--- title: "Universal Display Magnet vs Rectangle & Rectangle Pro" description: "Compare free Rectangle, Rectangle Pro and Universal Display Magnet for window snapping, app layouts, display arrangement and Universal Control across Macs." url: https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/compare/rectangle lang: en --- # Rectangle, Rectangle Pro or Universal Display Magnet Free Rectangle snaps windows. Rectangle Pro adds app layouts that can switch with your displays. Universal Display Magnet starts from the displays themselves. ## The short answer - **Choose Universal Display Magnet** if the problem is the displays themselves: a monitor arrangement that shuffles, windows that land on the wrong screen or Desktop, or Universal Control between Macs. - **Choose free Rectangle** if you only need to snap windows with shortcuts or by dragging. It's free and open source. - **Choose Rectangle Pro** if you want app layouts on a shortcut or when displays connect, custom sizes, window throw and windows stashed at the edge of the screen. ## Where Universal Display Magnet is different Rectangle and Rectangle Pro place windows on the screens you have. Universal Display Magnet also decides where those screens are. - **Physical display coordinates.** macOS keeps a position for each monitor, the one you set in **System Settings → Displays**. Universal Display Magnet edits it in a visual arrangement editor: displays snap flush, **Snap All** pulls every display together, and **Apply** shows the result live, reverting after 15 seconds unless you click **Keep**. [Display arrangement](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/display-arrangement) - **An arrangement for each set of monitors.** It saves the arrangement, and resolutions if you like, for each set of monitors and puts it back when they reconnect or the Mac wakes. - **Universal Control across your Macs.** It shows every Mac's displays where Universal Control has them, and lets you drag the other Macs' displays flush against yours. [Universal Control](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/universal-control) - **Local sync between your Macs.** Arrangements and workspaces sync directly over Wi-Fi, Ethernet or a Thunderbolt cable, encrypted, with no cloud. [Mac sync](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/mac-sync) - **Workspaces that know your Desktops.** A workspace records each window's monitor, Desktop or full-screen Space, and position. [Workspaces](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/workspaces) ## Side by side | | Rectangle | Rectangle Pro | Universal Display Magnet | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Snap with keys or by dragging | Documented | Documented | Documented | | Custom sizes and positions | Not documented | Documented | Documented | | App layouts on a shortcut | Not documented | Documented | Documented | | Layouts when displays change | Not documented | Documented | Documented | | Windows back on their Desktop | Not documented | Not checked | Documented | | Arrange the displays | Not documented | Not documented | Documented | | Universal Control between Macs | Not documented | Not documented | Documented | | Sync between Macs | Not documented | iCloud, settings | Local network | **Documented** means described on the product's website or in its documentation. **Not documented** means not described in what we read, which doesn't always mean it can't. **Not checked** means we didn't read far enough to say. ## Snapping is close to a tie For everyday snapping, all three do the job. Universal Display Magnet has halves, quarters, next and previous display, maximize, center and restore, plus any size you draw on a grid, with Magnet's default shortcuts. See [window snapping](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/window-snapping). If you run Rectangle and Universal Display Magnet together, two apps can't own the same shortcut. Universal Display Magnet flags any snapping shortcut another app already uses, in **Window Snapping**, so you can change it or turn it off in one of the two apps. ## Price and license - **Rectangle:** free and open source. - **Rectangle Pro:** a 10-day free trial, and one license can be active on three devices at a time. Its price showed as €9.99, including VAT, in one browser session in Europe on 3 November 2026. We didn't see a US dollar price, so check its website for yours. - **Universal Display Magnet:** $9.99, one-time purchase, with tax added at checkout where applicable. One license covers three Macs. The app keeps working offline for up to seven days after its last successful license check. See [license and updates](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/support/license-and-updates). ## Rectangle and Rectangle Pro are two apps Rectangle and Rectangle Pro come from the same developer, but they're separate apps with separate feature lists. As described on their websites on 3 November 2026: **Rectangle** (free, open source, macOS 14 or later): - Moves and resizes windows with keyboard shortcuts; repeating a shortcut cycles through sizes. - Snaps a window when you drag it to an edge or corner of the screen. - Halves, quarters and thirds, among other commands. - Todo mode, which keeps one app visible at the side of the screen. **Rectangle Pro** (paid, macOS 13.5 or later, Intel and Apple silicon): - **App Layouts:** arrange a whole workspace of apps with one shortcut, and activate a layout automatically when displays are connected or disconnected. - Custom sizes and positions, including what happens when you repeat a shortcut. - Window throw: one key combination to send a window to one of 16 sizes and positions. - Snap targets anywhere on the screen, and a snap panel. - Stash windows at the edge of the screen and slide them back with the pointer, and pin one app to a side. - iCloud sync of its configuration. ## Questions, answered ### Does Rectangle Pro restore layouts when I connect a monitor? Yes, according to its website: App Layouts can activate automatically when displays are connected or disconnected. Free Rectangle doesn't describe this. ### What does Universal Display Magnet do that Rectangle Pro doesn't describe? It arranges the displays themselves (their positions in **System Settings → Displays**) for each set of monitors, arranges Universal Control between your Macs, and syncs arrangements and workspaces between your Macs over your local network. ### Can I use Rectangle and Universal Display Magnet together? Yes. Universal Display Magnet flags any snapping shortcut another app already uses, so you can change or turn off the shortcut in one of them. If you let Rectangle snap, Universal Display Magnet can still look after displays and workspaces. ## Read next - [Display arrangement](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/display-arrangement) - [Workspaces](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/features/workspaces) - [Universal Display Magnet vs Magnet](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/compare/magnet) - [Universal Display Magnet vs Moom](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/compare/moom) - [Buy and download for Mac](https://universaldisplaymagnet.app/download) **Buy for $9.99:** https://buy.polar.sh/polar_cl_Eun4k8w0lqOhFoU3xI4NvwdweeUAlVw0lkte145VZ95 --- Universal Display Magnet is independent software by [Clever Mechanisms](https://clevermechanisms.dev). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Apple Inc. Apple, Mac, macOS, Mac Studio, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Safari and Finder are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. Email support: support@clevermechanisms.dev