Mosaic vs Rectangle (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Mosaic if

• Fits if you want to lay windows out by dragging on a Mac
• Works for people with more than one display

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: prices are in pounds and the dollar amount is only shown at checkout
• Watch out: the vendor says major upgrades may carry an optional fee
• Tight if you want the Pro tools and use on 5 Macs, as that's the £29.99 edition
• Not for you if you're on Windows, as Mac with macOS 10.13 or higher is required

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

Mosaic

• Priced in pounds; checkout shows the equivalent in other currencies, so the dollar amount is not on the page.
• Mac only, requiring macOS 10.13 or higher.
• The vendor says major upgrades may carry an optional fee.

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.

Mosaic

Drag and drop layouts

Drop a window on a layout in the panel to resize and move it.

Custom layouts

Create basic or advanced layouts, plus single-use layouts with Quick Layout.

View modes and groups

Choose where layouts appear and assign a different group of layouts to each view mode.

Multiple displays

The layout panel follows a window to another monitor.

Pro tools

The page lists keyboard shortcuts, Quick Positions, Auto Layout, Window Capture and Touch Bar support under Pro features.

iOS remote

A companion app on the App Store can apply a layout from an iPhone or iPad.

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.

Mosaic

• Standard Edition£14.99

  one-time purchase

  Core feature set on a single Mac, with free bug fixes and optional paid upgrades.

• Pro Edition£29.99

  one-time purchase

  Complete Pro feature set on up to 5 Macs; the iOS remote control app needs this edition.

Rectangle

• Rectangle$0

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