Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BusyCal VS Rectangle

Compare BusyCal VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

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BusyCal logo BusyCal

powerful calendar app for macOS

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • BusyCal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

BusyCal features and specs

  • Customization
    BusyCal offers a high degree of customization in views, colors, and notifications, allowing users to tailor the experience according to their preferences.
  • Weather Integration
    Provides integrated weather information, which can be useful for planning events and travel.
  • Natural Language Input
    Supports natural language input for setting up events, making it quick and easy to create new calendar entries.
  • Task Management
    Includes task management features that sync with Reminders, helping users keep track of their to-do lists.
  • Multiple Calendar Views
    Offers various calendar views, such as day, week, month, and year, giving users flexibility in how they organize and view their schedules.
  • Resource Scheduling
    Supports scheduling of shared resources, which is particularly useful for teams and businesses.
  • Syncing
    Syncs seamlessly with iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, and other calendar services, ensuring that events are always up-to-date across platforms.

Possible disadvantages of BusyCal

  • Price
    BusyCal is a paid application, which may be a drawback for users looking for a free calendar solution.
  • Complexity
    The extensive customization and feature set might be overwhelming for users looking for a simple, straightforward calendar app.
  • Learning Curve
    There can be a steep learning curve due to the range of available features, potentially requiring time to fully understand and utilize all functionalities.
  • Platform Limitations
    BusyCal is available only for macOS and iOS, which excludes users on Windows or Android platforms.
  • Occasional Sync Issues
    Some users have reported occasional issues with syncing, which can be problematic for those relying on real-time updates across devices.

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 BusyCal

Overall verdict

  • Overall, BusyCal is a strong choice for those looking for an advanced calendar application with extensive functionality that goes beyond what the default calendar apps offer.

Why this product is good

  • BusyCal is considered a good option for many users due to its robust feature set that includes customizable calendar views, task integration, weather forecasts, and support for multiple calendar services such as iCloud, Google, and Exchange. Its user-friendly interface and syncing capabilities are particularly praised, making it suitable for both personal and professional use.

Recommended for

  • Users who require a high level of customization in their calendar views
  • Individuals who manage multiple calendars across different platforms
  • Professionals who need integrated task and event management solutions
  • Anyone looking for additional features like weather forecasts in their scheduling tool

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.

BusyCal videos

BusyCal: Best Calendar for Mac | SETAPP

More videos:

  • Review - BusyCal Review en part1
  • Review - BusyCal Review en part2

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 BusyCal and Rectangle)
Calendar
100 100%
0% 0
Mac Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Appointments and Scheduling
Window Manager
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

BusyCal Reviews

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

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 more popular. It has been mentiond 479 times since March 2021. 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.

BusyCal mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of BusyCal yet. Tracking of BusyCal recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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 / 2 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 / 3 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 / 3 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 / 3 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 / 3 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

Google Calendar - Spend less time managing your day & more time enjoying it

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

Fantastical 2 - Fantastical, the Mac calendar app you'll enjoy using. Quickly create new events with natural language input and more.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Itsycal - Itsycal for Mac. Itsycal is a tiny menu bar calendar. If you want, it will display your events as a companion to the Mac Calendar app. You can also create and delete (but not edit) events. Download Itsycal for macOS 10.

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