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Magnet vs Rectangle

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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Magnet
MagnetSnap Mac windows into halves, thirds, and quarters by dragging them to the edge of the screen.
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Rectangle
RectangleMove and resize any Mac window instantly using keyboard shortcuts or snap areas.
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Overview
Description

Magnet is a lightweight macOS window manager from CrowdCafe that lets users drag a window to the edge or corner of the screen to snap it into a half, quarter, or third of the display. It can also be controlled from the menu bar or with customizable keyboard shortcuts, and supports layouts for fullscreen, halves, thirds, and corner quarters. The app targets people who juggle multiple windows and want faster, more consistent arrangement than manual dragging and resizing. It is a simple, focused, one-time-purchase utility rather than a full automation suite.

Rectangle is a free and open source window management utility for macOS that lets users move and resize windows using keyboard shortcuts or by dragging them to screen edges and corners to snap into place. It supports cycling through multiple window sizes by repeating a shortcut, and works with portrait display orientations for vertical monitor setups. The free version covers the core snapping and shortcut functionality, while Rectangle Pro unlocks quicker window snapping and custom shortcuts for any size and position, sold as a subscription with a 10-day free trial and support for up to three devices per license. Rectangle runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 10.15 or later, and is built as a near drop-in replacement for the discontinued Spectacle app.

Pricing
Paid (One-time)
Freemium
Category
Window Management
Window Management
Best for
Mac users who want fast, simple window snapping without a steep learning curve
Mac users who manage multiple windows and multitask across apps
Specifications
deployment
Desktop App
Desktop App
open source
No
Yes
api available
No
No
support options
Mac App Store support page
—
key integrations
None (standalone utility)
—
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Simple, focused tool that does one job (window snapping) very well.
  • Low one-time price with no subscription.
  • Menu bar and keyboard shortcut controls fit different working styles.
  • Lightweight with minimal system resource use.
  • Free and open source core app
  • Lightweight, keyboard-driven workflow
  • Near drop-in replacement for the discontinued Spectacle
  • Native Apple Silicon and Intel support
Cons
  • Lacks the tiling automation and scripting depth of tools like Amethyst or BetterTouchTool.
  • No Windows or Linux version.
  • Layout options are fixed presets rather than fully custom grids.
  • macOS only, no Windows or Linux version
  • Custom shortcuts and quicker snapping require the paid Pro subscription
  • Pro free trial is limited to 10 days
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
0
User rating
Not enough data
Not enough data

More alternatives & similar tools

Alternatives to Magnet

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Moom
Moom

A Mac window management app for quickly moving, resizing, and saving window layouts.

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Amethyst
Amethyst

Free, open-source tiling window manager for macOS inspired by xmonad.

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Rectangle
Rectangle

Move and resize any Mac window instantly using keyboard shortcuts or snap areas.

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Alternatives to Rectangle

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Moom
Moom

A Mac window management app for quickly moving, resizing, and saving window layouts.

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Magnet
Magnet

Snap Mac windows into halves, thirds, and quarters by dragging them to the edge of the screen.

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

Rectangle offers a free, highly configurable window‑snapping tool with more layout options, while Magnet provides a simple, one‑time‑purchase solution with minimal setup.

Key differences

  • •Pricing model – Magnet is a paid one‑time purchase; Rectangle’s core is free with optional paid Pro features.
  • •Layout flexibility – Rectangle supports custom shortcuts, portrait monitor layouts, and Pro adds arbitrary sizes; Magnet offers only fixed half/quarter/third presets.
  • •Configuration style – Magnet relies on drag‑to‑edge and menu‑bar shortcuts; Rectangle is driven primarily by keyboard shortcuts and can be fully customized.
  • •Open‑source vs closed – Rectangle’s base app is open source; Magnet is closed‑source proprietary.
DimensionWinner

Pricing & value

Rectangle core is free, providing full snapping without cost; Magnet requires a one‑time purchase.

Rectangle

Ease of use / learning curve

Both use drag‑to‑edge snapping; Magnet adds a menu bar, Rectangle adds keyboard shortcuts – each suits different habits.

Tie

Features & depth

Rectangle offers configurable shortcuts, portrait monitor layouts, and Pro adds custom sizes; Magnet is limited to preset halves/quarters/thirds.

Rectangle

Integrations & ecosystem

Neither product lists integrations; both operate as standalone utilities.

Tie

Support

Magnet provides a Mac App Store support page; Rectangle’s support options are not specified.

Magnet

Choose Magnet if…

Users who prefer a simple, one‑time‑pay tool with minimal configuration.

Choose Rectangle if…

Users who want a free, highly customizable window manager and need portrait‑monitor layouts.

Common questions

Is there any cost to use Rectangle?

The base version is free and open source; only the optional Pro features require a paid subscription.

Can Magnet handle custom window sizes?

No, Magnet offers only fixed half, quarter, and third presets.

Which app supports portrait (vertical) external monitors?

Rectangle includes built‑in portrait display layouts; Magnet does not mention this capability.