Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rectangle VS SharpKeys

Compare Rectangle VS SharpKeys 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.

SharpKeys logo SharpKeys

SharpKeys is a utility that manages a Registry key that allows Windows to remap one key to any...
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20
  • SharpKeys Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-02

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.

SharpKeys features and specs

  • Open Source
    SharpKeys is available on GitHub, which means it is open source. This allows users to inspect the code, contribute to development, or customize it for their needs.
  • Free of Cost
    SharpKeys is entirely free to use, making it accessible to anyone without the need for a commercial license.
  • Simple User Interface
    The interface is straightforward and easy to use, which makes the process of remapping keys simple even for non-technical users.
  • Registry-Based Remapping
    SharpKeys makes changes directly to the Windows registry, ensuring that the remapped keys work across all applications without the need for additional software running in the background.
  • Minimal Resource Usage
    Because SharpKeys modifies the registry rather than running a constant background process, it uses minimal system resources.
  • Portability
    Once the registry changes are made, SharpKeys does not need to remain installed on the system, making it a lightweight, one-time-use tool.

Possible disadvantages of SharpKeys

  • Windows Only
    SharpKeys is designed to work exclusively on Windows operating systems, which limits its usability for users on macOS, Linux, or other platforms.
  • Limited to Registry
    The tool operates by modifying the Windows registry, so it cannot handle complex remapping scenarios that need real-time processing, such as conditional key mappings.
  • No Advanced Features
    SharpKeys lacks advanced features found in more sophisticated key remapping software, such as macro recording, multi-key remapping, or application-specific profiles.
  • Requires Admin Rights
    Since changes are made to the Windows registry, administrative privileges are required, which might be restrictive in some organizational environments.
  • Potential for Errors
    Incorrect registry changes could potentially lead to system instability or errors, especially for users who are not familiar with the Windows registry.
  • Reboot Required
    For registry changes to take effect, a system reboot is necessary, which can be inconvenient for users needing immediate results.

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

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

SharpKeys videos

[Windows] Changing Modifier Keys Using SharpKeys | Reassigning Modifier Keys & SharpKeys Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Map Keys with SharpKeys

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rectangle and SharpKeys)
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Automation
0 0%
100% 100
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
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 SharpKeys

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.

SharpKeys Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle should be more popular than SharpKeys. It has been mentiond 462 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.

Rectangle mentions (462)

  • Any tools for a customizable trading dashboard (charts, order flow, news, etc.)?
    Try rectangle if you’re on mac. It’s a window manager and you can config hot keys to move windows around. For example I keep my large monitor split in 3, with a window in each third. I know it’s not exactly what you asked, but prob the best you can achieve. If you want to try to roll your own web solution, you can try to create a page with multiple iframes. The catch is that sites control whether they can be... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • The Future Is Niri
    This is how I use my Mac desktop with Rectangle https://rectangleapp.com That and the apple touchpad to swipe three fingers left and right to switch desktops (and different machines as one desktop is remote desked into a windows box and another terminal+tmux session to a linux box). - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • iTerm2 Critical Security Fix
    Full-screen-but-not-native is useful enough that it's handy to have around for all windows in all programs. So the move there is to install Rectangle.app (https://rectangleapp.com/), the successor to Spectacle, and then choose your terminal independently. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Show HN: Resizer2 – i3/KDE window movement on Windows
    I use https://rectangleapp.com/ for KDE-like window management on my Macbooks. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Apple's macOS Sequoia lets you snap windows into position
    It's OK, but far from enough for a power user. After trying it out, I decided to go back to using the open source Rectangle: https://rectangleapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
View more

SharpKeys mentions (52)

  • Shortcut for rotating canvas by 15° left or right without a mouse
    I don't like using my mouse while drawing and I couldn't find how to do this anywhere, but luckily when I was about to give up I achieved it! So, for this you'll need a program called SharpKeys. You can download it here: https://github.com/randyrants/sharpkeys/. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Caps Lock Behaviour Disabled in Gnome
    Sharpkeys can swap keys, the readme says as much: > Things that SharpKeys will do: > ... > Allow you to swap two keys with each other - e.g. You can swap Left Windows with Left Control and vice versa I do have a vague recollection of Sharpkeys previously saying that it couldn’t, but that I tried and it worked. Long time since I last used Windows though. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Total Commander
    > Total commander isn’t FOSS. I'm aware of that. There are lots of FOSS equivalents, though. Including, I believe, on Windows. Wikipedia lists 23 of which I think -- haven't checked -- the majority are FOSS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_manager#Orthodox_file_managers > Ironically windows 11 can’t do vertical taskbars. True. Easily fixed with Explorer Patcher, though. Which, ironically, is FOSS. > And... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Learn AutoHotKey by stealing my scripts
    Remapping Capslock to Control: Windows: https://github.com/randyrants/sharpkeys Ubuntu Linux (don't know about other Linuxes): /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc
        key  { [ Caps_Lock  ] };
    . - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Setup Media Key shortcuts
    SharpKeys: available in the Microsoft Store. Or you can get it here: https://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/ or here: https://github.com/randyrants/sharpkeys. Source: almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

Karabiner - Karabiner, previously called KeyRemap4MacBook, is a very powerful keyboard remapper for Mac OS X.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Key Manager - ATNSOFT Key Manager, Key Remapper, Text Paster

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).

X-Mouse Button Control - XMouse Button Control (XMBC) allows you to create application and window specific profiles.