The XDA piece on PowerToys’ Always On Top hit a nerve last week: most readers had used Always On Top for years but only just realized they could pin multiple windows at once instead of toggling one in and out. The wider point sits underneath that headline. Windows 11’s built-in Snap Layouts cover the easy cases and run out of room past two monitors and three apps. Past Snap, there is a tier of window management apps that turn Windows into a workspace closer to a tiling Linux environment, and PowerToys is just the safest entry point.
We tested 8 of the best apps for window management on Windows 11 across a single-monitor laptop, a 27-inch desk setup, and a three-monitor workstation. The yardstick: how easily each tool let us recover from the chaos of a workday with 15 apps open, how predictable its behavior was across reboots, and whether it survived a Windows feature update without breaking.
What to look for in a Windows window manager
Five criteria separate the tools you can rely on from the ones that look impressive in a YouTube demo:
- Snap vs tiling vs hybrid. Snap-style tools (FancyZones, AquaSnap) extend the built-in snap with custom zones. Tiling tools (Komorebi, GlazeWM) take over entirely and let you script behavior. Hybrid tools (AltSnap, AquaSnap Pro) sit in between.
- Multi-monitor behavior. Three monitors at different DPIs is where most cheap tools break. Pick one that has been tested past a single screen.
- Keyboard vs mouse driving. Tiling managers reward keyboard binds and lose value if you mostly drag windows. Snap tools prefer the mouse.
- Update survival. Windows 11 feature updates can revert window-management tweaks. Tools that update through Microsoft Store or WinGet recover faster.
- Free vs paid. Most genuine tiling tools are free and open-source. The paid Snap tools (DisplayFusion, AquaSnap Pro) earn their fee when you push past two monitors.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Cost | Tiling style | Updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft PowerToys | Safe upgrade from Snap | Free | Zones + Always On Top | Microsoft Store |
| Komorebi | Power users, scriptable | Free, open source | Full tiling, manual | GitHub releases |
| GlazeWM | i3-style keyboard tiling | Free, open source | Auto-tiling | GitHub releases |
| AquaSnap | Mouse-driven snap upgrade | Free / Pro | Snap zones | Auto-update |
| DisplayFusion | Multi-monitor power features | Paid trial | Snap + per-monitor taskbar | Auto-update |
| AltSnap | Move-resize any window from keyboard | Free, open source | Hold-modifier | GitHub releases |
| Workspacer | Lightweight tiling | Free, open source | Auto-tiling | GitHub releases |
| WindowGrid | Drag-grid resizing | Free | Snap grid | Periodic |
The apps
1. Microsoft PowerToys — best safe upgrade from Snap
Microsoft PowerToys is the easiest pick to recommend to anyone moving past the built-in Snap Layouts. FancyZones lets you draw custom zone grids per monitor, Always On Top pins any window above the rest (one window or several — Win + Ctrl + T per pin), and Grab And Move added in PowerToys 0.99 lets you move windows by holding a modifier key. It is signed, maintained by Microsoft, updates through Microsoft Store, and survives feature updates cleanly.
Where it falls short: It is not a real tiling manager — you still drag windows into zones. Keyboard binds exist but are not as deep as Komorebi or GlazeWM.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11.
Download: Microsoft Store · GitHub
Bottom line: Install this first. It covers 80% of what people need and never adds risk on a work laptop.
2. Komorebi — best scriptable tiling manager
Komorebi is a tiling window manager for Windows inspired by i3 and bspwm. It assigns apps to workspaces by rule, auto-tiles new windows, and accepts scripted commands over a socket. A multi-monitor workstation with predictable app placement (browser left, terminal middle, notes right, every time) is exactly the kind of setup it earns.
Where it falls short: The learning curve is steep. The config is YAML/JSONC, not a UI. Some apps (especially Electron) need exclusion rules to behave.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11.
Bottom line: Pick if you want full tiling, do not mind editing config files, and want scripted control over workspaces and rules.
3. GlazeWM — best i3-style auto-tiling
GlazeWM is the closest Windows comes to running i3. Workspaces are numbered, splits are horizontal or vertical, and a keyboard config file binds every action. It auto-tiles by default — open a new window, it claims half the active container — which removes the manual setup Komorebi requires.
Where it falls short: Newer than Komorebi, so the community of shared configs is smaller. Some Win32 apps with non-standard window styles still misbehave.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11.
Bottom line: Pick if you know your way around i3 on Linux and want that workflow on Windows without a steep ramp.
