# Free Alternative to Magnet Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 The best free alternative to Magnet ($8) is Rectangle, which is open source. Install it with: `brew install --cask rectangle`. ## Best free Magnet alternatives for Mac in 2026 If you want a free alternative to Magnet on Mac in August 2026, install Rectangle first. It covers the same drag-to-edge snaps and keyboard halves, quarters, and thirds at $0, and the open-source project still ships actively (Rectangle v0.98 line on rectangleapp.com). Magnet itself lists at $4.99 on the US Mac App Store as of this check (older reviews still quote $7.99-$9.99; treat those as stale). Pay Magnet only if you specifically want App Store billing and its polished menu-bar experience. Everyone else should start free. People who search "free alternative to Magnet" usually want three things answered in the first screen: what to install today, whether Apple’s built-in tiling is enough, and when a tiling manager (Amethyst, AeroSpace, Yabai) beats a snap tool. Short answers: brew install --cask rectangle for a Magnet clone; use macOS native window tiling if you only need basic halves; move to Amethyst or AeroSpace if you want automatic tiling; only open Yabai if you accept partial SIP changes for maximum control. I bought Magnet years ago when it was pocket change. The product still works. The problem is value. Rectangle matches the core job, Raycast folds window commands into a launcher you may already run, and Loop covers trackpad-first radial snaps without a price tag. The rest of this page maps each free option to a real workflow, shows migration from Magnet, and lists the few cases where paying Magnet still makes sense. Native macOS tiling improved through Sequoia and remains on Tahoe 26.x. Casual users who only split a browser and a notes app can stay stock. Power users still hit limits: no custom thirds grids as rich as Magnet/Rectangle, weaker multi-monitor throw shortcuts, and no scripting hooks. That gap is why free third-party managers still win for developers, writers on ultrawides, and anyone who remaps hotkeys across machines. How to choose in under a minute: (1) want Magnet’s mouse zones and hotkeys without paying → Rectangle; (2) already live in Raycast → enable its window commands and delete the extra app; (3) want windows to tile themselves → Amethyst; (4) miss Linux i3 and hate Spaces animations → AeroSpace; (5) need context-aware layouts from Wi-Fi or display connect → Hammerspoon; (6) couch laptop with trackpad only → Loop; (7) set-and-forget for a parent → Tiles; (8) willing to disable SIP pieces for binary-space tiling → Yabai. Everything below expands those picks with install commands, limitations, and migration steps. ## Free alternatives 1. [Rectangle](https://bundl.run/apps/rectangle) — Move and resize windows using keyboard shortcuts `brew install --cask rectangle` 2. [Amethyst](https://bundl.run/apps/amethyst) — Automatic tiling window manager `brew install --cask amethyst` ## Verdict For free alternatives to Magnet in August 2026, Rectangle is the default install. It matches the snap job Magnet sells, costs nothing, and stays maintained. Raycast is the best runner-up when you already live in a launcher. Amethyst and AeroSpace serve automatic tiling, not Magnet clones. Apple’s native tiling covers casual halves. Magnet at roughly $4.99 remains fine if App Store simplicity is the priority, but it is no longer the only polished path. Start free, keep configs in git, and only pay when a custom size recipe forces it. ## FAQ ### What is the best free alternative to Magnet in 2026? Rectangle. It is free, open source, and mirrors Magnet’s halves, quarters, thirds, and drag-to-edge zones. Install with brew install --cask rectangle, grant Accessibility once, and map the same shortcuts you used in Magnet. Most people never need Rectangle Pro for the Magnet replacement job. ### Is Magnet worth paying for in 2026? Usually no. The US Mac App Store lists Magnet around $4.99 one-time as of August 2026, which is cheaper than older $8 street memory, but Rectangle still does the same core snapping for free. Pay Magnet if you want App Store updates, a familiar UI for non-technical users, or you already own it from years ago. New buyers who are comfortable with Homebrew should start with Rectangle. ### Magnet or Rectangle? Pick Rectangle if price and open source matter. Pick Magnet if you want the simplest Mac App Store purchase and never want to leave the App Store ecosystem. Feature parity on daily snaps is close enough that price and trust model decide it. Rectangle Pro ($9.99 one-time on rectangleapp.com as listed mid-2026) only matters if you need custom arbitrary sizes beyond free Rectangle. ### Is Apple’s built-in window tiling enough to replace Magnet? For basic left/right halves and some drag tiling on recent macOS releases, yes for light users. For custom thirds, dense multi-monitor moves, restore-previous-size shortcuts, and portable JSON configs, third-party tools still win. Power users keep Rectangle (or Raycast window commands) even after native tiling shipped. ### Why do these free window managers need Accessibility permissions? macOS blocks apps from resizing other apps until you grant Accessibility. Rectangle, Amethyst, and the others need that permission to read window geometry and send resize commands. You grant it once in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. ### Can I use Rectangle on a company laptop without admin rights? Often yes if you can run apps from your user folder and grant Accessibility yourself. Many corporate profiles lock Accessibility. If IT blocks that pane, no third-party window manager works, paid or free. ### What happened to the