# Rectangle Alternative Mac (2026)

A Rectangle alternative Mac users pick by the gap: Ribbon for a strip, Rectangle Pro or Moom for layouts, Amethyst or AeroSpace to tile.

A Rectangle alternative Mac users need is the one that fixes the reason they are leaving, not a longer list of the same snaps. If the screen is full of windows that keep getting thinner, use [Ribbon](https://meetribbon.app). If you still want to place each window yourself, Rectangle Pro, Loop or Moom may be enough. Rectangle itself is still free.

## Rectangle alternative Mac, by why you leave

1. Stay on Rectangle if halves, thirds and a settings window are the whole job. It is MIT licensed. The current build wants macOS 14 or later. Repeat a shortcut and it cycles sizes.
2. Move to Rectangle Pro or Moom if you want the same kind of snap, plus saved layouts.
3. Move to Loop or BetterSnapTool if you want the mouse more than the keyboard.
4. Move to Amethyst or AeroSpace if you want every window placed for you.
5. Move to a strip if opening another window should not shrink the ones you already sized.

| You want... | Try | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Many apps, none of them squeezed | [Ribbon](https://meetribbon.app) | $17 / $39 / $59 |
| Rectangle, with more features | [Rectangle Pro](https://rectangleapp.com/pro) | $9.99, 10-day trial |
| A radial menu | [Loop](https://github.com/MrKai77/Loop) | Free |
| Drag-to-snap, very cheap | [BetterSnapTool](https://folivora.ai/bettersnaptool) | $1.99 |
| An App Store snapper | [Magnet](https://magnet.crowdcafe.com/) | $4.99 |
| Saved layouts | [Moom](https://manytricks.com/moom/) | $15 |
| Windows placed for you | [Amethyst](https://github.com/ianyh/Amethyst) | Free |
| i3-style tiling | [AeroSpace](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) | Free |

## [Ribbon](https://meetribbon.app)

Ribbon is not a snapper. Each display gets a strip of columns. A new window opens beside the focused one and nothing else resizes. Control-Option-R cycles that column through a quarter, a third, a half, two thirds, three quarters and full, which is the closest feeling to Rectangle's "repeat to cycle." Command-Control-2 through Command-Control-6 lay out that many windows for a moment. Command-Control-\ puts them back on the strip.

Apple silicon, macOS 14 or later, Accessibility only, SIP on, native Spaces. $17 for one Mac, $39 for three, $59 for five. No free trial. Other strips are in [scrolling window manager macOS](/guides/scrolling-window-manager).

## If you still want snapping

**Rectangle Pro** is $9.99 from the same developer, Ryan Hanson, after a 10-day trial. macOS 13.5 or later, Intel and Apple silicon, one licence active on three devices. It adds a throw to 16 positions, custom snap targets, layouts when a display connects, and iCloud sync. The Rectangle site says its Multitouch app includes Rectangle Pro, so read both pages before you pay.

**Moom** is $15 with a free trial, macOS 10.13 or later. You save an arrangement and restore it. That is the tool for a laptop you dock every morning. [Moom alternatives](/guides/moom-alternatives).

**Loop** is free, GPL-3.0, macOS 13 or later. Hold a trigger key, move the pointer, and a radial menu shows where the window will land. The last tagged release is 1.4.2 from January 2026.

**BetterSnapTool** is $1.99, macOS 12 or later. Drag to an edge, or draw your own snap areas. **Magnet** is $4.99, macOS 13 or later, and lives in the App Store. Rectangle is free and covers the same basics. [Magnet alternatives](/guides/magnet-alternatives).

## If you want windows placed for you

**Amethyst** tiles every window, free, macOS 10.15 or later. Option-Shift-Space cycles layouts. Every window must fit, so a laptop gets tight.

**AeroSpace** is i3-style, free, macOS 13 or later. Its own workspaces, a TOML file, no settings window, and it never asks you to turn SIP off. [AeroSpace vs yabai](/guides/aerospace-vs-yabai).

Quit Rectangle before you start another app. Its Control-Option keys clash with several others. The wider ranking is the [best Mac window manager](/guides/best-window-manager-for-mac).


## FAQs

### Is Rectangle still free?

Yes. Rectangle is free and MIT licensed. Rectangle Pro is the paid version at $9.99 with a 10-day trial.

### What is the difference between Rectangle and Rectangle Pro?

Rectangle Pro adds a window throw to 16 positions, custom snap targets, layouts that fire when displays connect, edge-hidden windows and iCloud sync. One licence covers three devices.

### Is Magnet better than Rectangle?

No, not for most people. Rectangle is free and covers the same snapping basics plus thirds on a key. Magnet suits people who want a paid App Store app.

### Is there a Rectangle alternative that tiles automatically?

Yes. Amethyst and AeroSpace arrange every window for you, and both are free. Scrolling window managers also place windows for you, on a strip instead of a grid.

### Can I run Rectangle with another window manager?

Not reliably. Two apps moving the same windows will fight, and Rectangle's Control-Option shortcuts clash with several others. Quit Rectangle first.