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Hammerspoon VS Putback

Compare Hammerspoon VS Putback and see what are their differences

SuperOps
Modern PSA and RMM Software for MSP's and IT Teams featured
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Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Hammerspoon logo Hammerspoon

This is a tool for powerful automation of OS X.

Putback logo Putback

Putback is a Mac window manager that restores every window when your displays change, and lets you name arrangements as Scenes you switch to with one hotkey. Real window management for docking, undocking and monitors, $19 once.
  • Hammerspoon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-25
  • Putback Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-07-16

Hammerspoon features and specs

  • Highly Customizable
    Hammerspoon allows users to write Lua scripts to automate virtually any task on macOS, providing a high degree of customization to meet individual needs.
  • Extensive API
    With a rich set of APIs, Hammerspoon supports interaction with numerous macOS features and third-party applications, increasing its versatility.
  • Lightweight
    Hammerspoon is relatively lightweight compared to other automation tools, minimizing the impact on system resources.
  • Active Community
    The Hammerspoon community is active and provides a wealth of shared scripts and modules, as well as support for new users.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Hammerspoon allows users to inspect, modify, and contribute to its codebase, fostering a collaborative development environment.

Possible disadvantages of Hammerspoon

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The necessity to write Lua scripts can be a barrier for users who are not familiar with programming, making the tool less accessible to non-developers.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there is documentation available, some users find it insufficient for more complex tasks, which may require additional research and experimentation.
  • Minimal Graphical Interface
    Hammerspoon lacks a user-friendly graphical interface, which can make setup and configuration less intuitive for some users.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    Depending on the complexity and efficiency of the user-created scripts, Hammerspoon could potentially cause system instability or performance issues.
  • MacOS Only
    Hammerspoon is exclusive to macOS, which limits its usability to users within the Apple ecosystem.

Putback features and specs

  • Simple concept
    Putback appears to focus on a straightforward, easy-to-understand use case, which can make onboarding and daily usage intuitive for most users without a steep learning curve.
  • Convenience for tracking
    The app likely helps users keep track of items, tasks, or returns in one centralized place, reducing the mental load of remembering details manually.
  • Mobile accessibility
    Being an app-based solution, Putback is likely accessible on smartphones, allowing users to update or check information on the go rather than being tied to a desktop.
  • Time-saving potential
    By streamlining a specific process (such as organizing items or managing returns), the app can save users time compared to manual tracking methods like spreadsheets or notes.
  • Niche focus
    Because Putback seems to target a specific use case rather than being a bloated all-in-one app, it may perform that core function well without unnecessary complexity.

Possible disadvantages of Putback

  • Limited information available
    There is limited publicly available detail about Putback's full feature set, pricing, and reliability, making it hard to fully evaluate its strengths and weaknesses without firsthand use.
  • Potential niche limitations
    If the app is built around a very specific use case, it may not offer broader functionality that some users might want, limiting its versatility compared to more general-purpose tools.
  • Dependence on user input
    Like many tracking or organization apps, its usefulness likely depends heavily on consistent user input; if users forget to update it, the app's value diminishes significantly.
  • Unclear market adoption
    As a smaller or newer app, Putback may have a smaller user base, which could mean less community support, fewer integrations, or slower feature updates compared to more established competitors.
  • Possible platform restrictions
    Depending on its availability, the app may be limited to certain operating systems (iOS or Android only), which could exclude some potential users from accessing it.

Analysis of Hammerspoon

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Hammerspoon is considered a good tool for those who are comfortable with scripting and want to leverage its capabilities for custom automation on macOS. It is well-regarded within the community for its robust features and active development.

Why this product is good

  • Hammerspoon is a powerful automation tool for macOS that allows users to script and control their environment with a combination of Lua scripting and Objective-C APIs. Its flexibility and extensibility make it a desirable option for power users who want to automate repetitive tasks, customize their workflow, or create complex scripts to enhance productivity. Users appreciate its ability to integrate with macOS and utilize system events, window management, and hardware control, which provides a high degree of customizability that is not easily achievable through other tools.

Recommended for

    Hammerspoon is recommended for tech-savvy users, developers, and anyone who is familiar with scripting and is looking to automate their macOS environment. It is particularly useful for individuals who enjoy tinkering with their setup and want to have fine-grained control over their system's behavior.

Analysis of Putback

Overall verdict

  • Putback is a niche app designed to help resellers and organizers track items that need to be returned to their proper place, which can be genuinely useful for people managing inventory, decluttering, or reselling goods, though its value depends heavily on your specific workflow needs and how well it integrates with tools you already use.

Why this product is good

  • Helps maintain organization by tracking items that need to be put back or returned
  • Can save time by reducing the need to remember or manually log misplaced items
  • Useful for resellers who need to track inventory location and status
  • Simple, focused functionality without unnecessary feature bloat

Recommended for

  • Resellers managing physical inventory across multiple locations
  • People decluttering or organizing home spaces who need a tracking system
  • Small business owners who need lightweight inventory location tracking
  • Users who prefer simple single-purpose apps over complex all-in-one solutions

Hammerspoon videos

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HammerSpoon Worflow Automation

Putback videos

No Putback videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hammerspoon and Putback)

Hammerspoon

Putback

Automation
100 100%
Automation
0% 0
OSX Tools
0 0%
OSX Tools
100% 100
Tool
100 100%
Tool
0% 0
Mac Tools
0 0%
Mac Tools
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hammerspoon seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hammerspoon mentions (4)

  • i3 Linux -> macOS
    Then, I can only suggest http://hammerspoon.org/ and then you can start implementing window movement using it https://www.hammerspoon.org/go/#winmoveintro. Source: about 3 years ago
  • 49 inch Ultra Wide Monitor going from PC to Mac mini
    MacOS doesn't do this natively, but you have options: - If you just want to move windows around with some degree of keyboard customization, go for Rectangle. - If you want more control, such as sizing a bunch of windows at the same time, use Slate. - If you can code and want really high degrees of customization, you won't go wrong with Hammerspoon. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Handy utility applications for macOS
    Both of those can be replaced by the open-source Hammerspoon (actually a significant number of the things in this thread can, including BTT). Source: over 4 years ago
  • Keyboard Maestro alternatives?
    Depending on what you want from KM, Hammerspoon may be a good alternative. You can also look up on AlternativeTo for other options. Source: over 4 years ago

Putback mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Putback yet. Tracking of Putback recommendations started around Jul 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hammerspoon and Putback, you can also consider the following products

Puloverโ€™s Macro Creator - Puloverโ€™s Macro Creator is a Free Automation Tool and Script Generator.

Rectangle - Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

AutoKey - A Python 3 port of AutoKey, the desktop automation utility for Linux and X11.

Moom - Move your mouse over the green zoom button in any window, and Moom's mouse control overlay will appear (as seen in the above animation).

AutoHotkey - The ultimate automation scripting language for Windows.

BetterTouchTool - Nov 5, 2017 - BetterTouchTool is a great, feature packed app that allows you to configure many gestures for your Magic Mouse (1 & 2), Macbook Trackpad and Magic Trackpad (1 & 2) and also Mouse Gestures for normal mice.

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