DockDoor vs Rectangle
We give DockDoor a 3.2 GPA and Rectangle a 3.0, out of 4.0. DockDoor grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADockDoorVery good | 3.0GPARectangleVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AEvery feature is free, with no subscription or paywall, and it's open source under GPL-3.0 and paid for by donations. The $20 DockDoor Pro is a separate app that replaces the Dock, and you don't need it for any of this. | AFree and open source, with nothing to buy inside it. The same developer sells Rectangle Pro as a separate app, but nothing in Rectangle itself costs money. |
| Free plan and trial | AIt's all free. No trial clock, no locked settings. Previews, the switcher, gestures and widgets come in the one download, and you could stay on it for good. | AThe whole app is free: keyboard shortcuts, drag-to-snap areas, menu bar commands, halves to sixths, display switching and Todo Mode. Most people could stay on it for good. |
| Features | APreviews of every window on a Dock icon, including minimized ones and those on other Spaces, with buttons to close, minimize or quit. Add the Option-Tab switcher with search, windows inside Command-Tab and AppleScript commands. That's the whole window-finding job. | BHalves, quarters, thirds, fourths and sixths, plus maximize, almost maximize, center and restore, and commands to send a window to the next display. Solid basics. But window throwing, custom sizes and positions, saved workspaces, stashing and iCloud sync are only in Rectangle Pro. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You install it and point at the Dock. First you have to grant Accessibility and Screen Recording, and the FAQ says a few oddly built apps may show fewer windows. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Drag a window to an edge and it snaps, or press a shortcut. Coming from Spectacle? You can pick its default shortcuts on first run. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 13 Ventura or later. It does hook into AppleScript, BetterTouchTool and Karabiner-Elements, and shows synced lyrics for Spotify and Apple Music. Still one operating system. | DMac only, and no integrations are listed. The website says macOS 10.15 or later, while the GitHub README says the newest release needs macOS 14. Nothing for Windows or Linux. |
| Best for | Windows-style window previews on the Mac Dock | free window snapping on a Mac |
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: DockDoor and Rectangle. How we grade
Where they differ
- DockDoor is free. Rectangle is free.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceWindow management
At a glance
| DockDoor | Rectangle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Every feature is free, with no trial, subscription or paywall. DockDoor Pro, a separate app from the same developer that replaces the Dock, is a $20 one-time purchase. | The whole app is free and open source. Rectangle Pro, a separate paid app from the same developer, adds further features. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ethan Bills | Ryan Hanson |
| Price read from | dockdoor.net | rectangleapp.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
DockDoor
- People coming from Windows who miss taskbar previews and Alt+Tab
- Mac users who keep many windows of the same app open
- Anyone who wants a free utility with no analytics or tracking
Rectangle
- Mac users who want window snapping by shortcut or drag at no cost
- Former Spectacle users who want to keep the same shortcuts
- People who prefer open-source utilities
Worth knowing
DockDoor
- macOS only: it needs macOS 13 Ventura or later, and the Liquid Glass look needs macOS 26 or later.
- It requires both the Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions to find windows and draw their previews.
- The FAQ says a few apps built with unusual UI frameworks may show fewer windows or skip some actions.
- Per-display Docks, profiles and the widget library belong to DockDoor Pro, a separate $20 app, not to this one.
Rectangle
- macOS only. The website lists macOS 10.15 or later, while the GitHub README says the newest release needs macOS 14.
- Window throwing, custom sizes and positions, saved workspaces, window stashing and iCloud sync are only in Rectangle Pro, a separate paid app.
- Rectangle Pro's price is not shown as readable text on the site. It has a 10-day free trial, and one license can be active on 3 devices.
Key features
DockDoor
- Window previews on Dock icons
- Pointing at an app in the Dock shows all of its open windows, including minimized and hidden ones and those on other Spaces and displays, as thumbnails, a list of titles or large previews.
- Window controls on each preview
- Buttons on a preview close, minimize or quit without switching apps, and further buttons close or minimize every window of that app at once.
- Option-Tab window switcher
- Holding Option and pressing Tab lists every open window, not just every app. Typing searches the list, and Command with W, M or Q closes, minimizes or quits.
- Windows in Command-Tab
- While Command-Tab is held, DockDoor shows the highlighted app's windows above the built-in app switcher so a specific window can be picked.
- Folder Pop and music controls
- Hovering a Dock folder lists its contents for opening or dragging, and hovering an app that is playing audio shows a player, with synced lyrics for Spotify and Apple Music.
- AppleScript and command line
- AppleScript commands open the switcher or a preview, focus, close, center or snap windows, and return lists of apps and windows as JSON for scripts.
Rectangle
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Move and resize the active window with a shortcut. Repeating a shortcut cycles through window sizes.
- Snap areas
- Drag a window to a screen edge or corner to snap it, and choose which window action each snap area triggers.
- Preset sizes and positions
- Commands for halves, quarters, thirds, fourths and sixths, plus maximize, almost maximize, maximize height, smaller, larger, center and restore.
- Multiple displays
- Next and previous display commands send a window to another screen, and layouts for displays in portrait orientation are supported.
- Todo Mode
- Keeps one app that you specify visible while you snap and resize other windows. The equivalent in Rectangle Pro is called Pin Mode.
- Spectacle-compatible shortcuts
- Rectangle is described as nearly a complete drop-in replacement for the Spectacle app, and Spectacle's default shortcuts can be chosen on first run.
Plans
DockDoor
DockDoor$0
Dock previews, the Option-Tab window switcher, Command-Tab previews, gestures and widgets. Open source under GPL-3.0 and funded by donations.
Rectangle
Rectangle$0
Keyboard shortcuts, drag-to-snap areas, menu bar commands, halves to sixths, display switching and Todo Mode. Free and open source.
