yabai vs AeroSpace: which macOS tiling window manager wins?
If you've gone looking for a real tiling window manager on macOS, two names dominate the conversation: yabai and AeroSpace. Both are free, open source, and aimed at people who want windows to arrange themselves automatically and to live entirely on the keyboard. But they take opposite approaches to one big question — how far into macOS internals they're willing to reach — and that single decision shapes everything else. Here's an honest yabai vs AeroSpace comparison, plus a note on who probably doesn't need either.
yabai vs AeroSpace at a glance
| yabai | AeroSpace | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Binary space partitioning (auto-tiling) | i3-like tiling |
| Disable SIP? | Yes, for the full feature set | Never — uses the public Accessibility API |
| Workspaces | Native macOS Spaces | Its own emulated workspaces (one native Space) |
| Config | Shell script (.yabairc) | Single TOML file |
| Built-in hotkeys | No — pair it with skhd | Yes, in the same config |
| Survives macOS updates | Often breaks; needs re-patching | Generally stable (no SIP hooks) |
| Price | Free, open source | Free, open source |
| Best for | Maximum control, scripting | Daily-driver tiling that just works |
The real dividing line: SIP
The thing that actually separates these two is System Integrity Protection. yabai's most powerful features — moving windows between Spaces programmatically, certain window-border and layout tricks — require you to partially disable SIP, which means booting into recovery, running a command, and lowering one of macOS's core security guardrails. yabai works without it, but you lose the headline capabilities that make people choose yabai in the first place.
AeroSpace never asks you to do that. It relies only on the public macOS Accessibility API, so there's no recovery-mode dance and no security trade-off. That one design choice is why so many long-time yabai users have switched: they wanted real tiling without re-patching SIP every time Apple ships an update.
The flip side is that AeroSpace can't touch native Spaces, so it emulates its own workspaces — all your windows live on a single macOS Space, and AeroSpace shows and hides them to simulate switching. It's fast and reliable, but Mission Control won't display those workspaces, and tools that read native Space state won't see them. Most people find that an easy trade.
Configuration and stability
yabai has no graphical settings and no built-in hotkeys. You write a shell script (.yabairc), and you pair it with a separate hotkey daemon (skhd) to bind keys to commands. It's enormously flexible — you're essentially scripting your window manager — but it's also the kind of setup you maintain. Because it hooks deep into the OS, yabai has a reputation for breaking on macOS point releases until it's patched.
AeroSpace keeps everything in one readable TOML file at ~/.config/aerospace/aerospace.toml — layout rules, workspace assignments, and keybindings all in one place, easy to version-control. Hotkeys are built in; no second tool to install. Since it doesn't hook SIP-protected internals, it tends to keep working across macOS updates.
Which tiling WM should you pick?
- Choose yabai if you want the most control, you're comfortable scripting your setup, and binary-space-partitioning layouts plus deep automation matter more than convenience — and you accept disabling SIP and the occasional post-update breakage.
- Choose AeroSpace if you want a real, keyboard-driven tiling workflow that installs cleanly, never touches SIP, survives updates, and lives in one config file. For most people who want a tiling WM in 2026, it's the easier and more stable default.
You might not need a tiling WM at all
Here's the honest part. Both yabai and AeroSpace are automatic tiling window managers: they take over all your windows, snap everything into a tree, and ask you to adopt a new mental model (and, for yabai, a config project). That's exactly what some power users want. But a lot of people who try them really just wanted to place a window where they want it, fast, from the keyboard — without handing their entire desktop to a tiler or maintaining a dotfile.
If that's you, Let's Tile is the middle path. You keep ordinary floating macOS windows, and when you want to arrange one, you press a shortcut to summon a visible grid, glance at it, and tap a couple of keys to drop the window into place. There's nothing to memorize and no config file — the grid is on screen. No SIP changes, no recovery mode, no skhd, no TOML to babysit.
It's a fair-minded trade. Let's Tile isn't a full auto-tiling WM, and it's not open source, so if you specifically want automatic BSP layouts or the MIT license, yabai or AeroSpace are the right tools. What Let's Tile offers instead is a gentle on-ramp to keyboard tiling: thirds are free with no time limit, and Pro unlocks the full grid — reshape it on the fly with ⌥ + arrows, expand a window across cells with ⇧ + arrows, and send the grid to another display with ⌘⇧ + arrows, plus per-monitor defaults and margins. It's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no account, no telemetry, good on up to 20 devices. For a wider view of the category, see our best macOS window manager guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is AeroSpace better than yabai?
For most people, AeroSpace is the more practical pick because it never requires disabling SIP, keeps its config in one TOML file with built-in keybindings, and tends to survive macOS updates. yabai is more powerful and scriptable, but you trade security and stability for that control.
Does AeroSpace require disabling SIP?
No. AeroSpace is built specifically to avoid that — it uses only the public macOS Accessibility API. yabai needs SIP partially disabled for its full feature set.
Do I have to use a tiling window manager to tile windows?
No. yabai and AeroSpace tile everything automatically and expect you to adopt their model. If you only want to place individual windows quickly from the keyboard, a lighter tool like Let's Tile gives you a visible grid with no SIP changes and no config file — and free thirds to try it. See also our guide to a keyboard-first window workflow.