# Amethyst

A free, open-source tiling window manager for macOS built along the lines of Linux’s xmonad — 16k GitHub stars, and free forever with no paid tier at all.

- **Category:** [Utilities](https://notchlist.vercel.app/category/utilities/)
- **Price:** Free
- **Open source:** yes
- **Official site:** https://ianyh.com/amethyst/
- **Available via:** Homebrew, Direct
- **Requirements:** macOS 10.15 or later. Requires Accessibility permission to manage windows.
- **Maker:** Ian Ynda-Hummel

## Kitsmith's take

One of the oldest and most-starred tiling window managers on the Mac: eleven built-in layouts (Tall, Wide, Column, BSP, and more), cycled and resized with xmonad-style keyboard shortcuts, no mouse required once it’s configured. Built by Ian Ynda-Hummel and kept as a genuinely free project — the README explicitly redirects donation interest to charities instead of accepting money itself. Needs Accessibility permission to move windows, like every window manager in this section.

## Features

- **Eleven layouts:** Tall, Wide, Column, Row, BSP, Floating, and more — cycle between them with a shortcut.
- **Multi-screen and multi-Space:** Focus and throw windows between up to 5 screens and any Space with dedicated shortcuts.
- **Custom layouts (beta):** Write your own layout logic in JavaScript for behavior the built-in set doesn’t cover.

## FAQ

**Is Amethyst free?**

Yes — completely free, with no paid tier. The project explicitly redirects donation interest to charities instead of accepting money itself.

**Who makes Amethyst?**

Ian Ynda-Hummel, an independent developer.

**Does Amethyst need special permissions?**

Yes — it needs Accessibility permission (Privacy & Security settings) to move and resize windows, the same requirement most window managers have.


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Hand-verified listing on Kitsmith: https://notchlist.vercel.app/apps/amethyst/