Is Stay really free now?
Yes. Stay became freeware with version 1.5.1 in August 2025. It is available from cordlessdog.com and the Mac App Store, where the listing requires macOS 14.6 or later.
Stay alternative guide
Stay alternative for Mac: SnapState vs Stay.
Stay by Cordless Dog promises to keep windows in their place. It stores window positions and sizes, keeps a set of windows for every combination of displays you use, and can automatically restore windows as displays are connected and disconnected. Since version 1.5.1 in August 2025 it is freeware, so if you only need windows put back after a display change, start there. It is a good free option for that one job.
Short version: Stay restores window positions per display setup for free. SnapState adds named workspaces, app relaunch, browser tab URLs, and shortcut or automatic restore for $9.99.
What Stay does well
Stay covers the classic laptop routine: laptop alone on the train, laptop plus an external monitor at the desk. You store window positions once per display combination, and Stay puts windows back when that combination returns. Its documentation also mentions hot keys, window title pattern matching, linking windows, and editing stored windows. It is available from cordlessdog.com and the Mac App Store, where the listing requires macOS 14.6 or later.
When SnapState is worth $9.99
SnapState is a native macOS menu bar app for named workspace snapshots. Each snapshot keeps the visible windows on the current desktop with their position and size, the apps needed to relaunch them, the monitor and display layout, and the active tab URL of each window in Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, and Chromium after Automation permission is granted.
The difference is switching contexts on demand rather than only reacting to display changes. You might keep separate coding, writing, meeting, and research workspaces and call them back with a click or with global Control-Command-1 to 6 shortcuts. Workspaces can also restore automatically when a monitor connects or disconnects, when a matching display layout appears, or on wake from sleep. When the display setup differs, SnapState remaps saved window frames onto the current displays.
SnapState vs Stay comparison
Use this table to decide which job you are hiring for: holding window positions in place, or recalling whole working contexts.
| Capability | SnapState | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Restores window positions and sizes | Yes | Yes |
| Separate stored sets per display combination | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic restore on display connect or disconnect | Yes | Yes |
| Named workspaces you switch on demand | Yes | Not listed |
| Relaunches apps needed for a workspace | Yes | Not listed |
| Restores active browser tab URLs | Yes | Not listed |
| Global keyboard shortcuts | Yes | Yes |
| Wake-from-sleep and matching-layout triggers | Yes | Not listed |
| Price | $9.99 one-time | Free |
How a SnapState restore works
Arrange your windows, capture the setup from the menu bar, and give it a name. Later, choose the workspace or press its shortcut. SnapState launches missing apps, remaps window frames to the displays you have now, and reopens the saved active tab URL in each supported browser window. Workspace data stays local on your Mac as JSON in ~/Library/Application Support/SnapState/. The app needs Accessibility permission to read and move windows, plus Automation permission for browser tab URLs.
Version 2.5.2 requires macOS 15.7 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It is sold for a $9.99 one-time payment through Lemon Squeezy with a lifetime license for up to three Macs and a 14-day refund. It ships as a signed, notarized DMG rather than through the Mac App Store.
Limitations to know before you buy
SnapState saves the visible windows on the current desktop, not every macOS Space. It restores only the active tab URL per supported browser window, not full tab sets, and Firefox is not supported. It is not a tiling or snapping window manager: if you want windows arranged into grids or snap zones as you work, pair it with a tiling tool or choose one instead. If your need is strictly free per-display position memory, Stay remains the simpler fit.
Common questions
When should I just stick with Stay?
Stick with Stay if your only job is keeping window positions and sizes in place as you connect and disconnect displays. It stores a set of windows for each display combination and restores them automatically, which covers the laptop-alone versus laptop-plus-monitor routine well.
What does SnapState add over Stay?
SnapState adds named workspaces you switch between on demand, relaunching the apps a workspace needs, restoring the active tab URL in supported browser windows, Control-Command-1 to 6 shortcuts, and optional wake and matching-layout triggers. That bundle costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase.
Does SnapState handle changing monitors?
Yes. SnapState saves the monitor and display layout with each workspace and remaps saved window frames onto the current displays when the setup differs. A workspace can also restore automatically on display connect, disconnect, matching layout, or wake from sleep.
What does SnapState not do?
SnapState does not support Firefox, does not save or restore macOS Spaces, saves only the active tab URL per browser window rather than full tab sets, and is not a tiling or snapping window manager.
Get SnapState for $9.99One-time purchase · up to three Macs · 14-day refund