Tiling window manager for Mac that remembers how you work
Your second brain on your desktop
Stage
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Founded
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Based in
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CA
Pricing model
Freemium
Free
Pricing
Free: 3 stages forever. Pro · 1 Device: $19.99 lifetime license. Pro · 3 Devices: $39.99 lifetime license. Pro · 5 Devices: $49.99 lifetime license. BetterStage AI subscription: $4.99/mo or $39/yr for managed AI Staging.
Free for the desktop app. Barside Plus: US$20 a month or US$200 a year. Paid Spaces: creators set their own pricing through Stripe, with Barside taking 8% (5% for Plus subscribers).
Key features
Named stages (workspaces) spanning every monitor
TabStack automatic tiling with resizable panes and tabs
Workspace Continuity and Saved Workspaces
AI Staging to organize windows from text descriptions
Works with macOS Spaces (Desktops)
Custom Actions for opening apps, files, and running commands
Per-monitor Window Modes: Enhanced Native and TabStack
No SIP disable required
Notes with rich formatting including headings, checklists, tables, code and links
Integrated drawing and diagramming with Excalidraw editor
Screen recording that saves directly into notes
Video transcription with timestamps
AI-powered search across all notes and content
Built-in password manager with auto-fill
Video meetings for up to 6 people
Cloud backup with up to 90 days of history for Plus subscribers
Team Spaces with chat, polls and shared notes
AI agents that run on schedule with approval workflow
What makes it different
Works with System Integrity Protection fully enabled, requiring only standard Accessibility permissions
Stages span every monitor simultaneously and switch instantly without sliding animations
AI Staging describes workspace setups in plain English for automatic arrangement
Free tier with 3 stages and full multi-monitor support
Completely free for core features with local-first architecture requiring no account
Replaces 10+ subscription apps in one unified desktop application
AI agents with approval workflow for safe automation
Integrated screen recording and transcription without external tools
Supports multiple operating systems with native desktop integration
BetterStage
Barside