DesktopTitle: a SpaceJump alternative that names your Mac desktops on the desktop

If you are evaluating SpaceJump to finally rename macOS Spaces, you are in the right place. DesktopTitle solves the same core problem from a different angle, and this page lays out the honest differences so you can choose the one that fits how you work.

Both apps exist because macOS has never let you natively rename Spaces. The demand is real and long-standing: Apple Community threads asking for this feature go back to 2011, with thousands of "Me Too" votes, and several third-party tools have collectively earned thousands of GitHub stars. The question is not whether you should name your desktops, but how you want to see those names.

The short, honest version

• SpaceJump shows Space names in three places: the menu bar, a Quick Switcher, and inside Mission Control. It is sold directly from its own website for USD 9.99 (one-time, use on 2 Macs, lifetime updates, 14-day free trial with no card).
• DesktopTitle shows the name as a persistent, always-on-top, editable label directly on the desktop itself, where you are already looking. It is on the Mac App Store, sandboxed and private, priced at a single EUR 4.90 one-time in-app purchase (free for up to 3 desktops).

If showing the name inside Mission Control matters most to you, SpaceJump does that and DesktopTitle does not. If you want the name always visible on the desktop, on the App Store, with no accounts and no tracking, DesktopTitle is built for exactly that.

Point-by-point comparison

What SpaceJump does that DesktopTitle does not

To be fair: SpaceJump advertises being the first app to show custom Space names inside Mission Control on Apple Silicon without disabling SIP. That is a real capability, and DesktopTitle does not match it. SpaceJump also bundles time tracking across Spaces, dragging windows between Spaces, and external display support. If those are on your must-have list, it is an honest choice.

What makes DesktopTitle different

DesktopTitle takes a deliberately narrow, focused approach: name Mac desktops so the label is always in front of you, not tucked into a menu or only visible when you open Mission Control.

• The name lives on the desktop. It is a floating, always-on-top label on each Space. Click it to rename it in place.
• On the Mac App Store, sandboxed. It uses only public Apple APIs, runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel, and never asks you to disable SIP.
• Private by design. No accounts, no tracking, no telemetry — your desktop names never leave your Mac; the app's only network use is Apple's own In-App Purchase for the unlock. The optional name-suggestion feature uses the frontmost app's name — or, at its highest level with Screen Recording permission, the frontmost window's title — to suggest a desktop name. It never controls or changes other apps.
• Yours to tune. Adjust the label size, position, and opacity per screen.
• No subscription, ever. A single one-time in-app purchase.

Pricing

DesktopTitle is free to download and use for up to 3 desktops. A single one-time in-app purchase of EUR 4.90 unlocks unlimited desktops and the power features. No subscription, ever.

For comparison, SpaceJump is USD 9.99 one-time (usable on 2 Macs, lifetime updates, 14-day free trial with no card), sold directly from its own website rather than on the Mac App Store.

Who should pick which

• Pick SpaceJump if seeing custom Space names inside Mission Control is your priority, or if you want the extras it bundles (time tracking across Spaces, dragging windows between Spaces, external display support), and you are comfortable buying direct off the App Store.
• Pick DesktopTitle if you want the desktop name always visible on the desktop itself, a sandboxed App Store app with no accounts and no tracking, at a lower one-time price, and you are on macOS 15 or later.

One honest limitation

Because DesktopTitle stays fully sandboxed on the App Store and uses only public Apple APIs, it does not display the active Space name inside Mission Control (labels of inactive Spaces can still appear in Mission Control thumbnails). This is the deliberate tradeoff of staying on the App Store. If in-Mission-Control naming of the active Space is essential to you, SpaceJump handles that case.

Frequently asked questions

Does DesktopTitle work on Apple Silicon?

Yes. It is a universal native binary that runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and on Intel Macs.

Do I need to disable SIP?

No. DesktopTitle uses only public Apple APIs and never requires disabling System Integrity Protection. For context: the free open-source tool Spaces Renamer requires disabling SIP, does not work on Apple Silicon, and is broken on macOS 14.4+ on many Intel setups.

Is my data private?

Yes. DesktopTitle is sandboxed, with no accounts, no tracking and no telemetry — your desktop names never leave your Mac.

Which macOS version do I need?

macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes. It is free to download and use for up to 3 desktops.

Try DesktopTitle

Related: DesktopTitle home · Spaces Renamer alternative