BetterStage

Named multi-monitor workspaces with AI staging and snap zones

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Category
Utility
WM Type
—
License
freemium
Open Source
No
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
No
Last Update
—

Features

  • Named multi-monitor stages
  • AI Staging (auto app grouping)
  • Instant stage switching (<16ms)
  • BSP auto-tiling (Bento Box)
  • Snap Wheel radial menu
  • Up to 9 named stages
  • Pinned monitor support
  • Directional window focus navigation
  • No SIP disable required

About

BetterStage is a native macOS workspace manager that lets you save named multi-monitor stages and switch all windows across every display instantly. It adds AI Staging to automatically group apps by project, plus BSP auto-tiling and snap zones — without disabling SIP or editing config files.

Who It's For

BetterStage is for power users who outgrow macOS Spaces and need persistent, named working environments that span multiple monitors. If you regularly switch between distinct projects and want to jump between entire multi-monitor configurations with a single keystroke, BetterStage is built for that workflow. It targets people who want workspace management and window arrangement without editing config files.

How It Works

The central concept is a Stage: a named snapshot of which apps are open on which monitors. BetterStage lets you save up to 9 named stages (3 in the free tier) and switch between them instantly via keyboard shortcuts — Opt+1 through Opt+9 by default. The switch affects every window on every display simultaneously, with the developer citing sub-16ms switching times.

On top of the workspace layer, BetterStage includes two window arrangement tools. Bento Box is a BSP auto-tiling mode that auto-arranges open windows on the current display, triggered with Opt+↓. Snap Wheel is a radial menu for snapping windows to zones, activated with Ctrl+Opt+arrow keys.

AI Staging automatically groups open windows by project. The developer documents support for AI custom instructions to guide these workflows.

Compared to Alternatives

Compared to SpaceJump, which assigns names and icons to native macOS Spaces, BetterStage replaces the Spaces model entirely with its own stage system and adds BSP tiling and snap zones on top. Compared to yabai, BetterStage requires no SIP disabling and no config file editing — at the cost of the programmatic CLI control yabai exposes via its Unix socket. BetterStage is a GUI-first tool; yabai is script-first.

Requirements

  • macOS 14 Sonoma or later
  • Accessibility permissions required
  • No SIP disabling required
  • Native Swift/AppKit — no Electron, under 10 MB installed, under 80 MB memory (10 windows, 4 monitors)
  • Free tier includes 3 stages; Pro (up to 9 stages, all features) is $16.99 lifetime with a 10-day free trial

Getting Started

Download from betterstage.app, launch the app, and grant Accessibility permission when prompted. Use Opt+1–9 to switch between stages, Opt+↓ to trigger Bento Box auto-tiling on the current display, and Ctrl+Opt+arrow keys for the Snap Wheel.

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