Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

yabai VS Phoenix

Compare yabai VS Phoenix and see what are their differences

yabai logo yabai

A tiling window manager for macOS based on binary space partitioning

Phoenix logo Phoenix

Brief Description of Phoenix software: Phoenix is a light platform that acts as a macOS and windows application manager and is scriptable with JavaScript. Read more about Phoenix.
  • yabai Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26
  • Phoenix Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-19

yabai features and specs

  • Efficient Window Management
    Yabai provides advanced tiling window management for macOS, greatly increasing productivity by allowing users to manage windows through keyboard shortcuts and layouts, minimizing the need for mouse interactions.
  • Highly Customizable
    The software offers extensive configuration options, enabling users to personalize their window management experience according to their specific workflow and preferences.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Yabai is free to use and modify, allowing the community to contribute to its development and enhancement. This fosters a collaborative environment for improving the software.
  • Supports Scripting
    Yabai supports scripting through AppleScript or shell commands, enabling users to automate complex workflows and integrate Yabai with other tools and applications seamlessly.
  • Lightweight
    Yabai is designed to be a lightweight window manager, which means it consumes minimal system resources, ensuring that your Mac continues to run smoothly even with numerous active windows.

Possible disadvantages of yabai

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, the configuration and use of Yabai can be daunting, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to fully understand and utilize its capabilities effectively.
  • Requires SIP Disablement
    To utilize some of Yabai's more advanced features, users need to partially disable System Integrity Protection (SIP), which can reduce the overall security of the macOS system.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    As macOS updates and changes, compatibility issues may arise, potentially breaking functionality. Users may need to wait for updates from the developer community to resolve these issues.
  • Limited Official Support
    As an open-source project, Yabai does not come with official support channels. Users must rely on community forums and documentation, which may not always provide immediate or comprehensive assistance.
  • Complex Configurations
    Setting up Yabai to fit specific needs can be complex and time-consuming, especially for users who are not familiar with scripting or advanced configuration files.

Phoenix features and specs

  • Customizability
    Phoenix offers extensive options for customization through its configuration using JavaScript, allowing users to define precise window management behaviors tailored to their preferences.
  • Lightweight
    The application is lightweight, not consuming excessive system resources, ensuring that it runs smoothly even on older hardware.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Phoenix allows users to audit the codebase for security and modify it to suit their needs, fostering community collaboration and improvements.
  • Highly Scriptable
    Phoenix supports extensive scripting capabilities, enabling users to automate tasks and create complex workflows that enhance productivity.

Possible disadvantages of Phoenix

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Because Phoenix requires writing code for configuration, it can be challenging for users who are not familiar with programming, particularly JavaScript.
  • Limited Documentation
    The documentation available for Phoenix may not be comprehensive, posing difficulties for users who need guidance on advanced configurations and features.
  • MacOS Exclusive
    Phoenix is only available for macOS, restricting its use to Mac users and excluding those on other operating systems like Windows or Linux.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    As with many highly customizable and scriptable applications, user scripts can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior or crashes if not correctly written.

yabai videos

Yabai Demonstration

More videos:

  • Demo - yabai macOS Tiling Window Manager Demonstration

Phoenix videos

Phoenix Review ⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ DON'T GET THIS WITHOUT MY 👷 CUSTOM 👷 BONUSES!!

More videos:

  • Review - Phoenix Review and Bonuses

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to yabai and Phoenix)
Window Manager
87 87%
13% 13
OSX Tools
84 84%
16% 16
Mac Tools
90 90%
10% 10
Linux
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using yabai and Phoenix. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, yabai seems to be a lot more popular than Phoenix. While we know about 133 links to yabai, we've tracked only 11 mentions of Phoenix. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

yabai mentions (133)

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Phoenix mentions (11)

  • macOS Sequoia Preview
    I'll probably still use phoenix since I can code it to do whatever I want. https://github.com/kasper/phoenix. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Ask HN: What software sparks joy when using?
    In no particular order: Prologue [0] - iOS Audiobook player, used Plex as a media source Overcast [1] - iOS Podcast player CleanShotX [2] - macOS screenshot/video/gif capture with annotation Drafts [3] - iOS/macOS note taking tool Paprika [4] - Cross platform recipe app YNAB [5] - "You Need A Budget" - web/mobile budgeting app 1Password [6] - Cross platform password manager Carrot Weather [7] - iOS weather app... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Yabai – A tiling window manager for macOS
    Phoenix [0] is another option in this space if you want to write JS/TS instead of Lua. I just commented about it here [1]. [0] https://github.com/kasper/phoenix. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Yabai – A tiling window manager for macOS
    Have you heard of Phoenix [1]? It seems relatively unknown but I actually found it to work better than Yabai in some ways. The gist is that it basically simulates a tiling wm and virtual desktops by internally tracking state. It's also highly hackable/extensible being written in JS. Spin2Win [2] is a config that's worked well for me. [1] https://github.com/kasper/phoenix That said, it seems there are no perfect... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?
    When I was annoyed with this I went ahead and downloaded phoenix (https://github.com/kasper/phoenix) wrote a little javascript and now I have a bunch of globally accessable hotkeys so I can lay my windows out in a number of combinations. Right now I have setups for over/under left/right, two by two grid, and three by three grid. I've got some plans to spend some time... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing yabai and Phoenix, you can also consider the following products

Rectangle - Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Moom - Move your mouse over the green zoom button in any window, and Moom's mouse control overlay will appear (as seen in the above animation).

Openbox - Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

awesome - A dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages.

BTT Remote - A remote control for you Mac, using your iPhone or iPad