Rectangle vs Magnet
Both snap windows to halves, thirds and corners with shortcuts or by dragging to the screen edge. Rectangle is free and open source, with a long list of shortcuts and settings. Magnet is a small one-time purchase on the Mac App Store that keeps the options to a minimum. macOS now has basic tiling of its own, but both still do more.
Facts checked · No paid placements
Rectangle
Window snapping with keyboard shortcuts.
Magnet
Snap windows into place by dragging.
Pick by what you need
Choose Rectangle if
- You want it free and open source.
- You arrange windows mostly from the keyboard and like fine control.
- You install apps with Homebrew.
Choose Magnet if
- You'd rather buy once from the Mac App Store.
- You mostly snap by dragging windows to the edges.
- You want as few settings as possible.
The facts, side by side
| Fact | Rectangle | Magnet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source | $4.99 (one-time, Mac App Store) |
| Developer | Ryan Hanson | CrowdCafe |
| Mac App Store | No | Yes |
| Homebrew cask | rectangle | – |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Requires | – | macOS 13.0 or later |
| App Store version | – | 3.0.7 |
| Last App Store update | – | April 2025 |
| Last commit | October 2026 | – |
| GitHub stars | 30k | – |
Facts checked . Prices can change; each developer's site is the final word.
Rectangle or Magnet?
Is Rectangle better than Magnet?
Neither is better for everyone. Both snap windows to halves, thirds and corners with shortcuts or by dragging to the screen edge. Rectangle is free and open source, with a long list of shortcuts and settings. Magnet is a small one-time purchase on the Mac App Store that keeps the options to a minimum. macOS now has basic tiling of its own, but both still do more.
Is Rectangle free?
Yes. Rectangle is free and open source. The source code is on GitHub at rxhanson/Rectangle.
How much does Magnet cost?
Magnet costs $4.99 as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.
What else is like Rectangle and Magnet?
Other windows & desktop apps on MacWorthy worth a look are Loop (open source), Moom (one-time purchase) and Swish (one-time purchase).