Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rectangle VS Xpadder

Compare Rectangle VS Xpadder and see what are their differences

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Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

Xpadder logo Xpadder

Xpadder simulates the keyboard and mouse using your gamepad What does Xpadder let you do?
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20
  • Xpadder Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-16

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.

Xpadder features and specs

  • Customizable Controls
    Xpadder allows users to map keyboard and mouse functions to game controllers, providing a high level of customization for different games and applications.
  • Compatibility
    The software supports a wide range of game controllers and works with almost any game or application, even those that don't offer native controller support.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Xpadder features an intuitive and straightforward UI, making it easy for users to set up and configure their game controllers.
  • Offline Functionality
    Xpadder does not require an internet connection to function, which can be beneficial for users with limited or no internet access.
  • Frequent Updates
    The software receives regular updates to improve performance and add new features, keeping it up-to-date with modern gaming requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Xpadder

  • Paid Software
    Xpadder is not free; users need to purchase a license to use the software, which may be a deterrent for some.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    While the interface is user-friendly, the initial setup can be somewhat complex for beginners, requiring time and patience to configure fully.
  • Limited OS Support
    Xpadder is primarily designed for Windows, and does not natively support macOS or Linux, limiting its user base.
  • No Built-in Profiles
    The software does not come with pre-configured profiles for popular games, requiring users to create their own mappings from scratch.
  • Variable Performance
    Performance may vary depending on system configuration and controller compatibility, potentially leading to inconsistent experiences for some 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 Xpadder

Overall verdict

  • Xpadder is generally considered good, especially for those who need a simple yet powerful tool for adapting their controllers to games lacking native support. Its robust feature set and reliable performance make it a favorable choice for gamers who prefer or require controller use for all of their PC games.

Why this product is good

  • Xpadder is a utility that allows users to map keyboard keys and mouse actions to gamepad buttons. It's often praised for its ease of use, flexibility, and ability to customize controls for a wide variety of games, particularly those that do not natively support gamepads. The software is lightweight and runs smoothly on most systems without consuming much in the way of resources. Users appreciate its ability to enhance gameplay by offering a more ergonomic control scheme, particularly in older or niche titles.

Recommended for

    Xpadder is best recommended for gamers who want to use a gamepad with their PC games, particularly those games that lack built-in controller support. It's also suitable for users who enjoy customizing their control schemes to optimize their gaming experience or who frequently switch between different game genres that may benefit from unique control layouts.

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

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

Xpadder videos

Xpadder Tutorial - Setup / How To Beginner's Guide - Controller Mapping

More videos:

  • Review - xpadder review/for free
  • Review - Xpadder 5.7 review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rectangle and Xpadder)
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Gaming
0 0%
100% 100
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Controller Mapping
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 Xpadder

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.

Xpadder Reviews

Top 5 REWASD Alternatives in 2021
Letโ€™s start by talking about the easiest and one of the oldest keymapping solutions in the market, Xpadder. Xpadder allows you to take your gaming to the next level by simply mapping your keyboard and mouse as well as gamepad controls to the device of your choice.
Fantastic Controller Mappers and Where to Find Them
The significant ability of Xpadder is to support almost any controller device: this controller mapper allows you to add each button or analog element that your controller has one-by-one. As a result, you literally build a unique scheme. Once the controller is plugged in, Xpadder asks you to move analog controls to add them to the controller scheme and tune the deadzone. The...
Source: www.rewasd.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than Xpadder. While we know about 479 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 14 mentions of Xpadder. 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 / 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
  • 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
View more

Xpadder mentions (14)

  • free alternative to reWASD
    It mentions some alternatives, though, such as Input Mapper and Xpadder. If your games are on Steam, you could try Steam's controller config thing. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Pinball FX Guide - A Start
    Did you download it from an e-mail sent to you from xpadder.com? The version I'm using is 2022.05.01. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Picked Up a Pair of MyMyBox MXMT6's This Weekend!
    You might be able to use JoyToKey (free) or xpadder ($10) to at least verify different inputs are recognized per button. Source: over 3 years ago
  • My take on a DDR soft pad mod in 2022
    To remedy, I've been using this little app found from another thread. I keep this app open while running stepmania and it remap button presses solving the problem. It seems to poll quickly enough for my needs! https://www.mediafire.com/?asju7uk8shr81co Or there's xPadder - https://xpadder.com/ ($9.99) as a more rounded software solution as well. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Help with remapping a controller analog stick to the arrow keys.
    If it doesn't work out, I'd personally just get Xpadder. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

JoyToKey - JoyToKey enables users to control the keyboard using any USB compatible controller (Dualshock 3, Xbox 360, etc.)

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

Pinnacle Game Profiler - Pinnacle Game Profiler enables the use of virtually any game controller (gamepad, joystick, etc.) with any PC game. It's preconfigured for most game titles and controllers. Just download and play.

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

AntimicroX - AntiMicroX is a program used to map keyboard and mouse actions to gamepad/joystick buttons. It is useful for playing games with poor or no gamepad support. It is a new fork of discontinued AntiMicro