AeroSpace: Tile and Manage macOS Windows from the Keyboard

Overview

AeroSpace organizes macOS windows into a tiling layout using a tree-based model, reducing the need to arrange and resize windows manually. Its i3-inspired, keyboard-centric approach is designed for advanced users and developers who want to control window layout and workspaces through shortcuts, a CLI, and a plain-text configuration file.

Rather than relying on native macOS Spaces, AeroSpace emulates virtual workspaces. This makes sense for users who want an i3-like workflow on a Mac and are comfortable with a public-beta project whose configuration or behavior may change before version 1.0.

Key Features

• Tree-based tiling model for organizing windows.
• Keyboard-oriented controls inspired by i3.
• Emulated virtual workspaces with fast switching and no transition animations.
• Plain-text configuration suitable for version control and dotfiles.
• CLI-first operation, with manpages and shell completion.
• Multi-monitor support using an i3-like workspace approach.
• Runs without requiring System Integrity Protection (SIP) to be disabled.

Use Cases

• i3 users moving to macOS who want a familiar tiling and workspace workflow.
• Developers and other keyboard-focused users who frequently switch between several windows.
• Advanced users who prefer to manage configuration in text files rather than a graphical settings interface.
• Multi-monitor Mac users who want explicit control over window placement and workspace switching.

Getting Started

Install with Homebrew:

brew install --cask nikitabobko/tap/aerospace

See the AeroSpace README and guide for setup details and configuration.

Alternatives

• Amethyst: Amethyst uses xmonad-inspired layouts and macOS Spaces, while AeroSpace provides i3-style workspaces of its own.
• yabai: yabai extends macOS Spaces and offers BSP layouts through a CLI; AeroSpace uses its own workspaces and does not require disabling SIP.

Considerations

• The project is in public beta and may introduce breaking changes before version 1.0.
• AeroSpace targets advanced users and does not provide a GUI for configuration.
• The binary runs on macOS 13 and later. Building from source has higher requirements: debug builds are supported on macOS 14 and later, and release builds on macOS 15 and later.
• The project states that its binaries are not notarized. Its Homebrew installation script removes the quarantine attribute.
• Its emulated workspaces do not follow native macOS Spaces behavior, and the project prioritizes practical window management over visual customization.