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Carnac VS Rectangle

Compare Carnac VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Carnac logo Carnac

A utility to give some insight into how you use your keyboard/

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • Carnac Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-01
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

Carnac features and specs

  • Visual Aid
    Carnac provides on-screen visual keys display, which is beneficial for presentations and tutorials as it allows viewers to see what keys are being pressed in real-time.
  • Customization
    Users can customize the appearance of the on-screen display, including font size, color, and location, ensuring it fits well into various screen recordings or presentations.
  • Open Source
    Carnac is open-source software, which allows developers and users to modify the code according to their needs and share improvements with the community.
  • Lightweight
    The application is relatively lightweight and runs efficiently without consuming significant system resources, making it suitable for use alongside other applications.

Possible disadvantages of Carnac

  • Limited OS Compatibility
    Carnac is designed primarily for Windows, limiting its use for individuals or teams working on macOS or Linux platforms.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    While Carnac is effective for basic key displays, it lacks some advanced features such as complex macro support or extensive key customization that some users might need.
  • User Interface
    Some users might find the user interface less intuitive or outdated compared to other more modern applications, which can affect the ease of setup and use.
  • Community Support
    As with many open-source projects, the level of community support can vary, making it challenging for users to find solutions to specific problems quickly.

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 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.

Carnac videos

+ Add

Carnac Equinox Road Bike Helmet (Review)

More videos:

  • Review - Planet X Carnac Soft Shell Jacket Review
  • Review - Carnac Notus Race Helmet 4 ยฃ10, not Giro, Kask, Lazer, Oakley, Poc

Rectangle videos

+ Add

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 Carnac and Rectangle)

Carnac

Rectangle

Productivity
100 100%
Productivity
0% 0
Mac Tools
0 0%
Mac Tools
100% 100
Note Taking
100 100%
Note Taking
0% 0
Window Manager
0 0%
Window Manager
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 Carnac and Rectangle

Carnac Reviews

We have no reviews of Carnac yet.
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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.
Source: www.maketecheasier.com
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.
Source: www.makeuseof.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than Carnac. While we know about 479 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 1 mention of Carnac. 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.

Carnac mentions (1)

  • Any windows users, know how to make your Keystroke Visualizer appear IN recordings? (OBS, Windows 7)
    Would http://carnackeys.com/ do for you? If you prefer a commercial solution https://www.recmaster.net/how-to/show-keystrokes-while-screen-recording-2 might be of interest, unless you want to switch to Linux and use https://gitlab.com/screenkey/screenkey. Source: over 3 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 / 3 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 / 4 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 / 4 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

Screenkey - Screenkey is a screencast tool to display your keys inspired by ...

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

KeyCastr - KeyCastr lets you easily display your keystrokes while recording screencasts.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Key-mon - Utility to show live keyboard and mouse status for teaching and screencasts.

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

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