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BetterDisplay VS Rectangle

Compare BetterDisplay VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

BetterDisplay

Unlock your displays on your Mac!

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews
Alternatives Is it good?
Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Alternatives Is it good?
SquadPrime
Free MVP cost calculator: describe your app in 5 clicks and get a realistic 2026 estimate for a freelancer build, a traditional agency and a fixed-price 14-day build by senior professionals, where the client owns the code. sponsored

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than BetterDisplay. While we know about 480 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 4 mentions of BetterDisplay.

social mentions
4 vs 480
Productivity popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
18 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

BetterDisplay
Rectangle
Website betterdisplay.pro rectangleapp.com
Pricing —
Open source
Listed in
Crypto Twitter Web App Art +1
Mac Tools Window Manager Mac Developer Tools +1

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

BetterDisplay 0 features
Rectangle 5 features

No features have been listed yet.

  • Ease of Use
    Rectangle offers an intuitive user interface that makes window management straightforward and user-friendly.
  • Customizable Shortcuts
    Users can easily configure keyboard shortcuts to better suit their workflow, making window management faster and more efficient.
  • Free
    Rectangle is available for free, making it accessible to anyone without the need for a financial investment.
  • Frequent Updates
    The app receives regular updates, introducing new features and ensuring compatibility with the latest macOS versions.
  • Lightweight
    Rectangle is a lightweight application that doesn't consume many system resources, ensuring smooth performance even on older Macs.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Rectangle lacks some of the more advanced features found in paid window management applications, such as multiple monitor support and more complex window arrangements.
  • MacOS Only
    Rectangle is only available for macOS, so users of other operating systems are unable to take advantage of its features.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Some users report occasional bugs or unpredictable behavior, which might require troubleshooting or waiting for a future update.
  • Learning Curve for Shortcuts
    While customizable shortcuts are a benefit, there is an initial learning curve for users to memorize and effectively use these shortcuts.
  • Basic Aesthetic
    The app's design and aesthetic are quite basic, lacking the polish and visual appeal found in some other similar tools.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

BetterDisplay
Rectangle

Overall verdict

  • BetterDisplay is a highly regarded macOS utility that gives users powerful control over their displays, offering flexible resolution scaling, brightness management, and virtual screen creation that Apple doesn't provide natively. It's well-maintained, actively developed, and widely praised by the Mac community.

Why this product is good

  • Enables custom and HiDPI resolutions on external monitors that macOS normally restricts
  • Provides software brightness and dimming control for displays that lack native adjustment
  • Lets you create virtual displays useful for streaming, screen sharing, or headless Mac setups
  • Offers XDR/HDR brightness enhancements and fine-grained per-monitor settings
  • Has a generous free tier with an affordable one-time Pro upgrade rather than a subscription
  • Lightweight, actively maintained, and trusted with a strong reputation among Mac power users

Recommended for

  • Mac users with external monitors who want better resolution and scaling options
  • People who need software brightness control for monitors without hardware buttons
  • Developers and content creators needing virtual or headless displays
  • Power users who want granular control over their display setup
  • Anyone frustrated by macOS's limited native display management

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Rectangle is highly regarded for its ease of use, extensive customization options, and the fact that it is free and open-source. It provides essential functionality without unnecessary complexity, making it suitable for both casual users and power users who need efficient window management.

Why this product is good

  • Rectangle is a popular window management tool for macOS, known for its simplicity and ease of use. It allows users to efficiently organize and resize application windows using customizable keyboard shortcuts or by dragging windows into pre-defined areas of the screen. This can enhance productivity by minimizing the time spent arranging windows and improving multitasking capabilities.

Recommended for

    Rectangle is recommended for macOS users looking for a straightforward, lightweight solution to manage application windows. It is particularly beneficial for those who frequently work with multiple applications at once, including developers, designers, and anyone who values a tidy and organized desktop environment.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

BetterDisplay 2 videos + Add
Rectangle 3 videos + Add

BetterDisplay Mac Tutorial: Fix Display Resolution & Refresh Rate

More videos

  • - BetterDisplay Resolution Scaling Fix For Mac HiDPI mode

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos

  • - Skywalker Rectangle Trampoline Review #1
  • - Marvin Malton 160 Rectangle Flying Hour Watch Review

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
BetterDisplay
Rectangle
100% 100%
Productivity
0% 0%
1% 1%
Mac Tools
99% 99%
7% 7%
Mac
93% 93%
0% 0%
Window Manager
100% 100%

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

BetterDisplay no reviews yet
Rectangle no reviews yet

We have no reviews of BetterDisplay yet. Be the first one to post

  • Best 6 Mac Window Managers
    mackeeper.com · Sep 2023

    Rectangle shows that you don’t need to dip into your bank account to get window resizer tools. This free Mac window manager lets you manage multiple windows using keyboard shortcuts, menu options, or by dragging and...

  • Top 6 Window Manager Apps for Mac
    www.maketecheasier.com · May 2023

    Most window manager apps for Mac support multiple monitors. They can help you move windows between screens and create custom layouts for each monitor. Many window manager apps – such as BetterSnapTool, Magnet, and...

  • The 6 Best Mac Window Management Tools
    www.makeuseof.com · Apr 2023

    However, it might take some time for you to get used to the shortcuts in the Rectangle app since there are many. Furthermore, you can also add some of your apps to exceptions if you want to keep them away from...

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

BetterDisplay 4 mentions
Rectangle 480 mentions
  • Ask HN: Is anyone working at least 4 hours daily on an Apple Vision Pro?
    > it's important to use Better display to upscale the output to the XReals to high DPI I got excited for a second but then read Better Display[0] is only available for MacOS? :( [0]: https://betterdisplay.pro/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Resizing windows on macOS Tahoe – the saga continues
    For the first one (and all other screen-related bugs) you can use BetterDisplay to fix it: https://betterdisplay.pro/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • DeskPad – A virtual monitor for screen sharing
    Thanks for sharing this! My main issue with the windowed projectors is that you can't force them to have the proper size for the resolution of the OBS canvas which causes the result to be scaled and it has window borders. I've worked... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago

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  • Apple introduces M6 and M5 Ultra for a big leap in performance and AI compute
    Rectangle solved my macos window management annoyances. https://rectangleapp.com/ Not involved in dev of this, just a happy user. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Released
    As a both old Linux and now decade user of MacOS, after I got used to no middle-click paste and no focus-follows-mouse: 1. Keyboard shortcuts are Emacs, Ctrl-A: start of line, E: end of line, K: kill selected or to end of line, Y to... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    Every macOS user uses Rectangle.app — https://rectangleapp.com The ones who don't use it is because they don’t know it exists. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago

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Alternatives to BetterDisplay and Rectangle

When comparing BetterDisplay and Rectangle, you can also consider the following products.

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