Deskback
Stay alternatives for Mac in 2026
Stay was the first app many of us tried to keep windows in place when monitors change. If it doesn’t do the job on your setup, here are the alternatives — with what each one is good at.
Updated October 22, 2026
Why people look for a Stay alternative
Stay (by Cordless Dog) costs nothing on the Mac App Store and keeps a set of window positions for each display combination. Its latest version (1.5.1, August 2025) improved restoring after wake. Still, it sits at 2.7 stars from 64 ratings as of October 2026, and reviews keep mentioning the same things:
- Several windows of the same app (three Safari windows, two Finder windows) not going back to the right places.
- Window heights not restored when moving between screens of different sizes.
- Trouble with Spaces.
- A progress dialog every time the screens change, and a hang on “Store Windows for All Applications” reported in 2025.
The alternatives at a glance
| Price | macOS | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deskback | $9 once (launch), then $14.99 | 14+ | Only restores windows, automatically. No setup. |
| Putback | $19 once, 7-day trial | 14+ | Window manager built on memory: Scenes, hotkeys. |
| WinPin | $34.95 or Setapp | 15+ | Full window manager: restore, tiling, workspaces. |
| Keyboard Maestro | $36 | — | Automation tool; you build a wake macro yourself. |
| BetterTouchTool | Paid | — | Hundreds of features; saving layouts is one of them. |
Prices and versions from the apps’ public pages, October 2026.
Deskback — if you just want your windows back
Deskback does one thing: it remembers where every window was for each monitor setup and restores it after sleep, undock or redock. It handles several windows of the same app, restores sizes across different screen sizes, and never shows a progress window. Windows on other Spaces are restored when you switch to them. If it isn’t sure which window is which, it doesn’t move it.
It’s launching soon. Disclosure: we make it.
Get early access — $9 launch price
Putback — if you want named scenes and hotkeys
Putback restores windows when displays change and adds Scenes you can recall with a key. It’s the closest app to Deskback; the difference is that Putback is a window manager you configure, and Deskback has nothing to set up.
WinPin — if you want a full window manager
WinPin restores layouts after reconnecting or waking, and also tiles windows and manages workspaces. It needs macOS 15 or later.
Keyboard Maestro or BetterTouchTool — if you already own them
Both can be made to restore windows, but you build and maintain it yourself. Worth it only if you already use them for other things.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to Stay?
Not one we can recommend for this specific job as of October 2026. Some paid apps offer trials (Putback: 7 days) or a refund window (Deskback: 14 days).
Which Stay alternative handles several windows of the same app?
Deskback restores each window separately, including several windows of Safari, Finder, Chrome or Terminal.
Do I need a window manager to restore windows?
No. Window managers tile and snap; restoring positions per monitor setup is a separate job that Deskback does with zero setup.
Related
Why your Mac moves windows after sleep · External monitor rearranges your windows · Stay alternatives · Deskback vs WinPin · Deskback vs Stay · Clamshell mode · Two monitors · Home and office