Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Tablet Pro VS Rectangle

Compare Tablet Pro VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

Tablet Pro logo Tablet Pro

Tablet Pro is a futuristic mix of familiar tools adapted for touch devices.

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • Tablet Pro Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

Tablet Pro features and specs

  • Enhanced Productivity
    Tablet Pro offers tools that enhance productivity by providing customizable touch shortcuts, which can streamline workflows for artists and professionals.
  • Improved Accessibility
    The software provides improved accessibility for those who prefer or require touch-based interaction, making it easier to navigate and control software on tablets.
  • Customization
    Users have the ability to customize touch commands and interface layouts to suit their personal workflows and preferences, allowing for a more personalized experience.
  • Compatibility
    Tablet Pro is designed to work with a variety of styluses and touch-enabled devices, increasing its versatility across different platforms and hardware.

Possible disadvantages of Tablet Pro

  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve as they familiarize themselves with the extensive features and customization options available in Tablet Pro.
  • Cost
    While offering robust features, the cost of purchasing Tablet Pro might be a consideration for some users compared to free or built-in alternatives.
  • Device Compatibility
    Not all devices are fully compatible with Tablet Pro, which might limit functionality or prevent the software from working as intended on certain hardware.
  • Resource Usage
    Running additional software like Tablet Pro may increase resource usage on tablets, which could affect performance on less powerful devices.

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.

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.

Tablet Pro videos

Tablet Pro on-screen tablet Hotkeys review โ€“ with speedpaint

More videos:

  • Review - Artist Review: Tablet Pro & Artist Pad (Windows tablet app)

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Tablet Pro and Rectangle)
Window Manager
1 1%
99% 99
Mac Tools
1 1%
99% 99
OSX Tools
2 2%
98% 98
Mac
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 Tablet Pro and Rectangle

Tablet Pro Reviews

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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.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than Tablet Pro. While we know about 479 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 11 mentions of Tablet Pro. 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.

Tablet Pro mentions (11)

  • Is there a good app that let's you use the screen as a trackpad in windows 11 ?
    This one might be overkill, but it has a ton of features - https://tabletpro.com/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Looking for any virtual keyboard to use with Affinity
    Check out Tablet Pro, you make a side dock and can put as many customisable buttons on it as you like. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Anyone know if there exists a touchscreen overlay that works with an active stylus?
    I haven't used Tablet Pro in a couple of years, but it worked well to have a few touchscreen shortcuts while sketching or writing with a stylus. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Disappointed by SP 9
    Users run https://tabletpro.com etc to get around the keyboard/touch limitations. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Is there any app like Tablet Pro for Linux?
    Tablet Pro is a windows app that creates shortcuts on the touch screen. Is there any app that does the same on Linux? Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

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
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

GestureSign - Create and assign touchscreen gestures to actions on a windows tablet.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

MultiSwipe - Custom touchpad and touchscreen gestures

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

TouchMe Gesture Studio - Touchscreens have improved the way we all interact with our computers!

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