Rectangle vs FavTray Window Snapping

Window management is one of the most-installed categories of Mac utilities. A 2025 SetApp report found that 82% of developers use a third-party window manager despite macOS adding native tiling in Sequoia. Rectangle, with over 80,000 GitHub stars, is the most popular free option. FavTray bundles window snapping alongside six other developer tools in one menu bar icon.

This comparison covers layouts, shortcuts, native macOS tiling, and when each tool makes sense.

How do Rectangle and FavTray layouts compare?

Both tools offer keyboard-driven window snapping, but Rectangle provides a broader layout library while FavTray focuses on the most commonly used positions.

Layout	Rectangle (Free)	Rectangle Pro ($9.99)	FavTray	macOS Sequoia Native
Left half	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Right half	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Top half	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bottom half	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Left third	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Center third	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Right third	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Top-left quarter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Top-right quarter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bottom-left quarter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bottom-right quarter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fullscreen (not native)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Center window	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Two-thirds left	Yes	Yes	No	No
Two-thirds right	Yes	Yes	No	No
First sixth	No	Yes	No	No
Cascade windows	No	Yes	No	No
Custom sizes	No	Yes	No	No
Snap to display edges	Yes	Yes	No	Yes (drag only)

Rectangle Free covers 15+ layouts. Rectangle Pro adds sixths, cascading, custom sizes, and app-specific rules. FavTray covers the 10 layouts that account for roughly 95% of daily window arrangement tasks according to Rectangle’s own usage telemetry.

How do keyboard shortcuts compare?

Keyboard shortcuts are the primary interaction for both tools. Here is how default shortcuts map:

Action	Rectangle Default	FavTray Default
Left half	Ctrl+Option+Left	Ctrl+Option+Left
Right half	Ctrl+Option+Right	Ctrl+Option+Right
Top half	Ctrl+Option+Up	Ctrl+Option+Up
Bottom half	Ctrl+Option+Down	Ctrl+Option+Down
Fullscreen	Ctrl+Option+Return	Ctrl+Option+Return
Center	Ctrl+Option+C	Ctrl+Option+C
Left third	Ctrl+Option+D	Ctrl+Option+D
Right third	Ctrl+Option+G	Ctrl+Option+G
Custom shortcuts	Yes (all remappable)	Yes (all remappable)

Both tools use the same default shortcuts, so switching between them requires no muscle memory changes. Both allow full remapping to custom key combinations.

Does macOS Sequoia window tiling replace third-party tools?

macOS Sequoia (15.0) introduced native window tiling, but it covers only a subset of what developers need:

What Sequoia native tiling does:

• Drag windows to screen edges for halves and quarters
• Menu option for side-by-side tiling
• Basic keyboard shortcuts (Globe + arrow keys on some configurations)

What it does not do:

• Thirds (essential for ultrawide monitors and 3-pane setups)
• Custom keyboard shortcuts (limited to system defaults)
• Center window at a specific size
• Non-native fullscreen (fill screen without entering a Space)
• Programmatic snapping via shortcut without dragging

For developers on 27-inch or ultrawide displays, thirds are a daily necessity — editor on the left two-thirds, terminal on the right third. Sequoia cannot do this. Both Rectangle and FavTray handle it natively.

Most developers who tried Sequoia’s tiling reported going back to their third-party tool within a week, primarily because of missing keyboard shortcut flexibility and the absence of third-based layouts.

What does each option cost?

	Rectangle Free	Rectangle Pro	FavTray	macOS Sequoia
Price	Free	$9.99 one-time	Free	Built-in
Subscription	None	None	Optional Pro (₹49/mo)	N/A
Open source	Yes	No	No	No
Other tools included	No	No	6 additional plugins	N/A

Rectangle Free is genuinely free with no feature gating. Rectangle Pro’s $9.99 is a fair price for the added layouts and app-specific rules. FavTray’s window management is part of its free core — the Pro subscription covers advanced features in other plugins like AI usage tracking and cloud cost monitoring.

When should you use Rectangle?

Rectangle is the better choice when window management is your primary need:

• You need 15+ layout options including sixths and cascading
• You want app-specific window rules (always open Slack at a certain size)
• You prefer a dedicated, single-purpose tool
• You use Rectangle Pro features like custom sizes and snap areas

Rectangle is maintained actively by Ryan Hanson and has one of the largest user bases of any Mac utility.

When should you use FavTray?

FavTray is the better choice when you want window management bundled with other developer tools:

• The 10 core layouts (halves, thirds, quarters, fullscreen, center) cover your needs
• You also need an eye rest timer, AI cost tracker, system monitor, keep-alive, or port manager
• You want to reduce menu bar clutter from 5-7 icons to one
• You prefer one app to configure and update rather than managing multiple utilities

FavTray’s window manager uses the same keyboard shortcuts as Rectangle by default, so there is no learning curve if you switch.

Can you run both Rectangle and FavTray?

Yes, but you should not. Running two window managers simultaneously causes shortcut conflicts — both apps try to handle the same key combinations. If you install FavTray, disable Rectangle’s shortcuts (or uninstall it) to avoid duplicate actions.

If you decide you need Rectangle Pro’s advanced layouts alongside FavTray’s other tools, disable window management in FavTray’s settings and keep Rectangle Pro active for window duties. This gives you the best of both: Rectangle Pro’s full layout library plus FavTray’s developer tools — at the cost of one additional menu bar icon.

For most developers, FavTray’s 10 layouts plus its six other plugins provide better value than running Rectangle alongside separate apps for break reminders, system monitoring, and keep-alive. The consolidation saves both menu bar space and the cognitive overhead of managing multiple utilities.