Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rectangle VS StayHere

Compare Rectangle VS StayHere and see what are their differences

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

StayHere logo StayHere

StayHere is a macOS app that protects your focus by keeping different contexts in separate Spaces - thabiger/stay-here
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20
  • StayHere Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-06-16

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.

StayHere features and specs

  • Lightweight and simple
    StayHere is a minimal Bash script that provides a straightforward way to manage tmux sessions, making it easy to understand and customize without heavy dependencies.
  • Automatic tmux session management
    The tool automatically creates or attaches to tmux sessions based on the current directory or project, streamlining the workflow for developers who frequently switch between projects.
  • Easy installation
    As a simple shell script, StayHere requires minimal setup โ€” just clone the repository and source or link the script, making it accessible for most Unix/Linux users.
  • Integration with directory context
    StayHere ties tmux sessions to directory paths, which helps maintain organized workspaces and ensures you return to the correct session when navigating to a project directory.
  • Open source and customizable
    Being an open-source project with a small codebase, users can easily fork, modify, and adapt it to their specific workflow needs.

Possible disadvantages of StayHere

  • Limited documentation
    The project has minimal documentation, which can make it difficult for new users to understand all available features, configuration options, and edge cases.
  • Small community and limited support
    StayHere is a niche project with a very small user base, meaning limited community support, fewer bug reports, and slower issue resolution compared to more popular tools.
  • Dependency on tmux
    The tool is entirely dependent on tmux, so users who prefer other terminal multiplexers like screen or Zellij cannot benefit from it without significant modifications.
  • Limited features
    Compared to more mature tmux session managers like tmuxinator or tmuxp, StayHere offers fewer features such as predefined layouts, window configurations, or complex session templates.
  • Lack of active maintenance
    The repository appears to have limited recent activity, raising concerns about long-term maintenance, compatibility with newer tmux versions, and responsiveness to bug fixes or feature requests.

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

StayHere videos

No StayHere videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rectangle and StayHere)
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100
Window Manager
99 99%
1% 1
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 StayHere

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.

StayHere Reviews

We have no reviews of StayHere yet.
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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.

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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StayHere mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of StayHere yet. Tracking of StayHere recommendations started around Jun 2026.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Spencer for Mac - Customize your workspace with profiles for any context or task โ€” whether youโ€™re working, browsing, or creating. Easily return to your favorite window setup anytime.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

FlashSpace - Ultra-fast virtual workspace manager for macOS, enhancing native Spaces. Supports switching workspaces independently on displays, with hotkey-driven app management, multiple configurations, Picture-in-Picture mode, and SketchyBar integration.

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

SpacesforMac.xyz - Declutter your workspace and organize it in 1-click