Comparison · checked November 2026
Transom vs yabai
yabai is a scriptable binary-space-partitioning tiling window manager, usually paired with skhd for shortcuts.
Short answer: choose yabai if you want maximum scriptability and accept the SIP trade-off. Choose Transom if you want a manager that keeps SIP on, works out of the box and remembers your desks.
At a glance
| Transom | yabai | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Snap + scrolling Strip | Tiling |
| Price | $19 once (1 Mac) · $29 (3 Macs) · 14-day free trial | Free |
| License | Paid, one-time | Open source (MIT) |
| Requirements | macOS 14+, Apple silicon | macOS; some features need SIP partly disabled |
| Restores layouts when you dock/undock | Yes. Desks restore layouts on dock/undock | No |
| Setup | Settings window, no config file needed | Config file or advanced settings |
What yabai does well
- The most scriptable option on Mac
- Deep control over spaces and windows
- Large community of dotfiles
Where it stops
- Full features need System Integrity Protection partly disabled
- Ships with no config; needs skhd and setup
- Users report breakage after major macOS updates
Switching from yabai
- Transom never asks you to disable SIP. Accessibility permission is enough.
We make Transom, so weigh this page accordingly. Spotted something out of date about yabai? Email support@transommac.com and we'll fix it.