TotalSpaces alternatives in 2026

If you miss TotalSpaces' grid overview, Spacepal and Space Capsule are the closest matches on current macOS: Spacepal if you also want to move windows between Spaces from the keyboard, Space Capsule if you mainly want a grid you arrange yourself. Neither lets you drag windows between desktops inside an overview the way TotalSpaces did. If what you loved was speed and keyboard control, a workspace manager such as AeroSpace or FlashSpace may suit you better. Details below.

What happened to TotalSpaces

BinaryAge's TotalSpaces2 site still offers version 2.9.9, listed as compatible with macOS 10.9 to 11.0 on Intel Macs only, with a system tweak needed from 10.11. In January 2021 BinaryAge wrote that TotalSpaces2 would not be ported to Apple Silicon or updated for newer macOS, and that TotalSpaces3, for Apple Silicon, was in private alpha with no release timetable.

Since then, the TotalSpaces3 tester thread on BinaryAge's forum shows build 0.9.125 as the last version users name (March 2023). Later posts report window moving broken after macOS 14.5, and users note the developers have not posted there in a long time. We found no official release or shutdown notice. In practice, there is no supported TotalSpaces for a current Mac.

Sources checked 2026-10-27: totalspaces.binaryage.com, BinaryAge blog, January 2021, TotalSpaces3 tester thread, TotalSpaces forum.

TotalSpaces features and where to find them now

Competitor details checked 2026-10-27 from spacecapsule.app, the AeroSpace and FlashSpace GitHub repositories, and TotalSpaces2's feature list. "Not stated" means the project's page does not say.

The alternatives

Spacepal

A menu bar app that keeps native Spaces and adds a full-screen overview (⌥Tab) with a live preview of each Space. You can send the front window to a Space with a shortcut or from a tile's menu, switch without the slide animation, set a grid column count and move up and down rows, and open the overview from a hot corner. It also names Spaces, saves window layouts and runs actions per Space. Spacepal moves windows with a direct macOS call that works, with System Integrity Protection on, on macOS 14.0–14.4 and 26.4 and later. On other versions it falls back to holding the window by its title bar while it switches Spaces, the way you would by hand, and that fallback only works for the front window. Putting windows back on their Spaces uses the direct move only, so it works on macOS 14.0–14.4 and 26.4 and later; on other versions the drag fallback cannot help, because it only moves the front window, and those windows stay on the Space they are on. It needs macOS 14 or later, Accessibility and Screen Recording, and System Integrity Protection stays on. It is pre-release; one-time purchase with a 14-day trial (pricing).

Space Capsule

A grid of Spaces that you name and place yourself, navigated by keyboard, cursor or trackpad, with an optional trackpad gesture to show it. It runs on macOS 12 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon. Its own site lists the limits: each Space must be visited once before it is known, it cannot remove Spaces or move windows, and "Displays have separate Spaces" must stay on. 10-day trial, 3 devices per licence; the price was not shown on its site when we checked. Choose it over Spacepal if you want a lighter grid, need macOS 12 or 13, or are on an Intel Mac and want stated Intel support.

AeroSpace

A free, open-source (MIT) i3-style tiling window manager. It uses its own emulated workspaces instead of native Spaces, switches without animations, is configured in a text file and never requires disabling SIP. It is a public beta. Choose it if you liked TotalSpaces for keyboard-driven speed and are open to tiling.

FlashSpace

A free, open-source (GPL-3.0) virtual workspace manager that also works with its own workspaces rather than native Spaces. It is actively developed; version 4.19.83 was released on 2026-10-26. Choose it if you want fast, hotkey-driven workspaces without tiling.

yabai

A free, open-source (MIT) tiling window manager that works with native Spaces. Its wiki says moving, creating and destroying Spaces, among other features, require partly disabling System Integrity Protection. Choose it if you are comfortable with that trade and want the most scriptable setup.

How to choose

• You want a TotalSpaces-style overview and grid navigation on native Spaces: Spacepal.
• You want a simple grid you lay out yourself: Space Capsule.
• You want speed and are fine leaving native Spaces behind: AeroSpace (tiling) or FlashSpace (no tiling).
• You want full scripting and accept SIP changes: yabai.
• You only miss desktop names: a labeller may be enough; see DeskStag, Hyperjump or the free WhichSpace.

Moving over from TotalSpaces

If you go with Spacepal, two settings recreate a TotalSpaces setup quickly: set a grid column count in Settings so the arrow shortcuts move in four directions (see keyboard shortcuts for Spaces), and turn off "Automatically rearrange Spaces" so the grid stays put. For animation-free switching, read switching desktops without the animation, and for sending windows to other desktops, moving a window to another desktop.

Related

• Mission Control alternatives for Mac
• Spacepal vs Mission Control
• All comparisons

We make Spacepal, so read this with that in mind. Competitor details come from their own sites and are dated; if something is out of date, email support@getspacepal.com and we will fix it.

Written by Dan Bayer, developer of Spacepal. Last updated 2026-10-27.