4. AquaSnap — best mouse-driven snap upgrade
AquaSnap by Nurgo Software extends Windows Snap with edge tiling, window grouping (drag one, the group moves together), and customizable shake-to-minimize. The Pro edition adds multi-monitor support, window stretching to fill, and keyboard binds.
Where it falls short: Pro edition costs once. Some power features are gated behind the paid version. Conflicts with PowerToys FancyZones if both are running.
Pricing:
- Free: Personal edition with basic features
- Paid: Professional edition is a one-time license
Platforms: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11.
Download: Nurgo Software
Bottom line: Pick if you mostly use the mouse and want Snap-style behavior with grouping and edge magnetism beyond what Windows ships.
5. DisplayFusion — best for multi-monitor power users
DisplayFusion by Binary Fortress is the gold standard for multi-monitor setups beyond Microsoft’s own. Per-monitor taskbars, per-monitor wallpapers, custom window-management hotkeys, and triggers that fire when apps open in the wrong place. The window snapping is good; the multi-monitor extras are where the price pays back.
Where it falls short: Paid only after the trial. Overkill if you only run one or two monitors.
Pricing:
- Free: 30-day trial
- Paid: Pro license is a one-time purchase
Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11.
Download: Binary Fortress
Bottom line: Pick when you have three or more monitors and want each one to behave like its own desk.
6. AltSnap — best for resize-anywhere
AltSnap is a minimal community fork of the abandoned AltDrag tool. Hold Alt and click anywhere on a window to drag it. Hold Alt and right-click to resize. It does not tile, it does not snap to zones — it just gives every window a draggable handle from anywhere in its body.
Where it falls short: Not a tiling manager. Single-purpose. The default Alt modifier collides with some apps; remap is easy but takes a minute.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 7 through 11.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: Pair with PowerToys or AquaSnap as the move-resize layer that the others lack.
7. Workspacer — best lightweight tiling
Workspacer is a small auto-tiling manager that takes less learning time than Komorebi. Workspaces are numbered, splits are simple, and the config is C# script. It does not chase feature parity with GlazeWM; it just covers the 80% case of “auto-tile new windows, swap with keyboard binds.”
Where it falls short: Less actively maintained than Komorebi or GlazeWM in 2026. The C# config file is unusual for tiling-manager users coming from Linux.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: Pick when you want auto-tiling without the config depth Komorebi expects.
8. WindowGrid — best for drag-grid resizing
WindowGrid lets you drag windows into a grid overlay that snaps to predictable cells. It is the simplest of the tools here, sits between Snap and FancyZones in capability, and runs without any background service depth.
Where it falls short: Old release cadence. No keyboard-only mode. Does not handle DPI changes across monitors elegantly.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11.
Download: WindowGrid
Bottom line: Pick when you want a single feature (drag into a grid) and do not want to install PowerToys for it.
How to pick the right one
Start with Microsoft PowerToys. FancyZones plus Always On Top covers most of what people install other tools for, and it is the safest pick on a work machine.
Add AltSnap alongside. The two together cover Snap zones, persistent pinning, and resize-anywhere — most readers need nothing else.
If you want to drive Windows from the keyboard, install GlazeWM if you know i3, Komorebi if you want deeper scripting. Pick one, not both.
If you have three or more monitors, DisplayFusion earns its license fee on the per-monitor taskbar alone.
If you prefer the mouse, AquaSnap is the strongest Snap-style alternative. The free edition is enough for one or two monitors.
FAQ
Is Microsoft PowerToys safe to install on a work machine?
PowerToys is published by Microsoft, signed, distributed through the Microsoft Store, and open source on GitHub. Most IT policies allow it. Always check with your admin before installing on a managed laptop.
What is the best free window manager for Windows 11?
Microsoft PowerToys is the safest free pick. Komorebi or GlazeWM are the best open-source tiling managers. AltSnap pairs with any of them for resize-anywhere behavior.
Can I run PowerToys and Komorebi at the same time?
Technically yes, but FancyZones and Komorebi will fight over window placement. Use one as the primary tiler, disable the overlapping module of the other.
Does GlazeWM work with multiple monitors?
Yes. GlazeWM supports per-monitor workspaces by default. The config file controls which workspaces appear on which monitor.
Will window managers survive a Windows feature update?
PowerToys updates through Microsoft Store and survives feature updates cleanly. Komorebi, GlazeWM, and Workspacer survive updates but may need rules tweaked after a Windows shell change. Verify your config after each major Windows update.
What is the best window manager if I am moving from macOS?
AquaSnap feels closest to macOS-style snap behavior. PowerToys FancyZones is the safer mainstream pick. DisplayFusion handles multi-monitor at a level macOS does not.
