Amethyst vs IceWM
Amethyst
github.comIceWM
ice-wm.orgSide by side
| Figure | Amethyst | IceWM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Window Management Software | 7.9 (#18) | 8.2 (#8) |
| License | The repository identifies its license as MIT. | IceWM and its documentation are covered by the GNU LGPL license. |
| Support | The project directs users to its troubleshooting guide for common issues and suggests Twitter or Gitter for questions or feedback. | The site directs users to report bugs on GitHub and links to manual pages, a manual, and an FAQ. |
Plans
In their own words
Amethyst
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.