RibbonRibbon vs Rectangle and Magnet
Rectangle and Magnet snap one window at a time into halves and thirds. Ribbon keeps every window on a scrolling strip. Which kind of app do you need?
By Chethan Kumar S N · Updated
Rectangle and Magnet are the two most popular window apps on the Mac, and for good reason: press a shortcut or drag to an edge and the window snaps into half, a third or a quarter of the screen. Ribbon is a different kind of app, and the difference is what happens after the snap.
The short version
- Pick Rectangle or Magnet if you mostly work in one or two windows and just want to place them quickly. Rectangle is free and open source; Magnet is paid, from the Mac App Store.
- Pick Ribbon if you find yourself snapping windows over and over all day, and want something that keeps every window arranged for you.
Side by side
| Rectangle / Magnet | Ribbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Snapper: places one window when you ask | Scrolling window manager: keeps a layout of every window |
| New windows | Open wherever the app puts them | Open as a new column beside the one you’re in |
| Overlap | Windows you haven’t snapped still overlap | Nothing on the strip ever overlaps |
| Finding a window | ⌘Tab, Mission Control, clicking | Swipe or ⌃⌥ ← → along the strip, or ⌃⌥1–9 |
| Trackpad | Drag to edges | Three- or four-finger swipes along the strip |
| Price | Rectangle free (Pro paid); Magnet paid | $15 once, 7-day free trial |
Snapping doesn’t keep a layout
A snapper’s job ends when the window lands. Open another app and it appears on top. Use the snapped window for a while, ⌘Tab to something else, and the layout slowly comes apart, so you snap again. It works, but it’s upkeep.
Ribbon keeps the layout for you. Every window has a full-height column on a strip that runs past the edges of the screen. Opening a window adds a column beside the one you’re in, and nothing else moves or shrinks. The screen scrolls along the strip with a three-finger swipe or ⌃⌥ ← →. You never have to place a window again, and none can end up buried under another.
Widths still work the way you like
If what you love about Rectangle is halves and thirds, Ribbon has them too: ⌃⌥R cycles a column between ⅓, ½ and ⅔ of the screen, ⌃⌥F fills it and puts it back, and ⌃⌥C centres it. Two ½ columns side by side look just like a Rectangle split, except the next window is waiting right beside them instead of underneath.
What about macOS’s own tiling?
macOS Sequoia added snapping of its own: drag to an edge or use Window → Move & Resize. It’s a snapper, like Rectangle. See How to tile windows on a Mac. Ribbon will point out if it’s switched on, so the two don’t fight.
Switching
- Quit Rectangle or Magnet, or turn off their drag-to-snap areas.
- Install Ribbon and grant Accessibility access.
- Open a few apps and swipe.
Or try the strip in your browser first.
Questions
Is Ribbon a Rectangle alternative?
It replaces Rectangle if you snap windows all day to keep them from overlapping. Instead of placing each window yourself, Ribbon keeps every window in its own column on a strip and arranges them as you open them.
Can I use Rectangle with Ribbon?
It's best not to snap windows that are on Ribbon's strip, since both would be moving them. Ribbon leaves dialogs and fixed-size windows floating, and you can float any window with ⌃⌥T, so a snapper rarely has anything left to do.
Is Ribbon on the Mac App Store like Magnet?
No. The App Store's sandbox doesn't let an app move other apps' windows the way Ribbon needs to. Ribbon is signed with an Apple Developer ID and downloaded from this site.
Ready? Buy Ribbon for $15, or read all the guides.