Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rectangle VS ActiveWords

Compare Rectangle VS ActiveWords 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.

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

ActiveWords logo ActiveWords

Auto correct on steroids
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20
  • ActiveWords Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-25

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.

ActiveWords features and specs

  • Efficiency
    ActiveWords increases productivity by allowing users to automate repetitive tasks and replace full words, phrases, or commands with short, easy-to-type abbreviations.
  • Customization
    The software is highly customizable, enabling users to set up personalized shortcuts and triggers that suit their specific workflows and preferences.
  • Integration
    ActiveWords integrates well with a variety of applications and tools, allowing users to streamline interactions across different platforms.
  • Ease of Use
    With a user-friendly interface, ActiveWords is accessible to both beginners and advanced users, making it easy to set up and manage shortcuts.

Possible disadvantages of ActiveWords

  • Learning Curve
    While the software is designed to be user-friendly, there is still a learning curve involved in setting up and memorizing shortcuts, particularly for new users.
  • Resource Consumption
    Running ActiveWords continuously in the background might consume system resources, which could be an issue on less powerful machines.
  • Cost
    As a paid software, it might not be ideal for users looking for free alternatives or those who have limited software budgets.
  • Limited Platform Support
    ActiveWords primarily supports Windows operating systems, which may be a limitation for users who need cross-platform compatibility.

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.

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

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

ActiveWords videos

ActiveWords

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rectangle and ActiveWords)
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Grammar Checker
0 0%
100% 100
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
UI
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 Rectangle and ActiveWords

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.

ActiveWords Reviews

We have no reviews of ActiveWords yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

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

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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ActiveWords mentions (1)

  • What are your apps ,tools, Chrome extensions, programmes, general habits and other productivity applications that help you work faster and be more productive in your day-to-day job to cut down time and improve your efficiency to work
    Https://activewords.com/ (for PC) a couple of key presses and I'm in the document, folder, app that I need. It's incredible when you get where you need to be without even thinking about it. Source: almost 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Zeplin - Collaboration app for UI designers & frontend developers

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Mightytext - Send & Receive SMS Text Messages from your computer. Sync'd with your Android #

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

Abstract - A secure, version-controlled hub for your design files