Hyperkey vs Rectangle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Rectangle grades higher than Hyperkey: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Rectangle 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.
Which one is for you
Pick Hyperkey if
- Fits if you want Caps Lock to be a spare modifier key on a Mac
- Works for people who already run Rectangle or Keyboard Maestro
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for window management, as it doesn't resize or move windows
- Not for you if you're not on a Mac, as it's Mac only
- Watch out: remappings do not work in password fields
- Watch out: Keyboard Maestro's recorder needs you to press all modifiers physically
Pick Rectangle if
- Fits if you want windows snapped by shortcut or by drag at no cost
- Works for former Spectacle users who want to keep the same shortcuts
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only
- Too light for saved workspaces, custom window sizes, window throwing or stashing, which are only in Rectangle Pro
- Not for you if you want your settings synced over iCloud, another Rectangle Pro extra
- Watch out: the website says macOS 10.15 or later, but the GitHub README says the newest release needs macOS 14
- Watch out: Rectangle Pro's price isn't shown as readable text; it has a 10-day trial and a 3-device license
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHyperkeyGood | 2.8GPARectangleGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. | AFree and open source, a download anyone can run, 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 | AThe app itself is free and has no plans or trial. | AThe whole app is free: keyboard shortcuts, drag-to-snap areas, menu bar commands, halves to sixths, display switching and Todo Mode. No cap, no nag, nothing held back. |
| Features | DOne narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. | CWindow snapping is its one job: halves, quarters, thirds, fourths and sixths, maximize, almost maximize, centre, restore and a command to send a window to the next display. Its own comparison page names the gaps: window throwing, custom sizes, saved workspaces and iCloud sync are Pro. |
| Ease of use | BA Mac app you install and switch on. Remappings do not work in password fields, and Keyboard Maestro needs the shortcut pressed physically. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: 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 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. | 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 | turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key | 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: Hyperkey and Rectangle. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hyperkey has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Rectangle has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Rectangle scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other window managers and launchers on the chart, none scores higher than Hyperkey for less, and none scores higher than Rectangle for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Rectangle is open source, according to its own site.
- Hyperkey also covers keyboard and mouse remapping.
- Rectangle also covers window management.
In commonFree planmacOSKeyboard-first
At a glance
| Hyperkey | Rectangle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade. | 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 | Ryan Hanson | Ryan Hanson |
| Price read from | hyperkey.app | rectangleapp.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hyperkey
- Remappings do not work in password fields, because macOS hides keystrokes there.
- Keyboard Maestro's shortcut recorder needs the shortcut recorded by physically pressing all modifiers.
- Mac only, on macOS 10.15 or later.
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
Hyperkey
- Hyper key
- Maps caps lock or any modifier key to Control, Option, Command and Shift together.
- Caps lock remap
- Caps lock can be remapped to a different key instead.
- Works with shortcut apps
- The site calls it a companion for Rectangle and other apps that use keyboard shortcuts.
- Intel and Apple Silicon
- Supports macOS 10.15 and later on both chip families.
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
Hyperkey
Hyperkey$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
Rectangle
Rectangle$0
Keyboard shortcuts, drag-to-snap areas, menu bar commands, halves to sixths, display switching and Todo Mode. Free and open source.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperkey or Rectangle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hyperkey and Rectangle are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Hyperkey or Rectangle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hyperkey and Rectangle 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.