Spencer comparison
SnapState is the one to buy. It saves a named snapshot of your windows on every Space, relaunches the apps, restores each window's position, and puts all open browser tabs back. It can do that from the menu bar, from a shortcut, on wake from sleep, or when a monitor connects or disconnects. The license is $9.99 once for up to three Macs.
Spencer also restores window layouts, including across native macOS Spaces, and it offers a 7-day trial. SnapState 2.7 restores layouts across multiple Spaces too, so Spaces are no longer a reason to pay more. Spencer cannot reopen closed browser tabs, and its regular list price is $25, $35, or $45 depending on how many Macs you license. You pay more, and you still do not get the tab back.
Verdict: buy SnapState. It is $9.99 one-time for up to three Macs. Spencer is $25 for one Mac, $35 for two and $45 for three (macspencer.app, checked October 2026). SnapState also reopens all open browser tabs and restores on wake or a monitor change.
SnapState is a native macOS menu bar app for named workspace snapshots. Each snapshot keeps windows on every Space with position and size, the apps needed to relaunch them, the monitor and display layout, and all open tabs of each window in Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, and Chromium after Automation permission is granted. Restore from the menu bar, with global Control-Command-1 to 6 shortcuts, or automatically when a monitor connects or disconnects, when a matching display layout appears, or on wake from sleep. Saved frames are remapped onto the current displays when the setup differs. That is the job after you unplug a monitor, wake from sleep, or sit through a restart that scatters windows.
SnapState is version 2.7.1, requires macOS 15.7 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, and costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase through Lemon Squeezy, with a lifetime license for up to three Macs and a 14-day refund. It ships as a signed, notarized DMG. It needs Accessibility permission, and workspace data stays local as JSON in ~/Library/Application Support/SnapState/. There is no free trial. The refund window is the try-it period.
Spencer saves open window layouts and can restore them across monitors and native macOS Spaces. Profiles can keep their own number of Spaces. It can launch saved apps, hide open apps that are not part of the layout, and resize windows to the stored arrangement. It does not snap windows into grids.
Per Spencer's own FAQ, it cannot reopen closed browser tabs, files, or projects. Stage Manager is not supported. Fullscreen windows can be saved, but restore is a simulated fullscreen with the menu bar and Dock still visible. Regular list prices on macspencer.app are $25 / $35 / $45 by Mac count, with a 7-day trial and a 14-day refund. Confirm any live promo on their site before you compare a sale price to $9.99.
Both tools put an arrangement back. They do not tile. The gap that should decide the purchase is price and browser tabs. Both cover Spaces.
| Capability | SnapState | Spencer |
|---|---|---|
| One-time price (as listed) | $9.99 for up to 3 Macs | $25 / $35 / $45 by Mac count |
| Restores all browser tabs | Yes | No |
| Save and restore window positions | Yes | Yes |
| Wake-from-sleep trigger | Yes | Not listed on their site |
| Automatic restore on display connect or disconnect | Yes | Their site mentions display change and undock |
| Launch apps with a saved layout | Yes | Yes |
| Global keyboard shortcuts | Yes | Yes |
| Native macOS Spaces layouts | Yes (each Space restored when you switch to it) | Yes |
| Hide windows not in the layout | No | Yes |
| Free trial | No (14-day refund) | 7-day trial |
SnapState 2.7.1 now covers Spaces too. SnapState restores layouts across multiple Spaces (each Space is restored when you switch to it). On top of that it relaunches apps and reopens every browser tab, so one $9.99 purchase brings back the whole workspace.
SnapState does not tile or snap windows, and it does not move windows from one Space to another. It restores tabs only from supported browsers, and Firefox is not supported. There is no free trial. Spencer does not restore closed tabs or files, does not support Stage Manager, and simulates fullscreen on restore. Neither tool replaces Rectangle or Moom for day-to-day snapping. Those SnapState limits are real. They are not a reason to pay Spencer's list price for a tool that still cannot reopen the tab.
Buy SnapState. It costs $9.99 once for up to three Macs, restores all open browser tabs, and puts your layout back on wake or when a monitor changes. It also restores layouts across multiple Spaces (each Space is restored when you switch to it). Spencer costs more and cannot reopen closed browser tabs.
No. Spencer can launch apps and reposition open windows, but it cannot reopen closed browser tabs, files, or projects. SnapState restores all open tabs for each supported browser window when Automation permission is granted. That is the difference that matters after a restart.
Yes, as of version 2.7. SnapState restores layouts across multiple Spaces (each Space is restored when you switch to it). SnapState does all that for $9.99 once, and it also relaunches apps and reopens every browser tab, which Spencer cannot do.
No. SnapState covers the whole restore job: every Space, the apps, all open browser tabs, and automatic restore on wake or a monitor change. Buying Spencer on top does not add browser tabs, and it costs more.
SnapState. It is $9.99 one-time for up to three Macs, with a 14-day refund and no trial. Spencer lists regular prices of $25 / $35 / $45 depending on Mac count, with a 7-day trial and a 14-day refund. Check macspencer.app if a promo is running. SnapState is still the lower practical buy.
Stay puts window positions back per display setup, without apps or tabs. Moom is a tiling and snapping manager, with saved layouts as one feature. Rectangle, Magnet, and Raycast snap the front window. Simple WindowSets is an older snapshot-style tool many people are replacing. For named snapshots with browser context at $9.99, SnapState is the direct buy.