Software Alternatives & Startups

Display Maid VS Rectangle

Compare Display Maid VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

Display Maid logo Display Maid

A Mac OS X app for saving and restoring window layout in multiple monitor setups

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • Display Maid Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-07-16
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

Display Maid features and specs

  • Multi-monitor management
    Display Maid is specifically designed to help users manage complex multi-monitor setups, making it easier to organize windows across multiple screens.
  • Custom window layouts
    Users can save and restore custom window layouts and positions, which is useful for people who frequently switch between different work setups or configurations.
  • Automatic window arrangement
    The software can automatically arrange windows based on predefined rules, saving time compared to manually positioning each window every time you start a task.
  • Lightweight utility
    As a specialized utility software, it's designed to run in the background without consuming significant system resources, allowing it to work alongside other applications smoothly.
  • Useful for productivity workflows
    For professionals who rely on multiple applications and screens simultaneously (like traders, developers, or designers), this tool can streamline workflow by reducing manual window management.

Possible disadvantages of Display Maid

  • Niche use case
    Display Maid is primarily useful for people with multi-monitor setups or specific window management needs, making it less relevant for average users with single-monitor configurations.
  • Windows-only compatibility
    The software appears to be designed for Windows operating systems, limiting its usefulness for Mac or Linux users who might need similar functionality.
  • Learning curve for setup
    Configuring custom rules and layouts for automatic window management may require some time investment to learn and set up correctly for optimal use.
  • Limited brand recognition
    As a product from a smaller software company, it may have less community support, fewer tutorials, and less third-party documentation compared to more mainstream window management tools.
  • Potential compatibility issues
    Specialized window management software can sometimes conflict with certain applications or newer OS updates, potentially requiring ongoing updates to maintain compatibility.

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 Display Maid

Overall verdict

  • Display Maid is a lightweight, budget-friendly utility for Windows users who frequently reconfigure multi-monitor setups, offering quick profile-switching without the bloat of larger display management suites.

Why this product is good

  • Automatically saves and restores multi-monitor display configurations (resolution, orientation, position)
  • Allows quick switching between different monitor setups with saved profiles
  • Simple, lightweight application that doesn't consume many system resources
  • Useful for laptop users who dock/undock with different external monitor setups
  • Affordable one-time pricing compared to subscription-based alternatives
  • Straightforward interface that's easy to learn without a steep learning curve

Recommended for

  • Laptop users who regularly switch between docked and undocked multi-monitor setups
  • Professionals who use different monitor configurations for work and presentations
  • Users with multiple displays who frequently change resolution or arrangement settings
  • Gamers who switch between different display configurations for gaming and productivity
  • Home office users who want a simple, no-frills solution for managing display profiles
  • Budget-conscious users looking for a lightweight alternative to more expensive display management 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.

Display Maid videos

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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 Display Maid and Rectangle)
OSX Tools
3 3%
97% 97
Mac Tools
1 1%
99% 99
Window Manager
1 1%
99% 99
Mac
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 Display Maid and Rectangle

Display Maid Reviews

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Rectangle Reviews

Best 6 Mac Window Managers
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 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 – such as BetterSnapTool, Magnet, and Rectangle – 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 480 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.

Display Maid mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Display Maid yet. Tracking of Display Maid recommendations started around Jul 2026.

Rectangle mentions (480)

  • 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 / 13 days 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 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 / 5 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 / 5 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 / 5 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

Putback - Putback is a Mac window manager that restores every window when your displays change, and lets you name arrangements as Scenes you switch to with one hotkey. Real window management for docking, undocking and monitors, $19 once.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Moom - Move your mouse over the green zoom button in any window, and Moom's mouse control overlay will appear (as seen in the above animation).

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

BetterTouchTool - Nov 5, 2017 - BetterTouchTool is a great, feature packed app that allows you to configure many gestures for your Magic Mouse (1 & 2), Macbook Trackpad and Magic Trackpad (1 & 2) and also Mouse Gestures for normal mice.

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