The macOS workspace manager with Window Modes
macOS Window & Workspace Manager — Every window where it belongs.
Pick a Window Mode for each monitor — free-floating, automatic Bento Box tiling, or a saved Tabbed Layout. AI organizes your windows into project-focused stages, and switching between them is instant.
Free with 3 stages. 10-day Pro trial included. Requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.
New in 1.0
A different mode for every monitor
Code on a tiled monitor, write on a free-floating one, keep chat in a saved tabbed layout. Pick a Window Mode for each monitor, and every stage remembers its own per-monitor setup — so switching stages can bring an entirely different arrangement with it.
macOS Native
Free-floating windows you arrange yourself. The monitor BetterStage stays out of the way of.
Bento Box · Pro
Automatic tiling that adapts as windows open and close. Drag handles, swap windows, drop on tile edges to insert.
Tabbed Layout Mode · Pro
Saved layouts where each pane can hold multiple windows you switch between with tabs. Empty panes wait for you.
Switch a monitor's mode from the Snap Wheel or the BetterStage menu bar.
Direct, hands-on interactions
Drag, swap, drop — everything you'd expect to do with windows just works.
Bento Box
Drag a handle to resize neighbors together. Drop a window onto another to swap. Drop on a tile edge to insert a new split. Pull windows in from any monitor.
Tabbed Layout Mode
Each pane holds multiple windows as tabs. Click a tab to switch. Drag a tab onto another pane and the window moves with it.
What is BetterStage?
A native macOS workspace manager built around per-monitor Window Modes: free-floating macOS Native, automatic Bento Box tiling, or saved Tabbed Layout Mode where each pane can hold multiple windows as tabs. Add named stages that span every display, AI window organization, a customizable Snap Wheel with two rings and four submenus, and keyboard-first navigation. Switch stages in under 16ms via Opt+1-9. No SIP disable, no config files.
Replaces
Spaces — freezes your Mac during its switching animation
Stage Manager — eats screen space and has no keyboard shortcuts
Sequoia tiling — only halves and quarters
Everything else BetterStage gives you
AI Staging, multi-monitor stages, the Snap Wheel, pinned displays, custom shortcuts — the toolkit that wraps around Window Modes.
Your windows
AI-created stages
Dev
Design
Comms
AI Staging
One click and AI analyzes every open window — titles, URLs, file paths — and groups them into project-focused stages. It picks which monitor each window belongs on based on your physical display layout. Uses your own API key (OpenAI, Claude, or any compatible provider).
Multi-Monitor Stages
One stage = windows across ALL your screens. Switch to Stage 2 and every monitor swaps together.
Instant Switching
Under 16ms. Press Opt+2 and your entire desktop transforms immediately.
Bento Box
Switch a monitor to Bento Box and windows arrange themselves. Drag a handle to resize neighbors together, drop one window onto another to swap, or drop on a tile edge to insert a new split — across monitors too.
Snap Wheel
A radial menu with two rings of up to 12 slots each, four submenus (More Actions, Send to Stage, Switch Stage, Window Modes), and your own SF Symbol icons in every slot. Two styles — Liquid Glass or Classic with per-ring colors. Middle-click to summon, or use a 4- or 5-finger trackpad tap or click.
Split
Top / Bottom
Focus + Stack
Four Corners
Layout Presets
Start from Split View, Top / Bottom, Focus + Stack, or Four Corners. Save your own layouts and trigger them from the Snap Wheel, a keyboard shortcut, or set one as the default for new stages. Pro.
Custom Shortcuts
Fully configurable key combos for every action, including a 4- or 5-finger trackpad tap to summon the Snap Wheel.
Pinned Displays
Keep Slack or your reference screen constant while everything else swaps between stages.
How it works
Set it up once, then switch your entire desktop by project instead of rearranging windows all day.
Install in under a minute
Download BetterStage, drag it to Applications, and approve the single Accessibility permission.
Create stages for each context
Make separate stages for coding, design, and communication, or let AI Staging group your open windows.
Switch every monitor instantly
Press Opt+1 through Opt+9 and all of your screens flip to the right windows with no Spaces animation.
Rebuilt in 1.0
See everything. Focus on one.
Most tiling managers force a trade-off: cram all windows together, or go full-screen. Bento Box gives you both — context from every window, deep focus on one — and 1.0 makes every interaction direct.
Click any window to maximize it
Tiling
Every window gets equal screen space. The grid adapts as you open or close windows — no manual arrangement needed.
Maximize
Your active window takes center stage while others shrink to their minimum — nothing hidden, everything accessible. Switch focus with the Snap Wheel.
Drag, swap, insert
Drag a handle between tiles to resize neighbors together. Drop one window onto another to swap positions, or onto a tile edge to insert a new split. Pull a window from one monitor straight into a Bento layout on another.
The philosophy: Traditional window managers tile everything equally or go full-screen. Bento Box gives you both — toggle between tiled overview and focused mode with a single gesture.
Keyboard-first
Every layout one keystroke away. All shortcuts fully customizable.
Why BetterStage?
See how BetterStage compares to the alternatives.
vs macOS Stage Manager
- Per-monitor Window Modes — pick free-floating, auto-tiled, or tabbed per screen
- AI organizes your windows into stages — no manual sorting
- Keyboard shortcuts for everything — Opt+1-9 to switch, no mouse required
- Zero screen space wasted — no sidebar strip eating your display
- 9 named stages vs 4 unnamed groups you can't tell apart
vs macOS Spaces
- Per-monitor Window Modes you can vary across stages — Spaces is one flat mode
- Tabbed Layouts let multiple windows share one pane
- No 700ms sliding animation — instant stage switch
- Named workspaces so you know what's where
- Bento Box auto-tiling with drag-to-swap and drop-to-insert
vs yabai / Amethyst / Rectangle
- Saved Tabbed Layouts — design once, reuse forever
- AI-powered workspace planning — no manual config
- No SIP disable required — just install and go
- Visual Snap Wheel with customizable slots, per-ring colors, and trackpad triggers
- Simple install, no brew or config files
macOS Sonoma+
Built for macOS 14 and later
100% Native
Swift & AppKit, lightweight on resources
No SIP Disable
Works without touching System Integrity
Privacy-First
No telemetry, no data collection
Lighter than a browser tab
Native Swift. No Electron, no web views, no bloat.
<10MB
App bundle size
<80MB
Memory with 10 windows on 4 monitors
<1%
CPU at idle
<10%
Peak CPU during stage switch
Tested on M1 Max MacBook Pro
Simple, fair pricing
10 days of Pro free with every download — AI Staging, all 9 stages, Bento Box auto-tiling, Tabbed Layout Mode, Pinned Displays. Keep the free tier forever or buy a lifetime Pro license from $16.99.
View pricingStop fighting your desktop
Let AI organize your windows. One keystroke to switch contexts. Install in seconds.
Requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later