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The AeroSpace Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about AeroSpace in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

AeroSpace

The Insider’s Guide

Free, open-source i3-like tiling window manager for macOS

AeroSpace, as pictured on github.com

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from AeroSpace’s own pages.

Made by Nikita Bobko · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from AeroSpace’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on AeroSpace’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.4

GPA, above 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade

AeroSpace is a free, open-source tiling window manager for macOS modeled on i3. It arranges windows in a tree of tiled or accordion containers and replaces macOS Spaces with its own workspaces, which switch without animation. It is configured in a plain-text TOML file, driven by keyboard bindings and a command-line client, and is aimed at advanced users and developers.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about AeroSpace, taken from its own pages and our grades.

It isn't notarized by Apple either, so a manual install can show a security warning.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for i3-style window tiling on a Mac

    You set it up in a TOML text file, with no settings window ever, and drive it from the keyboard and a command line.

  2. 2

    It is free

    AeroSpace has no paid plan at all. The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. The README says it is maintained in the author's free time and invites sponsorship.

  3. 3

    It runs on macOS

    macOS.

  4. 4

    Tree-based tiling

    Each workspace holds its windows in a tree of containers, a model taken from i3. Focus moves in four directions, and the move and join-with commands reshape the tree.

  5. 5

    Tiles and accordion layouts

    Four layouts: horizontal and vertical tiles, plus horizontal and vertical accordions that stack windows and leave a padded edge to show the others.

  6. 6

    Emulated workspaces

    AeroSpace uses its own workspaces instead of macOS Spaces, moving inactive windows off screen so switching has no animation. It does not need System Integrity Protection disabled.

  7. 7

    A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 94

    That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    AeroSpace is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

AeroSpace at a glance

Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
macOS
Made by
Nikita Bobko
Category
Desktop Utilities
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for i3-style window tiling on a Mac

AeroSpace is a free, open-source tiling window manager for the Mac, modeled on i3, with its own workspaces that switch without animation. You set it up in a TOML text file, with no settings window ever, and drive it from the keyboard and a command line. It's a public beta with breaking changes expected until 1.0 and isn't notarized by Apple, so it's for developers, not someone who wants to tick a few boxes.

ToolGPA report cardAeroSpaceGraded Oct 10, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyAIt costs nothing. The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, and it's a program you download and run. The author maintains it in free time and invites sponsorship, if you'd like to chip in.
Free plan and trialAEverything is free: the tiling, the workspaces, the command-line client and multi-monitor support. There's no paid tier and nothing locked.
FeaturesCIt does tiling fully, in a tree like i3, with four layouts and its own workspaces you can pin to a monitor. But tiling is the whole of what it does, and the listing says it's a public beta with breaking changes expected until 1.0, so we're not marking it above the pack.
Ease of useDNo rating is on record, and there's no settings window: your bindings go in a TOML text file and the project says it'll never add a GUI for that. There's a command line to learn too. It isn't notarized by Apple either, so a manual install can show a security warning.
Platforms and integrationsDMac only, on macOS 13 or later, which is one operating system. The tools it lists as working with it are Mac tools too: SketchyBar, JankyBorders, Raycast, simple-bar and BetterTouchTool.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who AeroSpace is for

  • Fits if you used i3 on Linux and want the same tiling on a Mac
  • Works for people who keep their setup in dotfiles and want the window manager in there too

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you want a settings window, as configuration is a TOML file and the project says it will never add a GUI
  • Not for you if breaking changes would wreck your day: it's a public beta until 1.0, kept up in the author's free time
  • Tight if you're on an older Mac, since the released binary needs macOS 13 or later
  • Watch out: it isn't notarized by Apple, so a manual install can show a security warning; the Homebrew install avoids it
  • Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it runs on macOS only

Good to know

Good for

  • Developers and advanced users who want i3-style tiling on a Mac
  • Keyboard-driven work with configuration kept in dotfiles
  • Multi-monitor setups that assign workspaces to particular displays

Worth knowing

  • macOS only: the released binary runs on macOS 13 or later.
  • Still a public beta; the README says to expect breaking changes until version 1.0.
  • There is no settings window. Configuration is a TOML text file, and the project says it will never add a GUI for it.
  • The app is not notarized by Apple, so a manual install can show a macOS security warning; the Homebrew install avoids it.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

Free

No paid plan at all

AeroSpace is free to use.

