Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hammerspoon VS SmartWindows.app

Compare Hammerspoon VS SmartWindows.app and see what are their differences

Hammerspoon logo Hammerspoon

This is a tool for powerful automation of OS X.

SmartWindows.app logo SmartWindows.app

Auto arrange all your app windows, whether on one screen or many with a single click!
  • Hammerspoon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-25
  • SmartWindows.app Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-23

SmartWindows eliminates the overhead of manual set up and arrangement of desktop apps through smart restoration capabilities. It is a feature-rich productivity tool for Windows 10 & 11. It makes your Windows smarter by giving you enhanced capabilities and more hands at work. SmartWindows is an excellent productivity app that allows you to manage user profiles, browsers, and multiple displays efficiently.

Whether you are a student or a software engineer, a researcher or a project manager, a content creator, or a gamer, SmartWindows assists each role with its advanced functions.

How does SmartWindows work?

  1. Download and install SmartWindows on Windows 10.
  2. Make app arrangements on your desktop screen.
  3. Save the screen configuration into a SmartWindows profile.
  4. Restore the profile whenever you need.
  5. The browsers and apps will be auto-restored and auto-arranged with just one click.

Benefits of SmartWindows

  • • Save time every day.
  • • Get started on work with just one click.
  • • Increased productivity at work.
  • • No manual arrangement of apps.
  • • Optimized system performance by distributing work on multiple profiles.
  • • No need to remember browser restoration steps for each browser separately.
  • • An efficient work environment with 6 displays and unlimited profiles.

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.

SmartWindows.app features and specs

  • Auto-Restoration and Auto-Arrangement
    SmartWindows help you auto-arrange the apps you opened last time at exactly the same position on the screen as you saved. Auto-adjust the apps on your desktop screen using SmartWindows with one click.
  • Microsoft Office File Support
    SmartWindows reopens MS Office files such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Project, Notepad, and Wordpad. It provides auto-arrangement support and restores applications at same position in a single click.
  • Multi-Browser & Multi-Tab Support
    It helps restore browser tabs of Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge all at one with a single click. SmartWindows keeps the browser’s tab history and URLs in each browser window separately.
  • Multiple Displays
    SmartWindows supports up to 6 displays. It remembers the window size and display position of each application on multiple displays. It helps you work efficiently on multiple monitors.
  • Profile Management
    SmartWindows supports unlimited profiles. It helps increase productivity by creating multiple profiles. Each profile remembers the desktop apps, their window size, and display position on the screen.
  • Work Zones
    You can create your own work zones against each task and project to work efficiently. SmartWindows restores the work zones automatically, saves your time, and increases your productivity at work.

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 SmartWindows.app

Overall verdict

  • Overall, SmartWindows.app is a valuable tool for individuals who need streamlined management of their digital workspace. It can significantly enhance the workflow for users who juggle various tasks and helps in maintaining an organized desktop environment.

Why this product is good

  • SmartWindows.app is considered good due to its ability to simplify multitasking for users who often work with multiple applications and windows. It provides features like automatic arrangement, restoration of desktop layouts, and support for multiple profiles, which can help improve productivity and efficiency. It also supports both Windows and macOS, making it a versatile choice for users on different operating systems.

Recommended for

  • Professionals who frequently switch between different workspaces or applications
  • Users with multiple monitors who want to maintain a consistent layout
  • Individuals who require quick access to specific sets of apps or files for different tasks
  • Anyone looking to improve their personal productivity by reducing the time spent arranging windows

Hammerspoon videos

HammerSpoon Worflow Automation

SmartWindows.app videos

SmartWindows Demo

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Get Windows 11 Features on Windows 10

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hammerspoon and SmartWindows.app)
Automation
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100
Windows Tools
36 36%
64% 64
Office & Productivity
19 19%
81% 81

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Hammerspoon and SmartWindows.app

Hammerspoon Reviews

We have no reviews of Hammerspoon yet.
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SmartWindows.app Reviews

  1. Excellent app

    This is just the app I needed to fix my browser and tabs crashing issues. It works well and saves time so that I can focus on my work. Highly recommended!

  2. Practical and smooth

    Such a handy app! Highly recommended if you're tabaholic like me.

    👍 Pros:    Smooth|Lightweight|Extremely useful
  3. John glover
    · Data Scientist at ThikInternational ·
    Other Features

    Very helpful software for windows 10.

    👍 Pros:    Quick support...|Professional

Social recommendations and mentions

SmartWindows.app might be a bit more popular than Hammerspoon. We know about 4 links to it since March 2021 and only 4 links to Hammerspoon. 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: almost 2 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 3 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: about 3 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 3 years ago

SmartWindows.app mentions (4)

  • Microsoft Windows Notepad App got a Visual Refresh for Windows 11
    Notepad alongside MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is also supported by SmartWindows for both Windows 10 and 11. SmartWindows allows its users, to work smartly and achieve their work goals while maintaining productivity. For instance, researchers, programmers, designers, and writers who need to work on different applications can easily do that while using SmartWindows. It allows the user to create a profile and save... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Technology allows you to not spend time on tasks that can be done automatically
    SmartWindows is providing all the above-mentioned features. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Good Old days :)
    You can try SmartWindows and no need to keep your tabs open. You can open them instantly with SmartWindows whenever needed. Read more about other features of SmartWindows. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • How to Reopen Closed Tabs In FireFox
    When you are managing multiple projects and have opened multiple browsers to do organized browsing, you are highly vigilant about the URLs you have opened. As it is very difficult to remember the useful web pages that can help you out in performing tasks, it is crucial to make sure that you have them all the time. SmartWindows help you increase productivity at work by reopening the closed tabs of multiple browsers... Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hammerspoon and SmartWindows.app, you can also consider the following products

Pulover’s Macro Creator - Pulover’s Macro Creator is a Free Automation Tool and Script Generator.

Desktop Restore - MIDI-OX is the world's greatest all-purpose MIDI Utility.

AutoHotkey - The ultimate automation scripting language for Windows.

PingPoint - Never miss a Mark Zuckerberg signup to your app ever again

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

VC Starter Kit - Everything you need to look like a Venture Capitalist