What is Defi?
Defi is a native macOS window manager inspired by Niri. It places windows in columns along a horizontal strip that expands as windows open and scrolls as focus moves beyond the screen. Windows can be stacked vertically, reordered by dragging, or kept floating. Each display has its own layout and workspaces, while standard interactions through the Dock, window clicks, and Command-Tab remain available.
The application supports Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15.4 or newer. It can be installed through Homebrew, an installation script, or a downloadable disk image, and can also be built from source. Accessibility permission is required to arrange and focus windows. Optional Screen Recording permission enables animated window images and Overview previews; these images remain in memory on the Mac and are neither saved to disk nor transmitted.
Defi is an experimental alpha released under the MIT license. Its workspaces are separate from native macOS Spaces, and application-specific window constraints or limited Accessibility support can affect behavior. The application is self-signed and not notarized, which requires attention to installation trust and macOS security prompts.
Key capabilities
- Scrolling layouts Automatically tiles windows in horizontal columns, supports vertical stacks, and reflows the layout when windows close.
- Workspace management Provides dynamic and named workspaces with independent layouts for each display.
- Application rules Assigns applications to workspaces, keeps selected windows floating, and sets initial column widths.
- Overview navigation Displays workspaces and windows for selection and drag-and-drop moves, with optional window previews.
- Live configuration Reloads TOML changes for shortcuts, gaps, animations, workspace names, and application rules without restarting.
- Command-line control Includes commands for scripting window and workspace actions and exposing workspace state to SketchyBar.
Where Defi fits
Defi fits local desktop workflows that involve switching among multiple application windows, grouping recurring tasks into named workspaces, or maintaining separate layouts across displays. Keyboard shortcuts and the bundled command-line interface support users who prefer direct navigation and scripted desktop actions.
Before deployment, users should verify Apple Silicon and macOS compatibility, review the required Accessibility permission, and decide whether to grant optional Screen Recording access. They should also test application-specific window behavior and shortcut conflicts with other window managers. Its experimental status, non-notarized distribution, and use of workspaces distinct from macOS Spaces should be considered before adoption.
Install
brew install --cask qeude/tap/defiReviews of Defi
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