Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

yabai VS Unity8

Compare yabai VS Unity8 and see what are their differences

yabai logo yabai

A tiling window manager for macOS based on binary space partitioning

Unity8 logo Unity8

Mir compositor with Wayland apps support.
  • yabai Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26
  • Unity8 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18

yabai features and specs

  • Efficient Window Management
    Yabai provides advanced tiling window management for macOS, greatly increasing productivity by allowing users to manage windows through keyboard shortcuts and layouts, minimizing the need for mouse interactions.
  • Highly Customizable
    The software offers extensive configuration options, enabling users to personalize their window management experience according to their specific workflow and preferences.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Yabai is free to use and modify, allowing the community to contribute to its development and enhancement. This fosters a collaborative environment for improving the software.
  • Supports Scripting
    Yabai supports scripting through AppleScript or shell commands, enabling users to automate complex workflows and integrate Yabai with other tools and applications seamlessly.
  • Lightweight
    Yabai is designed to be a lightweight window manager, which means it consumes minimal system resources, ensuring that your Mac continues to run smoothly even with numerous active windows.

Possible disadvantages of yabai

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, the configuration and use of Yabai can be daunting, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to fully understand and utilize its capabilities effectively.
  • Requires SIP Disablement
    To utilize some of Yabai's more advanced features, users need to partially disable System Integrity Protection (SIP), which can reduce the overall security of the macOS system.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    As macOS updates and changes, compatibility issues may arise, potentially breaking functionality. Users may need to wait for updates from the developer community to resolve these issues.
  • Limited Official Support
    As an open-source project, Yabai does not come with official support channels. Users must rely on community forums and documentation, which may not always provide immediate or comprehensive assistance.
  • Complex Configurations
    Setting up Yabai to fit specific needs can be complex and time-consuming, especially for users who are not familiar with scripting or advanced configuration files.

Unity8 features and specs

  • Convergence
    Unity8 is designed with convergence in mind, allowing a seamless experience across multiple device types like desktops, tablets, and phones.
  • Modern Interface
    The interface is modern and visually appealing, providing a fresh alternative to other desktop environments.
  • Community-Driven
    As part of the UBports project, Unity8 benefits from a community-driven development approach, making it responsive to user feedback.
  • Customization
    Users can customize the interface according to personal preferences, improving user experience and productivity.
  • Lightweight
    Unity8 is relatively lightweight compared to other desktop environments, which can help improve system performance on older hardware.

Possible disadvantages of Unity8

  • Limited Software Support
    Due to its niche status, Unity8 may not have as extensive software support as more mainstream environments like GNOME or KDE.
  • Development Pace
    As a community-driven project, the pace of development can be slower compared to commercially-backed alternatives.
  • Stability Issues
    Being under constant development, users may experience occasional stability issues or bugs.
  • Learning Curve
    Users who are accustomed to more traditional desktop environments might face a learning curve when transitioning to Unity8.
  • Limited Market Adoption
    Unity8 has limited adoption in the broader market, which can affect the availability of third-party applications and extensions.

Analysis of yabai

Overall verdict

  • Yabai is highly regarded among users who seek advanced customization and control over their macOS window management. However, it may have a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with tiling window managers or command-line tools.

Why this product is good

  • Yabai is a popular tiling window manager for macOS, designed to streamline and enhance window management through robust keyboard shortcuts and automation features. It is particularly appreciated for its flexibility and efficiency in organizing a large number of open applications, contributing to a more productive workflow.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need efficient multitasking tools.
  • Users comfortable with the command line who enjoy customizing their environment.
  • Power users looking to optimize their macOS user experience.

yabai videos

Yabai Demonstration

More videos:

  • Demo - yabai macOS Tiling Window Manager Demonstration

Unity8 videos

Unity8 Desktop Greeter Preview (Split Greeter)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to yabai and Unity8)
Window Manager
96 96%
4% 4
Linux
0 0%
100% 100
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Operating Systems
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, yabai seems to be a lot more popular than Unity8. While we know about 135 links to yabai, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Unity8. 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.

yabai mentions (135)

  • From M1 MacBook to Arch Linux: A month-long experiment that became permanenent
    This. My 2013 MacBook Pro lasted just shy of 10 years no issues. My m3 max mbpro I only wish was the larger screen one and not the 13 inch one โ€ฆ oh well. But I suspect it will last me โ€” and be passed down as well โ€” 8-10 years as well. The trackpads are second to none. So are the speakers. The screen are pretty good. I wish mine got even brighter but the m4s do. The keyboard is finally awesome. The OS just works.... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • I Used Arch, BTW: macOS, Day 1
    Aerospace is nice, but also consider checking out yabai [0] + sketchybar [1] for an i3/hyprland style tiling setup. More customizable (IMO) and perfectly suited for a terminal based workflow :~^) [0] https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ask HN: What macOS apps/programs do you use daily and recommend?
    If your into the tiling window manager experience, I would highly recommend looking into yabai + skhd + Sketchybar - https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Best Hacks for a Ultrawide Monitor?
    I have a 49 inch CRG9 and the best recommendation for window management is Yabai (https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai). Yabai is a greedy window management solution that tries to fit opened applications in given space and skhd let's you easily jump between those using keyboard shortcuts. This has massively improved my ultrawide experience. Only disclaimer is, configuring yabai has a slight learning curve. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Is there an app that does this Windows feature?
    Want something free that's better than tiling on Windows? Yabai. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

Unity8 mentions (2)

  • What happened to lomiri
    Https://lomiri.com links to https://github.com/ubports/unity8 and this repository is accessible. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Any GNOME-like DEs without all the GNOME bs?
    Unity. Yes, it's still around (now going by "unity8" and maintained and developed by UBports now instead of Canonical but it's still the same DE we all know and hate er love). Obv not my cup of tea so I'm not very knowledgeable about it so could be way off but who knows, maybe we'll get a Unity lover here and they can chime in. github. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing yabai and Unity8, you can also consider the following products

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

Wayfire - Wayland compositor with 3d effects.

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).

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Arcan - Game engine and multimedia framework and display server.