Comparison · Updated 2026
Best macOS window manager: 6 tools compared
"Window manager" covers three genuinely different jobs — snapping one window, auto-tiling every window, or saving and restoring a whole setup. Here's which tools do which, so you pick the one that matches how you actually work.
The short answer
If you just want to resize the window in front of you, Rectangle is free and does it well. If you want your whole screen auto-arranged with no overlap, look at a tiling manager like AeroSpace. If you switch between several different setups — different apps on different desktops — several times a day and want the whole thing back in one click, that's what Workspaces is built for, and none of the snap or tiling tools do it.
The tools
The default recommendation for basic window snapping on macOS. Drag to an edge or use a keyboard shortcut to resize into halves, thirds, or quarters. It's free, actively maintained, and doesn't try to be anything more than that — it snaps the window you're currently using and nothing else.
A polished, App Store–distributed alternative to Rectangle with the same core job — drag or shortcut a window into a snap zone. Slightly more setup-friendly if you'd rather buy through the App Store than manage a separate installer.
The oldest of the three snappers, with the deepest customization — custom grids, saved window arrangements per-app, and a floating control palette. More configurable than Rectangle or Magnet, at the cost of a steeper learning curve.
A newer, minimal snapper with a distinctive radial gesture for picking a zone. Same job as Rectangle — resize the current window — with a different, more visual way of choosing where it goes.
Automatically arranges every open window into a non-overlapping grid and keeps rearranging as you open, close, and switch apps — the i3/yabai style of window management, native to macOS. A different mental model from snapping: you don't place windows, the tiler does, following rules you configure.
A different category from the other five. Workspaces doesn't snap or auto-tile — it saves your entire setup as a named profile: which apps are open, which Space each one is on, and each window's exact size and position. Restore any profile in one click, or set one to auto-restore every time you log in. It also includes snap zones for one-off resizing, so most people don't need a second tool alongside it.
Best for: switching between distinct setups (dev, writing, client calls) multiple times a day, or getting your exact layout back after reconnecting an external monitor.
Which one should you actually use?
- Just resizing windows, free: Rectangle or Loop.
- Resizing windows, don't mind paying once for polish: Magnet or Moom.
- Want every window auto-arranged, comfortable editing a config file: AeroSpace.
- Switch between several different app/desktop setups and want them back in one click: Workspaces.
These aren't mutually exclusive — Workspaces users commonly keep a snapper or tiler running for fine-tuning a single window, since restoring a whole setup and resizing one window in the moment are different jobs. See our detailed Rectangle, Moom & Magnet comparison for the full breakdown against Workspaces specifically.
Common questions
What is the best macOS window manager?
It depends what you need. Rectangle and Magnet are the best free/cheap window snappers for resizing the window in front of you. AeroSpace and yabai are the best free tiling managers if you want your whole screen auto-arranged. Workspaces is the best choice if you switch between different setups — different apps, on different desktops — multiple times a day and want to restore the whole thing in one click, not just resize one window.
Is Rectangle still the best free option?
For pure window snapping, yes — Rectangle is free, open source, and well maintained. It snaps and resizes the window you're currently using, but it doesn't remember or restore a whole setup, which is a different job.
What's the difference between a window snapper and a tiling window manager?
A snapper (Rectangle, Magnet, Moom) resizes one window at a time to a zone you choose. A tiling manager (AeroSpace, yabai) automatically arranges every open window into a grid with no overlap, and keeps rearranging as you open and close apps. Workspaces takes a third approach: it saves a manually-arranged setup as a named profile and restores it exactly, rather than auto-tiling or resizing on the fly.
See how Workspaces handles the whole-setup side of window management — no account or credit card required.
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