AquaSnap vs Microsoft PowerToys (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Microsoft PowerToys: it is second in our ranking of window managers and launchers, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft PowerToys grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AquaSnap
Windows tool that docks, snaps and tiles windows by dragging
Free plan · from $29
Microsoft PowerToys
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11
Free
Which one is for you
Pick AquaSnap if
- Fits if you use Windows and want to snap windows into layouts
- Works for a personal computer, where the freeware edition is allowed
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it's Windows only
- Pricey if you need it for work and buy one license, at $29 against $16 in the middle
- Tight if you want freeware at work, because that edition is personal use only
- Watch out: a site license is $899
Pick Microsoft PowerToys if
- Fits if you want window layouts, a launcher and key remapping from one free install
- Works for people who rename files in bulk or resize images from the right-click menu
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, or on Windows 10 older than version 2004
- Not for you if you need key remaps at the log-in screen, per keyboard, or with PowerToys closed
- Tight if you wanted AI pasting to just work: it's off by default, and online providers need your own API key and may charge
- Watch out: FancyZones can't snap some apps, and elevated apps need PowerToys run as administrator
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAAquaSnapFair | 2.8GPAMicrosoft PowerToysGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFree for personal use, and Professional is $29 for one computer. One-time prices in this category run $4.99 to $34, with $16 in the middle. | AIt costs nothing. Every utility is free and open source under the MIT licence, a download anyone can run, with no paid edition to be nudged towards. |
| Free plan and trial | BA freeware edition with the same listed features, for personal use only. A trial is offered for the paid edition. | AAll of it is free, from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet, with no cap anywhere. The one thing that can cost money is pasting with AI, and only if you connect an online model provider that charges for usage. |
| Features | BDocking, tiling, snapping, stretching, moving windows together and keyboard and mouse shortcuts. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. | BMore than 30 utilities in one install, covering jobs people usually buy separate apps for: window layouts, a launcher, key remapping, bulk renaming, a colour picker, OCR off the screen. What keeps it off top marks is the rough edges, like remaps that stop when PowerToys isn't running. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and there are many gestures and shortcuts to learn. | CNo store rating on record, and there's setting up to do: you enable the utilities you want, draw FancyZones layouts in its grid or canvas editor, and define your own remaps. Apps running elevated need PowerToys run as administrator before FancyZones will snap them. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, from Windows 7 through 11. No Mac, web or phone version is listed. | DWindows only: Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, on x64 or ARM64. Advanced Paste can connect to OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Mistral or Ollama, and it installs through WinGet. Nothing for Mac or Linux. |
| Best for | snapping and docking windows on Windows | a free box of Windows extras from Microsoft |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AquaSnap and Microsoft PowerToys. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft PowerToys is open source, according to its own site.
- Microsoft PowerToys also covers launcher, file management and keyboard and mouse remapping.
In commonFree planWindowsKeyboard-firstWindow management
At a glance
| AquaSnap | Microsoft PowerToys | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $29 per license (Professional, standard) | Free |
| Free plan | Personal freeware edition with the same listed features, for personal use only. | Every utility is free and open source; there is no paid edition. Optional AI pasting can incur usage charges from the model provider you connect. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Nurgo Software | Microsoft |
| Price read from | nurgo-software.com | learn.microsoft.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AquaSnap
- Windows only (Windows 7 through 11).
- The free edition is for personal use; work use needs a Professional license.
- The vendor offers a 90-day money-back guarantee on paid licenses.
Microsoft PowerToys
- Windows only: it needs Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer on a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 processor.
- Paste with AI is off by default and needs a model provider; online providers require your own API key and may charge for usage.
- Keyboard Manager remaps apply only while PowerToys is running, do not work on the log-in screen and cannot differ between keyboards.
- FancyZones cannot snap some listed apps, and apps running elevated need PowerToys to run as administrator.
Key features
AquaSnap
- Window docking
- Drag a window to a side or corner of the screen and it resizes to half or a quarter of the screen.
- Tiling
- With two windows side by side, resizing one while holding Ctrl resizes the other as well.
- Snapping and stretching
- Windows snap to each other like magnets, and double-clicking an edge stretches a window in one direction.
- Move windows together
- Hold Ctrl while moving one window and the group of adjacent windows follows.
- Shake for transparent, always-on-top
- Shaking a window makes it transparent and keeps it on top; shaking again restores it.
- Keyboard and mouse shortcuts
- Every feature has customizable keyboard shortcuts, and window frame areas can be given extra mouse actions.
Microsoft PowerToys
- FancyZones
- A window manager for custom zone layouts. Hold Shift while dragging a window to snap it into a zone, or let Win+arrow keys move windows between zones. Layouts are built in a grid or canvas editor.
- Command Palette
- A launcher opened with Win+Alt+Space that starts apps, runs commands, searches files and the web, calculates and switches windows. Community extensions install from a built-in Extension Gallery.
- Keyboard Manager
- Remaps single keys and shortcuts, globally or for one app, and can map a key or shortcut to a text sequence, an app launch or a URI.
- Advanced Paste
- Pastes clipboard content as plain text, Markdown, JSON or a file, extracts text from images with local OCR, and can transform text through an optional AI provider that you configure.
- File Explorer tools
- PowerRename renames files in bulk with search and replace or regular expressions, Image Resizer resizes images from the right-click menu, and File Locksmith shows which processes are using a file.
- Screen and text tools
- Color Picker samples colors anywhere on screen, Text Extractor copies on-screen text with OCR, Screen Ruler measures pixels, and ZoomIt zooms, annotates and records the screen for presentations.
Plans
AquaSnap
Personal$0
Freeware for personal use only; the pricing page lists the same features as the paid editions.
Professional, Standard License$29
per license (1 computer)
For professional use on one computer. Volume pricing runs from $21.75 each for 2 licenses down to $18 each for 10 or more.
Professional, Site License$899
per site
One license covering a site; the page says 1 license per site.
Microsoft PowerToys
PowerToys$0
All utilities, installed from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Free and open source under the MIT license.
Ways to pay less
AquaSnap
- Other savings
Volume discounts on Professional licenses
The pricing page lists 25% off for 2 licenses, up to 38% off for 10 or more.
Microsoft PowerToys
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AquaSnap or Microsoft PowerToys?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AquaSnap starts at $29 per license (Professional, standard), and Microsoft PowerToys is free.
Which has a free plan, AquaSnap or Microsoft PowerToys?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both AquaSnap and Microsoft PowerToys have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.