Alternatives to Phoenix
A lightweight macOS window and app manager that you configure and script with JavaScript. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Phoenix
A lightweight macOS window and app manager that you configure and script with JavaScript.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Phoenix.
yabai
A tiling window manager for macOS that arranges windows by binary space partitioning and is driven entirely from the command line.
yabai replaces JavaScript scripting with a command-line interface and automatic binary space partitioning tiling, though some features require partially disabling System Integrity Protection.
AeroSpace
An i3-like tiling window manager for macOS, written in Swift.
AeroSpace gives you ready-made i3-style keyboard tiling on macOS instead of writing your own JavaScript, and it is free and open source.
Amethyst
Arrange macOS windows automatically with a keyboard-driven tiling manager.
Amethyst provides automatic keyboard-driven tiling layouts out of the box under the MIT license, so no code is needed before it becomes useful.
Rectangle
Snap macOS windows to halves, thirds, quarters and corners with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging to an edge.
Rectangle swaps scripting for configurable keyboard shortcuts and drag-to-edge snap areas, and is free and open source under MIT with Homebrew installation.
Moom
A Mac window manager for moving, zooming and snapping windows and restoring saved window layouts.
Moom is a paid, closed source app with a pop-up palette and saved window layouts for different display setups instead of JavaScript scripting.
Loop
An open-source macOS window manager that moves and resizes windows through a radial menu.
Loop is open source under GPL-3.0 and positions windows through a radial menu and shortcuts, requiring macOS 13 or later instead of JavaScript configuration.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Phoenix as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
BetterTouchTool
macOS customization tool for trackpad gestures, shortcuts, and window snapping.
Phoenix is a free, open-source macOS window and app manager scripted in JavaScript, requiring code before it does anything useful.
Hammerspoon
A bridge between macOS and Lua that lets a short script move windows, bind hotkeys and react to system events.
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.
Script Kit
A cross-platform desktop app for writing and launching JavaScript and TypeScript scripts from a prompt.
Phoenix is an MIT-licensed macOS app scripted in JavaScript, focused on window and app management rather than launching general scripts from a prompt.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
skhd
Simple hotkey daemon for macOS commonly paired with the yabai tiling manager.
JankyBorders
A lightweight macOS tool that draws colored borders around windows to highlight the focused one.
SketchyBar
A scriptable status bar for macOS that replaces or supplements the standard menu bar.
HazeOver
A macOS app that dims background windows automatically so the active window stands out.
AltTab
Brings the Windows-style Alt-Tab window switcher to macOS.
Contexts
A Mac window switcher with fuzzy search, a sidebar, gestures and a replacement Command-Tab.
