Spacepal vs SpaceJump

These two overlap more than any other pair on this site. Pick SpaceJump if you want a shipping app with a published $9.99 price that runs on macOS 13 and is built around a fast type-to-jump switcher. Pick Spacepal if you want a visual overview with a preview of every Space, window layouts that survive restarts and monitor changes (on macOS 14.0–14.4 and 26.4 and later, details below), or a Mac App Store version.

What both do

If you are choosing between these two, most of the basics are a wash. According to SpaceJump's site and Spacepal's docs, both:

• name Spaces and give each an icon and colour, shown in the menu bar and in Mission Control;
• let you type a name to jump to a Space;
• have a shortcut per Space and a "jump back" to the previous one;
• move windows between Spaces, across displays too;
• keep notes per Space;
• run actions for a Space, such as opening a set of apps;
• track time per Space and export it as CSV;
• have a URL scheme and a Raycast extension.

So the decision comes down to the parts that differ.

Where they differ

Competitor details checked 2026-10-27 from getspacejump.com and its Raycast extension page. "Not stated" means SpaceJump's site does not describe it, not that it is missing.

Seeing vs typing

SpaceJump's Quick Switcher is built for people who already know where they want to go: press the hotkey, type two letters, press Enter. Spacepal can do that too (open the overview with ⌥Tab and start typing), but its overview is built around pictures. If you often ask yourself "which desktop had that spreadsheet?", a preview answers faster than a name. Spacepal also searches window titles, not only Space names.

Layouts and restarts

The biggest functional gap is window layouts. Spacepal records which Space and position every window has, every five minutes, and offers to restore them after a restart. It also puts windows back when an external display is reconnected, and has an "eject" action that gathers windows before you unplug. 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. Restoring, reconnecting and ejecting all move background windows, so they use the direct move only: they work on macOS 14.0–14.4 and 26.4 and later, and on other versions those windows stay on the Space they are on. If that is your pain point, see windows on the wrong desktop after restart.

Maturity

Spacepal is pre-release. Many of its features are new and have seen less real-world use than SpaceJump's. If you need something proven today, that matters more than any row in the table.

When SpaceJump is the better choice

• You want a shipping app with a published price right now.
• You run macOS 13 Ventura, which Spacepal does not support.
• You prefer a compact type-and-go switcher to a full-screen overview.
• You want checklists per Space, not just notes.
• You would rather not grant Screen Recording. Spacepal needs it for previews.

When Spacepal is the better choice

• You want to see every Space at once before switching.
• You want window layouts saved and restored across restarts and monitor changes, and you are on macOS 14.0–14.4 and 26.4 and later.
• You script your Spaces with AppleScript, Shortcuts (through the URL scheme) or a local API.
• You want to buy through the Mac App Store. That version leaves out a few features: four-finger tap, adding and removing desktops, restoring browser tabs and AltTab setup.

Related

• Keyboard shortcuts for Spaces
• Moving a window to another desktop
• Spacepal vs Hyperjump
• Spacepal vs DeskStag
• 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.