Magnet
Snap Mac windows into halves, thirds, and quarters by dragging them to the edge of the screen.
Alternatives
Choose Amethyst if…
- you want windows arranged without manual dragging
- you need a free, open‑source solution
- you rely on custom YAML or JavaScript layouts
- you work across multiple monitors and macOS Spaces
Choose Moom if…
- you need to save and restore full screen setups
- you want custom grid positions beyond halves and thirds
- you prefer a keyboard‑only workflow for window placement
- you frequently switch between several monitor configurations
Choose Rectangle if…
- you need a zero‑cost solution with open‑source code
- you want to cycle a window through multiple sizes with one
- you work on a vertical monitor and need portrait layout
How to Decide
Magnet is a paid, one‑time Mac utility that lets users snap windows into halves, thirds, and quarters by dragging them to screen edges, and it’s favored by Mac users who want a simple, low‑learning‑curve window‑snapping tool. The alternatives split into a few clear camps: Moom leans into extensive layout saving and custom grid positioning for power users; Rectangle offers a free, open‑source core with an optional paid Pro tier for custom shortcuts and quicker snapping; Amethyst provides a completely free, open‑source tiling manager that automates window arrangement via keyboard‑driven rules.
When weighing Magnet against these options, focus on (1) the pricing model – one‑time purchase versus freemium or free open‑source; (2) the depth of automation – basic edge‑drag snapping versus saved multi‑window layouts or full tiling automation; (3) configurability – fixed presets in Magnet compared to Moom’s custom grids, Rectangle’s keyboard shortcut flexibility, or Amethyst’s scriptable YAML configurations; and (4) licensing – proprietary software versus open‑source licenses that affect support and community contributions.
All Alternatives
“Amethyst is a tiling window manager for macOS, offering a different but still core‑purpose way to arrange windows.”
“Moom provides comparable window‑snapping and layout‑saving on macOS, targeting the same productivity use‑case.”
“Rectangle offers the same drag‑to‑edge/window‑snapping on macOS, using keyboard shortcuts as an interchangeable free alternative.”
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