Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rectangle VS XigmaNAS

Compare Rectangle VS XigmaNAS and see what are their differences

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Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

XigmaNAS logo XigmaNAS

File Sharing, OS & Utilities, and Security & Privacy
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20
  • XigmaNAS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-25

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.

XigmaNAS features and specs

  • Open Source
    XigmaNAS is open-source software, which means it's free to use, and its source code can be modified and customized by users.
  • Advanced Features
    XigmaNAS offers a wide range of advanced features such as ZFS support, disk encryption, and software RAID, making it suitable for complex storage needs.
  • Community Support
    A vibrant community provides support through forums and documentation, which can be valuable for troubleshooting and obtaining advice.
  • Cross-Platform Access
    Provides access across different platforms and protocols such as CIFS/SMB, FTP, NFS, TFTP, and AFP, ensuring compatibility with various operating systems.
  • Easy to Use Interface
    The web-based graphical user interface is user-friendly, making it easier to manage storage even for users with limited technical expertise.

Possible disadvantages of XigmaNAS

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite having a user-friendly interface, the broad feature set can be complex, requiring a certain level of expertise to fully utilize.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Advanced features like ZFS tend to be resource-intensive, requiring more powerful hardware to run effectively.
  • Limited Dedicated Support
    While community support is robust, there is limited direct professional support available, which can be a downside for enterprise-level users.
  • Not a Turnkey Solution
    Installation and initial setup can be time-consuming, and it may require additional configuration to meet specific needs, unlike some other out-of-the-box NAS solutions.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Regular updates and maintenance may be required to keep the system secure and running smoothly, which demands ongoing attention from users.

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.

Analysis of XigmaNAS

Overall verdict

  • XigmaNAS is a solid choice for users looking for a free and open-source NAS solution with flexibility and strong community support. However, its appeal may be more towards those comfortable with managing their own hardware and network configurations, rather than complete tech novices.

Why this product is good

  • XigmaNAS is considered good because it is a reliable and open-source network-attached storage (NAS) system that supports a wide range of protocols, making it versatile for different kinds of network environments. It is user-friendly with a web-based interface, offers robust features like disk encryption, software RAID, and ZFS support, and its community-driven approach ensures continual updates and support.

Recommended for

  • Home users wanting to set up personal cloud storage.
  • Small to medium businesses looking for a cost-effective storage solution.
  • Tech-savvy individuals who enjoy tinkering with open-source software.
  • IT professionals in need of a flexible and scalable NAS system.

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

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

XigmaNAS videos

XigmaNAS Install (2020) | Practical IT

More videos:

  • Review - NAS Server Build using Xigmanas
  • Tutorial - How to Install and Configure XigmaNAS 12.1 Storage (NAS4Free) on VMware Workstation

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rectangle and XigmaNAS)
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Storage
0 0%
100% 100
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
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 XigmaNAS

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.

XigmaNAS Reviews

9 Of The Best FreeNAS Alternatives For Your Storage Needs
Next, on the list of FreeNAS alternatives, we have XigmaNAS. Like most of the tools here, this is an open-source arrangement. It works on the Apple, Windows, and Unix-based networks. Like FreeNAS, this tool has ZFS v5000, which makes security a breeze.
Top 7 FreeNas Alternative For Your PC
XigmaNAS being the FreeNAS alternative, is easy to install on any hardware network to share the PC data storage over the network & store this in a computer network. Network Attached Storage & โ€œ4โ€ for open-source, XigmaNAS is the fastest and simplest way of creating the centralized and straightforward to get the server for various data!
Top 15 Best TrueNAS Alternatives In 2022
A flexible, open-source storage NAS, XigmaNAS offers a dependable management web interface to give consumers a cutting-edge storage option. Also check sandbox software
15 FreeNAS Alternatives 2020 | Best Storage Operating System
Based on FreeBSD, XigmaNAS, formerly known as NAS4Free, is a free, open-source, FreeNAS alternative and a continuation of the FreeNAS 7 series sharing several similar attributes. Like the former, XigmaNAS allows data to be shared and accessed over a vast network system supporting Unix-like, Windows, and Apple.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than XigmaNAS. While we know about 479 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 9 mentions of XigmaNAS. 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 / 4 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 / 4 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 / 4 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
  • 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 / 5 months ago
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XigmaNAS mentions (9)

  • OpenBSD Innovations
    BSDs may not have a significant presence on desktops, but they're well known in the networking world for their reliability. They also were the foundation used to build OSes for specific applications. OpnSense and XigmaNAS, for example, are two excellent FreeBSD based applications aimed at firewalling/security and NAS/services. https://opnsense.org/ https://xigmanas.com/xnaswp/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Looking for Drobo 5D replacement for M1 Macs
    A standalone NAS running ZFS as the filesystem. So XigmaNAS, TrueNAS, etc. Works beautifully. Source: over 3 years ago
  • good os for nas
    XsigmaNAS - the father of freenas/truenas, much lighter on resources but development kinda stuck in just updating OS and packages and to be able to communicate with community, one have to register on closed forum. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Wonder what everyone is using as a home server OS .. and why:)..
    XigmaNAS. Other machine is Xen. Most likely will move to Proxmox. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Data hoarding newbie here, considering archival/backup/duplication options
    A NAS does not necessarily need to run 24/7. The better option IMHO would be a selfbuilt NAS with ZFS on 3x mirror https://xigmanas.com/xnaswp/ | https://www.truenas.com/. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Amahi - Amahi is a media, home and app server software known for its easy-to-use user interface. Amahi has the best media, backup and web apps for small networks.

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

PetaSAN - PetaSAN is an open source Scale-Out SAN solution offering massive scalability and performance.

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

Open-E Data Storage Software SOHO - Get Open-E DSS V7 SOHO (Small Office Home Office), a free version of Open-E DSS V7 with basic functionalities of NAS/SAN software platform.