Loop vs Rectangle

Loop

• Mac users who want to place windows with one held key and a cursor movement
• People looking for a free, open-source alternative to paid window snappers
• Those who want to theme the menu and preview to their taste

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

Loop

• macOS only; the README says it is compatible with macOS 13 and later.
• Its own comparison table lists no trackpad gestures, saved workspaces, pinning windows on top or resizing of adjacent windows.
• Using Caps Lock as the trigger key needs a modifier remap in System Settings or another app such as Hyperkey or Karabiner-Elements.

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.

Loop

Radial menu

Hold the trigger key and move the cursor in a direction to move and resize the window. The menu's width, shape and color can be changed, and it can be turned off.

Preview window

An outline shows where the window will land before the action is committed. Its padding, corner radius and border are adjustable, and it is optional.

Keyboard shortcuts

Any key can be paired with the trigger key to run an action: halves, quarters, thirds, maximize, center, grow and shrink, undo, or a move to another screen.

Cycles

Pressing the same key combination repeatedly, or left-clicking repeatedly, steps a window through a sequence of positions.

Stash

Windows can be hidden at the edge of the screen and brought back by hovering near the edge or with a key binding.

URL scheme for scripts

A loop:// URL scheme lets shell scripts and AppleScript trigger window actions, chain several of them, and list the available commands.

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.

Loop

• Loop$0

  Radial menu, preview window, keyboard shortcuts, cycles, stash, theming and URL-scheme scripting. GPLv3 licensed.

Rectangle

• Rectangle$0

  Keyboard shortcuts, drag-to-snap areas, menu bar commands, halves to sixths, display switching and Todo Mode. Free and open source.