WhichSpace VS Deadpendency

• Lightweight and Simple
  WhichSpace is a minimal macOS menu bar utility that does one thing well: it displays the current macOS Space (Desktop) number in the menu bar without unnecessary bloat or complexity.
• Open Source
  The project is open source and hosted on GitHub, allowing users to inspect the code, contribute improvements, fork it for personal customization, and verify there are no privacy or security concerns.
• Free to Use
  WhichSpace is completely free, providing a useful feature (Space number visibility) without requiring payment or subscription, unlike some alternative menu bar utilities.
• Low Resource Usage
  Being a small, focused utility, it consumes minimal system resources (CPU and memory), making it efficient to run continuously in the background without noticeably impacting system performance.
• Fills a macOS Gap
  macOS does not natively display which Space/Desktop you're currently on in an easily glanceable way; WhichSpace fills this gap by showing the current Space number directly in the menu bar.

Possible disadvantages

• Limited Functionality
  WhichSpace only shows the current Space number and offers very limited additional features, which may not satisfy users looking for more robust Space management or switching tools.
• Dependency on macOS Private APIs
  The tool relies on undocumented or private macOS APIs to detect Space changes, which can break with macOS updates and require the developer to release patches to maintain compatibility.
• Maintenance Concerns
  As with many open-source side projects, the app may not be actively maintained or updated frequently, potentially leading to compatibility issues with newer macOS versions over time.
• No Official App Store Distribution
  WhichSpace is not available through the Mac App Store, requiring users to manually download and install it from GitHub, which may involve additional steps like bypassing Gatekeeper security warnings.
• Limited Customization
  The utility offers minimal customization options for how the Space number is displayed or styled in the menu bar, which may not suit all user preferences.

• Automated Dependency Monitoring
  Deadpendency automatically checks your project's dependencies for signs of being dead, unmaintained, or deprecated, saving developers from manually tracking the health of each dependency.
• GitHub Integration
  Deadpendency integrates directly with GitHub as a GitHub App, making it easy to set up and run as part of your existing pull request and CI workflow without requiring additional infrastructure.
• Early Warning System
  By catching dead or unmaintained dependencies early, Deadpendency helps teams avoid security risks and technical debt that come from relying on abandoned libraries.
• Multi-Language Support
  Deadpendency supports a wide range of programming languages and package ecosystems, making it useful for polyglot projects and diverse development teams.
• Low Configuration Overhead
  The tool is designed to work out of the box with minimal configuration, allowing teams to get value quickly without spending significant time on setup and customization.

Possible disadvantages

• Limited to GitHub
  Deadpendency is primarily a GitHub App, which means teams using other platforms like GitLab or Bitbucket cannot easily use the service without switching or mirroring their repositories.
• Potential False Positives
  The tool may flag dependencies as dead or unmaintained based on activity metrics, even when a library is stable and simply mature, leading to unnecessary concern or migration efforts.
• Niche Use Case
  Dependency health checking is a relatively narrow function. Teams may prefer more comprehensive dependency management tools that also handle vulnerability scanning, license compliance, and version updates in one solution.
• Reliance on External Signals
  Deadpendency relies on external signals like repository activity and release frequency to determine dependency health, which may not always accurately reflect the true maintenance status of a project.
• Limited Community and Ecosystem
  As a relatively niche tool, Deadpendency has a smaller user community compared to alternatives like Dependabot or Renovate, which can mean fewer resources, community support, and third-party integrations.

No analysis of WhichSpace yet.

Tracking WhichSpace since Aug 2026.

• Deadpendency Open Sourced

  I created a tiny startup in Haskell which failed RIP. I decided to open source the code though. Source: over 3 years ago

• Twitch Streamers?

  I sometimes stream my Haskell work on deadpendency - https://www.twitch.tv/alistairbuzz. Source: over 5 years ago