The best tiling window managers, according to hackers
11 tiling window managers were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 6 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended tiling window managers with the badge. Each figure is 10 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
No thinking about window placement
A scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor that opens windows in an endless horizontal strip, so you never decide where things go; some lose track of windows spatially.
Easy switch from i3 config
People recommend Sway as a Wayland replacement for i3 that keeps the same config and keybind workflow, with clean scaling, fast workspace switching, and a lightweight feel. Critics say the stock setup needs substantial customization and some software features do not work on it.
Keyboard-driven window and space switching
Free tiling window manager for macOS that people recommend for keyboard-driven workspace switching and hotkey window layout. Caveat: occasional glitches with multiple windows and some app conflicts.
All 11 tiling window managers, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niri | 125 | 17 | 88% | 13 | 6 mo16 owners | Approved |
| 2 | Sway | 81 | 23 | 78% | 12 | 4 yrs17 owners | Approved |
| 3 | AeroSpace | 77 | 12 | 87% | 12 | 4 mo10 owners | Approved |
| 4 | i3 window manager | 70 | 9 | 89% | 12 | — | Approved |
| 5 | XMonad | 28 | 1 | 97% | 11 | 10 yrs5 owners | Approved |
| 6 | yabai | 17 | 14 | 55% | 8 | — | — |
| 7 | i3wm | 12 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| 8 | Qtile | 9 | 1 | 90% | 4 | — | — |
| 9 | Ratpoison | 8 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| 10 | PaperWM | 7 | 2 | 78% | 4 | — | — |
| 11 | bspwm | 5 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same tiling window manager in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to tiling window managers that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.