The short version: Rectangle and Magnet both snap windows well, and neither is strictly “better.” Rectangle is free, open source, and more configurable. Magnet is a paid Mac App Store app with a polished, minimal experience. If you want free and customizable, Rectangle; if you’d rather buy once from the App Store and barely touch settings, Magnet is fair. Here’s the honest breakdown — I make Rectangle, so weigh that, but I’ll keep it straight.
A note on who’s writing this
I built Rectangle, so treat this as informed rather than neutral. I’ll try to earn your trust by being fair to Magnet, which is a genuinely good app that a lot of people are happy with. My goal here is to help you pick the right one for you, not to talk everyone into mine. Where Magnet is the better fit, I’ll say so.
What they have in common
Start with the overlap, because it’s most of the picture. Both apps do the core job the same way: snap windows to halves, quarters, and thirds, maximize, and position windows with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging to screen edges. For everyday tiling, the day-to-day experience is broadly similar. If all you want is halves and maximize with a keystroke, either one delivers that, and you’d be happy with both.
So the decision isn’t really about core snapping. It’s about price, openness, distribution, and how much you want to customize.
Price and licensing
This is the clearest difference. Magnet is a paid app — a small one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. Rectangle is free and open source under the MIT license. For the same essential functionality, one costs money and one doesn’t.
That’s not the whole story, though, and I won’t pretend the price gap alone should decide it. Magnet’s purchase buys you App Store convenience: one-click install, automatic updates through the store, and the trust some people place in App Store review. Whether that’s worth paying for when a capable free option exists is a fair personal call, not an obvious win either way.
Customization and control
Here Rectangle pulls ahead for people who want it. It exposes more configuration — custom keyboard shortcuts, adjustable gaps, snap-area behavior, and more positioning options. If you like tuning a tool to your exact workflow, running Rectangle gives you more knobs to turn, and the free Rectangle app includes that flexibility without a paywall.
Magnet’s relative simplicity is a deliberate strength, not a weakness. It does the common things cleanly and doesn’t bury you in options. Some people find Rectangle’s configurability more than they need and prefer Magnet’s tighter, more opinionated design. Fewer settings is a feature if you don’t want settings.
Distribution: App Store vs direct download
Magnet lives on the Mac App Store. Rectangle ships as a signed direct download or a Homebrew install, because the Accessibility-level control a window manager needs fits awkwardly with App Store sandboxing. Neither is a safety issue — both are properly signed and legitimate — but they’re different install experiences.
If you strongly prefer everything to come through the App Store, that genuinely favors Magnet. If you’re comfortable with a direct download from an official source, or you already use Homebrew, Rectangle’s distribution is no obstacle. It comes down to preference, and if the non-App-Store part gives you pause, it’s a normal, signed install that Gatekeeper verifies.
Switching from Magnet to Rectangle
A common path, since Rectangle is the go-to free alternative when people look to stop paying or want more control. The good news is the switch is low-friction: the snapping model is similar enough that your habits mostly carry over. Install Rectangle, set your shortcuts to match what you used in Magnet, and you’re running in a few minutes.
There’s no need to switch if Magnet already does everything you want — “it works and I’m happy” is a perfectly good reason to stay. But if you’re drawn to free, open source, or more customization, moving over is easy and you lose nothing essential. If you’re setting up fresh either way, the case for running Rectangle on a Mac from day one covers what to expect.
Which should you pick?
Choose Rectangle if you want free, open source, and maximum customization, or if you already use Homebrew and like keyboard-driven control. Choose Magnet if you’d rather make a small App Store purchase, want automatic store updates, and prefer a simpler tool with fewer settings to think about. Both snap windows reliably, so you’re not choosing between working and broken — you’re choosing which trade-offs you like. I obviously lean toward the one I build, but Magnet is a solid app and plenty of people are right to use it.
Frequently asked questions
Whichever you choose, the Rectangle window manager keeps its core snapping free and open source, and the Rectangle app is worth a try before you pay for anything.
Is Rectangle better than Magnet?
Neither is strictly better; they suit different people. Rectangle is free, open source, and highly configurable. Magnet is a paid App Store app with a polished, simple experience. If you want free and customizable, Rectangle fits; if you prefer an App Store purchase and minimal setup, Magnet is reasonable.
Is Rectangle a free alternative to Magnet?
Yes. Rectangle covers the same core snapping Magnet does, halves, quarters, thirds, and maximize, at no cost and as open source. Many people move from Magnet to Rectangle specifically to get the same functionality for free with more customization.
Why is Magnet on the App Store but Rectangle isn’t?
Magnet is built to fit App Store sandboxing rules. Rectangle isn’t on the App Store because the Accessibility-level control a window manager uses fits awkwardly with sandboxing, so it ships as a signed direct download or Homebrew install instead. Both are legitimate distribution choices.
Should I switch from Magnet to Rectangle?
If Magnet already does everything you want, there’s no urgent reason to switch. If you want more customization, keyboard control, or simply a free open-source option, Rectangle is a strong move. The snapping experience is similar, so the switch is low-friction.