open source under MIT, installed by downloading the app or via Homebrew, and documented with a getting-started guide and full API reference. The catch is obvious: you need to be comfortable writing and debugging code, and there is no graphical settings interface for building automations.

Best for: Developers who want to script their own Mac utilities instead of buying several.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Can replace many small utilities with code
  • Broad APIs across windows, input, network and devices
  • Spoons provide ready-made modules
  • Free and open source

Why people leave

  • Requires writing Lua
  • No graphical editor for automations
  • Debugging configs can be fiddly

Top Hammerspoon alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Ke
    Keyboard Maestro

    Visual macro editor for similar automation without writing code.

    66.5
  2. 2BetterTouchTool logo
    BetterTouchTool

    Gesture, shortcut and window automation through a settings UI.

    52.2
  3. 3Karabiner-Elements logo
    Karabiner-Elements

    Dedicated, free keyboard remapping for low-level key changes.

    50.3
  4. 4Raycast logo
    Raycast

    Script commands and extensions in a friendlier launcher interface.

    48.9
  5. 5SwiftBar logo
    SwiftBar

    Simpler if all you need is script output in the menu bar, and it runs BitBar/xbar plugins.

    38.6

Why people left Hammerspoon

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Hammerspoon: common questions

Is Hammerspoon free?

Yes. Hammerspoon is free, open-source software.

Is Hammerspoon open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at Hammerspoon/hammerspoon.

What platforms does Hammerspoon run on?

Hammerspoon is available for macOS.

What are the best alternatives to Hammerspoon?

The highest-ranked Hammerspoon alternatives right now are Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool and Karabiner-Elements. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Hammerspoon alternatives