GlazeWM

What GlazeWM does

GlazeWM is a free, open source tiling window manager for Windows. Instead of leaving every window floating wherever it was last placed, it arranges them automatically so that the screen is always divided into useful regions: the first window takes the full area, the second splits it, and further windows subdivide the remaining space. Focus moves between tiles with the keyboard, windows can be resized, floated, stacked or moved to another workspace, and a workspace exists per monitor so a multi-screen desk keeps each display's windows separate. The whole thing is configured in a single YAML file that declares workspaces, keybindings, window rules for specific applications, and gaps or borders. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3, and the standalone installer bundles the runtime it needs.

How a typical session works

The program starts with Windows and runs in the notification area; there is no main window to manage. Keybindings do the work: one set moves focus between tiles, another moves the focused window within the layout, another switches or sends windows to workspaces, and further bindings toggle floating, full screen, or pause tiling altogether. A window rule can match an application by process name, class or title and force it to float, to open on a particular workspace, or to be ignored entirely, which is how video players, launchers and small utilities are kept out of the tiling grid. Because configuration is a file, changes are made in an editor and reloaded, and the same file can be version controlled or copied between machines.

Settings, practical limits and tuning

The configuration file is the entire control surface: workspace names assigned to monitors, per-binding commands, layout direction, gap width, border colours, and rules for how new windows are handled. A command line interface allows scripts to query and drive the running instance, so status bars and automation can plug into it. Three limits matter in daily use. First, Windows still owns the taskbar and the shell, so the tooling lives alongside Explorer rather than replacing it, and some system windows resist being managed. Second, applications that draw their own custom frames or use unusual window classes may behave oddly until a rule is written for them. Third, a keyboard-driven workflow is a learning investment, and users who rely on the mouse will find it obstructive until the bindings become habit.

When to choose something else

If you want a tidier desktop without giving up mouse-driven window handling, a snap-layout tool or a keyboard shortcut helper is a gentler step. If your work is mostly one maximised application at a time, a full tiling manager adds ceremony without benefit. If you are on macOS or Linux, this particular project does not apply, though equivalent tiling managers exist for both. And if deeply customising the Windows shell is the goal rather than window placement, a shell modification platform is the closer match. GlazeWM is for people who already think in workspaces and want the keyboard to be the main instrument.