Alternatives to Hammerspoon

A bridge between macOS and Lua that lets a short script move windows, bind hotkeys and react to system events. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Hammerspoon.

  • Keyboard Maestro

    Visual macro builder for automating apps, files, and workflows on macOS.

    PaidProprietarymacOS

    Keyboard Maestro replaces Lua scripting with a visual macro editor for macOS automation, but it is closed source and requires a one-time paid license.

  • BetterTouchTool

    macOS customization tool for trackpad gestures, shortcuts, and window snapping.

    PaidProprietarymacOS

    BetterTouchTool offers gesture, shortcut and window snapping settings without writing a config file, but it is closed source and needs a paid license after the trial.

  • Keyboard Cowboy

    Builds macOS keyboard shortcuts that launch apps, run scripts and react to app changes.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    Keyboard Cowboy is also free and MIT licensed, binding workflows to key sequences scoped to particular apps, without requiring you to write Lua code.

  • Apple Shortcuts

    Apple's built-in drag-and-drop automation app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

    FreeProprietarymacOSiOS

    Apple Shortcuts is built into macOS and iOS with a drag-and-drop editor, but it is closed source and less capable for complex conditional logic.

  • Phoenix

    A lightweight macOS window and app manager that you configure and script with JavaScript.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    Phoenix is an MIT-licensed macOS window and app manager scripted in JavaScript instead of Lua, focused on window management with a narrower reach into system events.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Hammerspoon as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • AutoHotkey

    A Windows scripting language for hotkeys, text expansion, key remapping and automating anything on screen.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Hammerspoon brings scripted hotkeys and window control to macOS using Lua instead of the AutoHotkey language, and it remains free MIT-licensed open source.

  • AutoKey

    Desktop automation for Linux under X11: abbreviations that expand into text, and hotkeys that run Python.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Hammerspoon moves scripted hotkeys and window automation to macOS, using Lua scripts instead of Python, and needs broad accessibility and automation permissions to work.

  • Automator

    The macOS app for building workflows that automate repetitive tasks on a Mac.

    FreeProprietarymacOS

    Hammerspoon is free and open source under MIT, but requires writing Lua scripts before it does anything, in exchange for reaching windows, hotkeys and system events.

  • Script Kit

    A cross-platform desktop app for writing and launching JavaScript and TypeScript scripts from a prompt.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Hammerspoon is MIT-licensed and scripted in Lua, reaching deep into macOS windows, hotkeys and system events, but it runs only on macOS.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.

  • Karabiner-Elements

    The keyboard remapper for macOS, with rules that can differ per keyboard and go far beyond swapping two keys.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

  • Alerter

    A command-line tool for sending interactive macOS notifications from shell scripts and other programs.

    FreeProprietarymacOSCommand line

  • Quicksilver

    An open-source macOS launcher that opens apps and files and acts on them from the keyboard.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

  • Lingon

    A macOS app for scheduling apps, scripts, shortcuts and commands to run at set times or at login.

    FreemiumProprietarymacOS

  • Hazel

    A macOS app that watches folders and files documents automatically according to rules you create.

    PaidProprietarymacOS