Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Blinkist VS Rectangle

Compare Blinkist VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Blinkist logo Blinkist

Key insights from 6,000+ bestselling books and podcasts

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • Blinkist Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-20

Blinkist connects people with powerful ideas from the worldโ€™s leading thinkers to help them grow their knowledge, broaden their perspectives, make better decisions, and thrive in all areas of life. Used by over 25 million people worldwide, Blinkist finds the most relevant, impactful books and podcasts and distills them down to their key ideas, which can be read or listened to in 15-minute explainers called Blinks. The platform features over 6,000 titles, making it the most comprehensive library of its kind. Blinkist members can also be guided through inspiring topics in personal and professional growth with their expert-led Guides.

  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

Blinkist

$ Details
freemium โ‚ฌ6.67 / Monthly
Platforms
Android iOS Web
Release Date
2012 June
Startup details
Country
Germany
State
Berlin
City
Berlin
Founder(s)
Holger Seim
Employees
50 - 99

Rectangle

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

Blinkist features and specs

  • Time Efficiency
    Blinkist offers summarized versions of books, allowing users to grasp key concepts in about 15 minutes, making it ideal for people with busy schedules.
  • Wide Range of Topics
    The platform covers a diverse array of subjects, from personal development and psychology to business and science, catering to a wide range of interests.
  • Convenience
    Available on both mobile and desktop, Blinkist provides flexibility in how and where you consume content.
  • Audio and Text Options
    Users can choose between reading the summaries or listening to them, providing convenience based on preference or situation.
  • High-Quality Summaries
    The summaries are generally well-written and capture the essence of the original book, maintaining a high standard of quality.
  • Free Trial
    Blinkist offers a free trial period, allowing users to explore the service before committing to a subscription.

Possible disadvantages of Blinkist

  • Loss of Depth
    Due to the condensed nature of the summaries, users might miss out on nuanced arguments and detailed examples present in the full books.
  • Subscription Cost
    While it offers valuable content, the subscription fee may be considered high by some users, especially when compared to other content services.
  • Limited Titles
    Although Blinkist has a large library, it doesn't cover every book, which could be a limitation for those seeking summaries of less popular or niche titles.
  • Potential Dependency
    Users might become reliant on summaries and miss out on the enriching experience and deeper understanding that comes from reading full books.
  • Over-Simplification
    Complex ideas might be overly simplified, potentially leading to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the author's original message.
  • Lack of Interaction
    Unlike traditional book clubs or courses, Blinkist does not offer a platform for discussion or interaction, which can be vital for deeper understanding.

Rectangle features and specs

  • 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 of Rectangle

  • 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 of Blinkist

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Blinkist is a valuable resource for those who want to broaden their knowledge base swiftly. It is particularly beneficial for people who enjoy consuming nonfiction but don't have the time to read full-length books. However, it may not satisfy users looking for in-depth understanding of complex topics, as the summaries are designed to highlight only the main ideas.

Why this product is good

  • Blinkist is a platform that provides key insights from nonfiction books through condensed summaries. Users appreciate it for its ability to deliver essential points quickly, making it ideal for individuals who want to learn efficiently or who have limited time. The service offers both audio and text formats, catering to different learning preferences. Its extensive library covers various subjects, including personal development, business, and health, making it a versatile learning tool.

Recommended for

  • Busy professionals seeking efficient learning tools
  • Learners who prefer short, digestible content
  • Individuals interested in a broad range of nonfiction subjects
  • Persons looking to quickly decide if a full book is worth their time
  • Auditory learners who benefit from listening to audiobook summaries

Analysis of Rectangle

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.

Blinkist videos

A Detailed Review of Blinkist: Is It Worth Your Money? (Updated 2019)

More videos:

  • Review - Blinkist vs Audible vs Books
  • Review - Blinkist Review: Read books in 15-minutes ๐Ÿ“š
  • Demo - How does Blinkist work?

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Blinkist and Rectangle)
Education
100 100%
0% 0
Mac Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Books
100 100%
0% 0
Window Manager
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Blinkist and Rectangle. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Blinkist and Rectangle

Blinkist Reviews

  1. Adian
    ยท Owner at The furniture hospital ยท
    Brain tickling

    As I listened to a BLINK as a 7 book at a time guy. I was sold, it was sort of like talking to an intresting friend, about what they have learnt from something. Loads of stimulating ideas. I just have to put my mony up now and have my empty 5mins during the day filled with real brain tickling.

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Like the free 1 book trile

Rectangle Reviews

Best 6 Mac Window Managers
Rectangle shows that you donโ€™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 dropping. Just like Magnet, you can split your screen up into quarters, thirds, or halves.
Source: mackeeper.com
Top 6 Window Manager Apps for Mac
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 โ€“ such as BetterSnapTool, Magnet, and Rectangle โ€“ offer this functionality.
The 6 Best Mac Window Management Tools
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 Rectangle's shortcuts.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than Blinkist. While we know about 479 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 1 mention of Blinkist. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Blinkist mentions (1)

  • Using Blinkist vs Reading the book/audible?
    I've always read them, just starting to use growth.me and blinkist.com but I'm curious what others think of them. Source: over 5 years ago

Rectangle mentions (479)

  • 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 paste, etc. https://support.apple.com/en-au/102650#text 2. Karabiner elements (FOSS) fixes keyboard mappings outside of the Settings: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/ 3. I have the... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    Every macOS user uses Rectangle.app โ€” https://rectangleapp.com The ones who don't use it is because they donโ€™t know it exists. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    I use https://rectangleapp.com/ and enjoy it. I have shortcuts to move windows to the left/right half of the screen, and cycle between monitors. This, combined with native cmd+tab and cmd+` is enough for me. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Make macOS consistently bad (unironically)
    Rectangle [1] is pretty much essential for me because of this. I use only a few keypresses (maximize window, move to one of the halves of the screen horizontally) but that is enough. My mouse very rately interacts with the borders of any window, or those buttons. I had to click on the green one that you mentioned in order to see what it did (yuck). [1] https://rectangleapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Make macOS consistently bad (unironically)
    I use Rectangle [1] for window management. I only use three shortcuts: full screen, left half of the screen, and right half of the screen. My editors and chrome are always running in one of these modes. But for other apps like Messages, Notes, Music, etc - yeah I don't usually expand them to full screen. [1] https://rectangleapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Instaread - Read or hear key takeaways of any book in minutes

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Headway App - Keep customers in the loop about your product.

yabai - A tiling window manager for macOS based on binary space partitioning

Sipreads - Takeaways from the best books, for free ๐Ÿ“•โšก

BTT Remote - A remote control for you Mac, using your iPhone or iPad