OmniWM alternatives for Mac: scrolling, BSP and simpler options

By Sheik Ahamed, who makes Findow. Checked on 31 October 2026. All guides

Short answer: for a free scrolling strip, try Paneru or PaperWM.spoon. For BSP, use yabai. ChainYourMac is a paid strip specialist, and Findow is a paid all-in-one that we make. If you're on macOS 26 and OmniWM works, it may be the best choice.

Do you need an alternative?

OmniWM is free and has a long feature list, so most people look elsewhere for one of a few reasons. The biggest is its requirements: macOS 26 or later and Apple silicon only. It also needs Input Monitoring, and Displays have separate Spaces turned on. Others find it has more than they want, or need one piece of it done differently.

So work out which part you actually want. OmniWM combines a niri-style scrolling layout, a Hyprland-style dwindle layout, and a pile of desktop extras. No single alternative covers all three, and that's fine, because you probably don't use all three.

The alternatives at a glance

"Not listed" means the app's website doesn't mention the feature, not that the app can't do it. All names belong to their owners, and none of them is connected with Findow.

If you want the scrolling strip

The idea comes from niri and PaperWM on Linux: windows sit on a strip wider than your screen, so a new one doesn't shrink the others. None of the Mac apps below is a port of those projects.

Paneru is the closest free pick. It's an MIT-licensed sliding window manager with one strip per monitor. It credits niri for its feel and yabai for its architecture. It reads a TOML config, or a Lua script in place of that, and changes reload while it runs. Install through Homebrew, Cargo or Nix. Virtual workspaces are marked experimental, and its README doesn't list a minimum macOS.

PaperWM.spoon is the hands-on route. It's a Spoon plugin for Hammerspoon, so you clone it and configure it in Lua. It suits people who already use Hammerspoon. It needs the macOS Spaces settings its README lists: rearranging Spaces off and Displays have separate Spaces on.

ChainYourMac is the paid specialist. It does the strip and only the strip, with stacks, tabbed columns, per-display strips, trackpad swipes and session restore. It has a settings window and needs no config files. It costs $19.99 for 1 Mac, needs macOS 13 or later and Apple silicon, and all sales are final. Its site doesn't mention a free trial. We compare it in Findow vs ChainYourMac.

Findow's Scrolling strip has stacks, tabbed columns and pins, and it runs horizontally only. It's one mode in a larger app, so a specialist will go further.

If you want BSP or dwindle tiling

yabai is the classic choice. It's based on binary space partitioning, runs on Intel from macOS 11 and Apple silicon from macOS 12, and can be scripted through a CLI, rules and signals. Keep in mind that it has no hotkeys of its own, and some features need SIP partly disabled.

Rift is the more flexible option. It needs no SIP changes and offers BSP, i3-style tiling, master-stack, stacks and niri-style scrolling columns from one TOML config. Its README doesn't state a minimum macOS, so check that if age is why you're leaving OmniWM.

Amethyst also has a BSP layout among many others, and it runs from macOS 10.15. It has a settings window, and it's the easiest of the three to start with. AeroSpace uses an i3-style tree rather than BSP, but it's worth a look on macOS 13 or later if you prefer the keyboard and a text config. See our AeroSpace alternatives guide for that side of the map.

If you want the extras without a tiling manager

OmniWM's overview and command palette are a big part of its appeal. If you mainly want to find windows, a dedicated switcher may do. Free AltTab shows every window, and our switcher roundup covers the others.

Findow is built around this job. ⌥Tab and ⌃⌥Space find a window by typing, with filters for minimized windows and other desktops. It doesn't have a palette for menus, clipboard history or files, or a Quake terminal, scratchpads or Hidden Bar. If you use those, no one app here replaces them.

If you want something simpler

OmniWM offers a lot to learn. Findow makes the opposite trade: no config file, and tiling that stays off until you pick a mode from the menu bar. It adds saved workflows, which are built to reopen apps and tabs in Chrome, Arc, Brave and Edge, plus No peek and Clean Space for calls. It costs $19.99 once for 1 Mac, with a 14-day trial and a 14-day refund. See the direct comparison.

A caution if macOS is why you're here. Findow's aim is macOS 14 or later, but it has only been built and run on Apple silicon with macOS 27. It hasn't been proven on an older system, so test it in the trial. If you're on an Intel Mac, yabai's README lists support for it. Check the others on their own pages.

If you simply want fewer moving parts, free Rectangle snaps windows only when you ask.

How to choose

1. On macOS 26 or later with Apple silicon, and it works? Keep OmniWM.
2. Want a free strip and don't mind config? Paneru, or PaperWM.spoon if you use Hammerspoon.
3. Want a strip with a settings window? ChainYourMac for depth, Findow if you also want search and workflows.
4. Want BSP? yabai for scripting, Rift for flexibility, Amethyst for an easy start.

Run only one window manager at a time while you test, as two will fight over the same windows.

Questions

Why can't I run OmniWM?

OmniWM needs macOS 26 or later and Apple silicon. If your Mac doesn't meet those, you'll need another app.

What's the best free alternative to OmniWM?

Paneru or PaperWM.spoon for a scrolling strip, and yabai or Amethyst for BSP tiling.

Is there a niri for Mac?

Not a port. niri is a Linux project. Paneru, PaperWM.spoon, ChainYourMac, Rift, OmniWM and Findow all offer a scrolling layout on a Mac, each in its own way.

Does Findow replace OmniWM?

Partly. Findow has a strip, an overview and a switcher, but no dwindle layout, scratchpads or Quake terminal. It adds workflows and privacy keys.

Keep reading

• Findow vs OmniWM: the two apps that overlap most
• Findow vs ChainYourMac
• AeroSpace alternatives for Mac, sorted by why you're leaving