# Ribbon — a scrolling-strip window manager for macOS > Ribbon puts your Mac's windows side by side on one horizontal strip. Swipe three fingers to move along it. macOS 14+, Apple silicon and Intel, 14-day free trial. ## Your windows, side by side on one long strip. Ribbon is a window manager for macOS. Every window gets its own column on a strip wider than your screen, and three fingers on the trackpad glide you along it. Nothing overlaps, and nothing hides behind anything else. - macOS 14 or later - Apple silicon and Intel - 14-day free trial ## How does Ribbon work? Ribbon lays your windows out left to right and moves the strip, not the windows, when you swipe. Four gestures cover everything. ### Glide along the strip *Three fingers, sideways.* The strip follows your fingers and settles with a spring when you let go. Line windows up with the screen edge, or scroll freely and let snap assist catch an edge that stops close to it. ### New windows take the center *Open a window.* A new window opens next to the one you were using and slides into the middle. Close one and its neighbors close the gap. ### Step aside *Four fingers up.* The strip parts like a curtain to show the desktop and any floating windows behind it. Four fingers down bring it back. ### See everything at once *Three fingers up.* Your windows shrink into one row, like the iPhone app switcher. Drag one to a new place, drop it on another to stack them, or click to go there. ## What else does Ribbon do? Ribbon handles the details that make a strip pleasant to live in every day. ### Any width you like Resize a window and it keeps that width. There are no fixed columns; the windows beside it move to make room. ### Full width on a double-click Double-click a title bar and that window fills the screen inside the strip, keeping your gap settings. ### Floating windows stay put Settings panels, dialogs and other fixed-size windows float above the strip instead of being squeezed into it. ### The Dock and Cmd-Tab know the strip Click an app in the Dock or switch to it and the strip glides to its window. Click again to cycle through its windows. ### An endless strip, if you want one Turn on the infinite strip and the last window wraps around to the first. ### Your layout survives a restart Quit Ribbon or restart your Mac, and the apps still open come back to the same places on the strip. ### A clean way out Quit or choose Stop Managing and every window is put back on screen, ready to use. ### Native Settings A proper Mac Settings window with illustrations for gaps, scrolling, displays and the switcher. Changes apply at once. ## Does Ribbon work with more than one display? Yes. Each display gets its own strip, and you can carry a window from one strip to another. - Choose which displays Ribbon manages: all of them, only the Mac's own screen, or only external ones. - Drag a window by its title bar onto another display. Its old strip closes up, the new one opens a gap under the pointer, and the window lands there at its own width. - A swipe moves the strip of whichever display the pointer is on. ## How much does Ribbon cost? The price will be announced at launch. Every copy starts as a 14-day free trial with all features, and one license covers 2 Macs. **Ribbon license:** Price at launch. - Use on 2 Macs at the same time - Apple silicon and Intel - macOS 14 Sonoma or later - 14-day free trial first, no account needed The trial download and checkout open when Ribbon launches. ## Questions people ask ### What is Ribbon? Ribbon is a window manager for macOS that places your windows side by side on a horizontal strip, which you scroll with a three-finger swipe. It is made by ChabuLab. ### Does Ribbon work on Intel Macs? Yes. Ribbon is one universal app that runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. ### Which version of macOS do I need? macOS 14 Sonoma or later. ### How many Macs can I use one license on? Two. One license works on 2 Macs at the same time. To move a license to another Mac, deactivate it in Ribbon on one of the two Macs; the seat is freed at once. ### What happens when the trial ends? When the 14-day trial ends, Ribbon stops arranging windows and puts every window back on screen. Your layout is kept: enter a license key and Ribbon restores it. ### Does Ribbon need an internet connection? Only now and then. Ribbon checks the license about once a week and keeps working offline for up to 30 days. The trial also works offline. ### Which permissions does Ribbon ask for? Accessibility, to move and resize windows. Screen Recording is optional and adds live window pictures to the switcher; without it the switcher shows app icons. ### Do I need a trackpad? The swipes need a trackpad. Without one, clicking a window, the Dock or Cmd-Tab still brings the strip to that window. ### Can I get my windows back if I stop using Ribbon? Yes. Quit Ribbon or choose Stop Managing and every window is put back on screen. ## Who makes Ribbon? Ribbon is made by ChabuLab, the studio of Châu Bùi. ChabuLab makes small, focused tools: Ribbon for the Mac, and free browser-only tools for creators. Ribbon began as the window manager Châu wanted for everyday work: windows on a strip, moved with the fingers, nothing piled on top of anything else. The blog has the longer story. ## More - [Ribbon facts](https://ribbon.chabulab.com/facts): every hard fact in one place - [Changelog](https://ribbon.chabulab.com/changelog) - [How Ribbon compares](https://ribbon.chabulab.com/compare) - [Blog](https://chabulab.com/blogs)