Ribbon is the Moom alternative for most people who are tired of saving a layout for every combination of windows. New windows join a strip and keep their width. Keep Moom, or use Rectangle Pro, when you need to recall one exact arrangement. Rectangle and Amethyst cover free snapping and free tiling.
TL;DR: choose the job before the app
| What you need | Start here | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Readable windows that don't all fit on screen | Ribbon | Apple silicon, macOS 14+, no trial |
| Saved arrangements with custom actions | Keep Moom | $15, many settings to learn |
| Saved workspaces and display-triggered layouts | Rectangle Pro | $9.99, 10-day trial |
| Free halves, thirds and quarters | Rectangle | You still place windows |
| No install, just halves and quarters | macOS tiling | macOS 15+, no thirds |
| Custom snap areas | BetterSnapTool | $1.99, not Moom-style saved layouts |
| Every window tiled automatically | Amethyst | Different model, fixed layouts |
Moom alternatives split into saved-layout apps and apps that change the way you arrange windows. If you want to press one key and restore your editor, browser and terminal, start with the first group. A scrolling strip doesn't reproduce that promise.
Ribbon
Ribbon's layout is a horizontal strip of columns, not a saved desk. A new window joins beside the focused one without resizing the others. ⌃⌥R cycles the focused column's width, and ⌃⌥← or Right brings another column into view. Each display keeps its own strip, inside native macOS Spaces.
A one-Mac licence is $17 once, three Macs $39, five $59.
Good to know: Ribbon needs Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, and there is no free trial. It does not import Moom layouts. The browser shortcuts demo shows the model. More strip options are in scrolling window managers compared.
What Moom does that a simple snapper doesn't
Moom saves a layout and reapplies it later. Its current product page also documents app-independent layouts for the most recently used windows, chains of actions, custom drop zones and a keyboard controller. Calling it just a green-button menu misses most of the app.
Moom 4.6 needs macOS 10.13 or later. It costs $15 direct, with a free trial. If your copy is Moom Classic from the App Store, compare the current direct version before assuming Moom cannot do what you need.
Stay with it if your desk has a repeatable arrangement. Look elsewhere if you keep creating and closing windows and don't want to save a layout for each variation.
Rectangle Pro, if you want saved layouts with Rectangle keys
Rectangle Pro is the closest match on this list for saved workspaces. Its site documents layouts you recall by keyboard shortcut, window throw or display connection. One licence can be active on three devices. It is $9.99 after a 10-day trial, for macOS 13.5 and later on Intel and Apple silicon.
The trade-off is setup. You still decide the arrangement and save it. Don't expect a layout saved for three apps to solve every future combination of windows. If you already use Moom's chains or keyboard controller, map the exact actions you use before changing.
Rectangle, if you only use a few Moom actions
Rectangle is free and MIT licensed. Its current build needs macOS 14 or later. Keyboard shortcuts and edge snap areas cover halves, thirds, quarters and moving to another display. Repeated shortcuts cycle sizes.
The free version is not a saved-workspace replacement for Moom. Pick it if you've been using Moom only to put a browser on the left and a document on the right. Rectangle alternatives explains when Pro is worth considering.
BetterSnapTool, if custom snap areas matter most
BetterSnapTool lets you create snap areas and use keyboard shortcuts or edge dragging. The US App Store price is $1.99, with macOS 12 or later required.
It is a cheaper custom-snap tool, not a substitute for every Moom chain or saved arrangement. Choose it by the action you need, not the number of features in a table. See BetterSnapTool alternatives for that narrower comparison.
Amethyst, if saving layouts is the chore you want to remove
Amethyst automatically tiles windows using layouts such as Tall and Wide. It is free, MIT licensed, needs macOS 10.15 or later and has a preferences window. It uses native macOS Spaces.
This is a workflow change. Open a new window and the others share the available screen. That is useful if you want automatic arrangement, but wrong if you want a browser to keep an exact saved rectangle. The tiling comparison covers Amethyst, AeroSpace and yabai.
Before switching
- Write down the Moom actions you actually use, including saved layouts.
- Try the alternative's free version or trial, if it has one.
- Quit Moom while comparing. Don't let two apps move the same windows.
- Check your laptop alone, then your usual external-display arrangement.
- If the only benefit is a lower price, remember that keeping a licence you already own costs nothing.