Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ZoomIt VS Rectangle

Compare ZoomIt VS Rectangle 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.

ZoomIt logo ZoomIt

Presentation utility for zooming and drawing on the screen.

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • ZoomIt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

ZoomIt features and specs

  • Ease of use
    ZoomIt is designed to be straightforward, making it easy for users to zoom in on any part of their screen quickly.
  • Presentation Tools
    It includes drawing tools that allow presenters to annotate their screen in real-time, enhancing clarity during presentations.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize the zoom level, hotkeys, and other settings to fit their personal workflow and preferences.
  • Lightweight
    The software is lightweight and does not require significant system resources to run, ensuring smooth performance.
  • Free
    ZoomIt is offered as a free utility from Sysinternals, making it accessible to a wide range of users without cost barriers.

Possible disadvantages of ZoomIt

  • Limited to Windows
    ZoomIt is only available for Windows systems, which excludes users on other operating systems like macOS and Linux.
  • Basic Features
    The software focuses on basic zoom and annotation functions, lacking advanced features found in more comprehensive screen presentation tools.
  • No Screen Recording
    ZoomIt does not include a screen recording feature, limiting its functionality for users who wish to create video tutorials.
  • Learning Curve for Keyboard Shortcuts
    Users must learn and remember keyboard shortcuts to make the most of the tool, which can be cumbersome for some.
  • Manual Updates
    Updates are not automatic, requiring users to manually download and install new versions to benefit from improvements or bug fixes.

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 ZoomIt

Overall verdict

  • ZoomIt is generally considered a good tool, especially for those who regularly conduct presentations or training sessions. Its ease of use and the practicality of its features make it a recommended choice for users looking to improve their presentation delivery.

Why this product is good

  • ZoomIt is a screen zoom and annotation tool designed to assist presenters in highlighting and explaining different parts of their display. It allows users to zoom into areas for a closer look and draw on the screen, making it particularly useful for presentations, tutorials, and demonstrations. The simplicity and efficiency of ZoomIt in providing these functionalities contribute to its reputation as a valuable tool for enhancing presentations.

Recommended for

  • Presenters who need to emphasize specific parts of their display.
  • Educators and trainers conducting live demonstrations or online classes.
  • Technical support staff needing to highlight areas during screen sharing.
  • Anyone conducting webinars or video demonstrations who requires a tool for screen zooming and annotation.

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.

ZoomIt videos

How to Use ZoomIT Software to make Effective Presentations ( By - Passionate Learning )

More videos:

  • Review - ZoomIt Review
  • Review - CBT Nuggets Style On Screen Drawing (Annotations) for free! Software Review Epic Pen & ZoomIt

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 ZoomIt and Rectangle)
Digital Drawing And Painting
Mac Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Image Editing
100 100%
0% 0
Window Manager
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 ZoomIt and Rectangle

ZoomIt Reviews

Scribble on your PC/Mac screen with these annotation tools
Epic Pen is a tool similar to ZoomIt. There are both free and paid versions of the tool. The free version is limited with pen and eraser tool. The paid version has all the features which include Text, Shapes, and whiteboard. Epic Pen has almost all the features of ZoomIt except the zoom and break features. With Epic Pen, you can switch between drawing mode and windows cursor...

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 ZoomIt. While we know about 479 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 16 mentions of ZoomIt. 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.

ZoomIt mentions (16)

  • Microsoft set to change the Print Screen button so it opens the Snipping Tool in Windows 11
    I use Zoomit and then take a snip of what I draw with that. Useful for making a quick instructional screenshot. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How to annotate or record my mouse movement in Zoom share screen (Slide as Virtual background)?
    Look into ZoomIt. I used to use this before annotations got better in MS Teams. Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/zoomit. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Annotation not working
    So, there are options for you, if you use windows an easy option is the Microsoft tool ZoomIT found here. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Its 2022 and you still cant resize the kontakt players window. what the hell
    On Windows you can use the built-in magnifier program to zoom into the screen or use ZoomIt. I constantly zoom in and out for plugins. Or if you have the space, get a second 1080p monitor and drag windows into it when you want them to be bigger. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Question about using dual monitors with windows magnifier
    Not with Magnifier, but you can use ZoomItt in live mode to zoom in a single monitor. 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

Epic Pen - A windows tool for drawing over your desktop and applications

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

gInk - An on-screen on-screen annotation software for Windows.

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Magnifixer - Magnifixer is a screen magnifier utility.

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