Amethyst vs AquaSnap

Amethyst is a free tiling window manager for macOS, intended to arrange windows into layouts in the style of xmonad. Its built-in choices include Tall, Wide, Two Pane, several column variants, Widescreen-Tall, Fullscreen, Column, Row, Floating, and Binary Space Partitioning. Keyboard shortcuts can switch layouts, resize the main pane, change focus, move windows between screens or Spaces, and toggle floating or global tiling. Users can configure the app through its interface or a YAML file in their home directory; when present, that file takes precedence over GUI settings. JavaScript custom layouts are available as a beta feature. Amethyst supports application rules, virtual desktop controls, and layout presets, but not window grouping. It requires macOS 10.15 or later and permission to use macOS accessibility APIs. Downloads are available from the releases page or through the Homebrew cask. The project says it does not collect personal information or transmit information over a network, and its repository identifies the license as MIT. It recommends disabling automatic rearrangement of Spaces by most recent use because that setting can make keyboard navigation unpredictable.

AquaSnap is a Windows utility for arranging desktop windows through docking, tiling, snapping, and grouped movement. Drag a window to a screen edge or corner to resize it to half or a quarter of the screen. When two windows are side by side, holding Ctrl while resizing one also adjusts the other. Windows can snap together, and double-clicking an edge maximizes the window in that direction. Holding Ctrl while moving a window carries its adjacent group along. Mouse and keyboard shortcuts are customizable; mouse shortcuts offer 15 clickable areas and up to five mouse buttons. AquaSnap also works with TidyTabs, so tabbed groups can be docked, tiled, and snapped. The product lists 64-bit support from Windows 7 through Windows 11, plus a portable version that can run from a USB stick without installation. The free Personal Freeware plan is for personal use only. The Standard License costs $29 as a one-time purchase for one computer and is a lifetime license valid for future versions. The Site License costs $899 as a one-time purchase for unlimited computers at one physical location.