The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, and it's a program you download and run.
From our grade for value for money

  • AeroSpace

    $0

    Tree-based tiling, emulated workspaces, TOML configuration, the aerospace command-line client and multi-monitor support. MIT licensed.

The free plan

The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. The README says it is maintained in the author's free time and invites sponsorship.

Read from github.com on Oct 9, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: macOS

Free, open-source i3-like tiling window manager for macOS. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, keyboard-first, window management.

The tools it lists as working with it are Mac tools too: SketchyBar, JankyBorders, Raycast, simple-bar and BetterTouchTool.
From our grade for platforms and integrations
Tree-based tiling
Each workspace holds its windows in a tree of containers, a model taken from i3. Focus moves in four directions, and the move and join-with commands reshape the tree.
Tiles and accordion layouts
Four layouts: horizontal and vertical tiles, plus horizontal and vertical accordions that stack windows and leave a padded edge to show the others.
Emulated workspaces
AeroSpace uses its own workspaces instead of macOS Spaces, moving inactive windows off screen so switching has no animation. It does not need System Integrity Protection disabled.
Plain-text configuration
Settings and key bindings live in a TOML file such as ~/.aerospace.toml. Binding modes swap in a different set of shortcuts, as in i3.
Command-line client
The aerospace CLI runs the same commands as key bindings and can query state. Man pages and bash, fish and zsh completion are included.
Callbacks and monitor assignment
An on-window-detected callback runs commands for each new window, for example to send an app to a set workspace. Workspaces can be assigned to particular monitors.

Where it runs

  • macOS

What it works with

  • SketchyBar
  • JankyBorders
  • Raycast
  • simple-bar
  • BetterTouchTool

AeroSpace is made by Nikita Bobko.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

18/94

Other desktop utilities it is graded above

AeroSpace's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.

It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 49 of 94) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).

AeroSpace has no paid plan.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. AeroSpace’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 94
  • AFree plan and trialAbove 49 of 94
  • CFeaturesAbove 1 of 94
  • DEase of useAbove 0 of 94
  • DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 55 desktop utilities. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. AeroSpace is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessAeroSpaceCCleanerLocalSendRaycastMicrosoft PowerToysKomorebi

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

AeroSpace is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 59 of the 94 other desktop utilities grade higher.

What you could not

  • Control over other apps' windows.
  • A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • It plugs into other products, SketchyBar, JankyBorders and Raycast among them.

What this rests on. AeroSpace’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Amethyst, Rectangle, Loop, Hammerspoon and Moom

The 5 tools AeroSpace is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is AeroSpace free?

Yes. AeroSpace is free to use.

How much does AeroSpace cost?

AeroSpace lists one plan. AeroSpace: $0.

What platforms does AeroSpace work on?

AeroSpace is available on macOS.

Does AeroSpace have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. AeroSpace is listed for macOS.

Does AeroSpace have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. AeroSpace is listed for macOS.

Is AeroSpace open source?

Yes. AeroSpace is open source, according to its own site.

What does AeroSpace integrate with?

AeroSpace's listing names SketchyBar, JankyBorders, Raycast, simple-bar and BetterTouchTool.

Who makes AeroSpace?

AeroSpace is made by Nikita Bobko.

What are the alternatives to AeroSpace?

The closest alternatives to AeroSpace in our directory are Amethyst, Rectangle, Loop, Hammerspoon and Moom.

How does AeroSpace compare with other desktop utilities?

AeroSpace's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.

Is AeroSpace good value for money?

ToolGPA grades AeroSpace A for value for money. AeroSpace has no paid plan.

Could I make my own version of AeroSpace?

AeroSpace is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from AeroSpace’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from AeroSpace's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-03.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Nikita Bobko. Prices change, so check github.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "AeroSpace: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/aerospace

Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/aerospace/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded desktop utilities after AeroSpace, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what AeroSpace’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. AeroSpace is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Nikita Bobko. Prices and plans change: check github.com before you buy.