Comparison · checked November 2026
Transom vs Rectangle
Rectangle is the most recommended free window snapper for Mac: keyboard shortcuts and drag-to-edge snap areas for halves, thirds and quarters.
Short answer: choose Rectangle if you only need to snap a window to a half or a third now and then, and you want it free. Choose Transom if you dock a MacBook to a monitor and are tired of rearranging windows every time, or you want a scrolling strip on a wide display.
At a glance
| Transom | Rectangle | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Snap + scrolling Strip | Snapping |
| Price | $19 once (1 Mac) · $29 (3 Macs) · 14-day free trial | Free (Rectangle Pro is paid) |
| License | Paid, one-time | Open source |
| Requirements | macOS 14+, Apple silicon | macOS 10.15+ |
| Restores layouts when you dock/undock | Yes. Desks restore layouts on dock/undock | No |
| Setup | Settings window, no config file needed | Settings or none |
What Rectangle does well
- Free and open source
- Fast, familiar shortcuts
- Huge user base and long track record
Where it stops
- The free version doesn't remember layouts per monitor setup
- No scrolling layout: windows still share one screen
- Every window is placed by hand
Switching from Rectangle
- Transom's Snap mode uses ⌃⌥ arrow shortcuts like Rectangle's defaults, and pressing ⌃⌥← repeatedly cycles ½ → ⅔ → ⅓.
- Quit Rectangle so the two apps don't fight over the same shortcuts.
- Leave your laptop display in Snap and try Strip on your external monitor.
We make Transom, so weigh this page accordingly. Spotted something out of date about Rectangle? Email support@transommac.com and we'll fix it.