Spectacle app? Spectacle was the original open-source Mac window manager and was abandoned. Rectangle was built as a modern Swift successor and can import Spectacle-style shortcuts on first launch. Uninstall Spectacle and use Rectangle. ### Will disabling SIP for Yabai ruin my Mac? Partial SIP changes reduce system protection so Yabai can inject into WindowServer features like shadow removal and faster space switching. The Mac still boots, but malware has an easier path. Only do it if you understand the trade and have a recovery plan. AeroSpace covers many tiling needs without SIP changes. ### How do I completely remove Magnet before installing a free alternative? Uncheck Launch at login in Magnet preferences, quit it, move Magnet.app to Trash, then remove it from System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Install Rectangle and grant Accessibility to the new app only. ### Do tiling window managers drain MacBook battery life? Snap tools like Rectangle and Raycast only wake on a shortcut, so battery impact is negligible. Auto-tilers like Amethyst watch window events more often and cost a little more CPU, but still a small share of a workday compared with browsers and IDEs. ### Why do some Mac apps refuse to snap perfectly in half? Some apps enforce minimum widths (System Settings is a common example). The window manager asks for half the screen; the app refuses sizes below its minimum, so it overlaps the center line. That is an app constraint, not a Magnet or Rectangle bug. ### Can I sync my window shortcuts across multiple Macs? Rectangle exports JSON settings you can store in iCloud or git. Raycast can sync hotkeys with an account. Hammerspoon users keep Lua configs in a repo. Magnet relies more on re-entering preferences per machine. ### Rectangle free vs Rectangle Pro vs Magnet? Free Rectangle covers Magnet-like snaps for most people. Rectangle Pro adds faster snapping and custom any-size shortcuts for about $9.99 one-time on the vendor site. Magnet stays a separate paid App Store app focused on polished drag zones. Start free; upgrade only when you hit a missing custom layout. ### Magnet alternative with keyboard only (no drag zones)? Use Raycast window commands or Rectangle with drag snapping disabled. Keyboard-only users often prefer Raycast because it collapses launcher and window moves into one process. ### Best Magnet alternative for automatic tiling? Amethyst for classic auto-tile layouts without SIP changes. AeroSpace if you want i3-style workspaces and instant switches. Yabai if you already accept SIP tradeoffs and want binary space partitioning. ## Sources - [undefined](https://github.com/rxhanson/Rectangle) - [undefined](https://github.com/ianyh/Amethyst) - [undefined](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai) - [undefined](https://www.raycast.com/) - [undefined](https://www.hammerspoon.org/) - [undefined](https://github.com/MrKai77/Loop) - [undefined](https://github.com/nikitabobko/AeroSpace) - [undefined](https://www.apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia-preview/) - [Magnet on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/magnet/id441258766) - [Magnet official site](https://magnet.crowdcafe.com/) - [Rectangle app](https://rectangleapp.com/) - [Homebrew cask rectangle](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/rectangle) - [Best macOS window managers 2026](https://betterstage.app/best-macos-window-manager) - [Rectangle Pro pricing](https://rectangleapp.com/pro) - [Apple macOS window management documentation](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/work-with-app-windows-mchlp2469/mac) ## Related - [Rectangle vs Magnet](https://bundl.run/compare/rectangle-vs-magnet) - [Rectangle vs Amethyst](https://bundl.run/compare/amethyst-vs-rectangle) - [Amethyst vs Magnet](https://bundl.run/compare/magnet-vs-amethyst) - [Amethyst vs AeroSpace](https://bundl.run/compare/amethyst-vs-aerospace) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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It is free, open source, and mirrors Magnet’s halves, quarters, thirds, and drag-to-edge zones. Install with brew install --cask rectangle, grant Accessibility once, and map the same shortcuts you used in Magnet. Most people never need Rectangle Pro for the Magnet replacement job." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Magnet worth paying for in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually no. The US Mac App Store lists Magnet around $4.99 one-time as of August 2026, which is cheaper than older $8 street memory, but Rectangle still does the same core snapping for free. Pay Magnet if you want App Store updates, a familiar UI for non-technical users, or you already own it from years ago. New buyers who are comfortable with Homebrew should start with Rectangle." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Magnet or Rectangle?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Pick Rectangle if price and open source matter. Pick Magnet if you want the simplest Mac App Store purchase and never want to leave the App Store ecosystem. Feature parity on daily snaps is close enough that price and trust model decide it. Rectangle Pro ($9.99 one-time on rectangleapp.com as listed mid-2026) only matters if you need custom arbitrary sizes beyond free Rectangle." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Apple’s built-in window tiling enough to replace Magnet?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For basic left/right halves and some drag tiling on recent macOS releases, yes for light users. For custom thirds, dense multi-monitor moves, restore-previous-size shortcuts, and portable JSON configs, third-party tools still win. Power users keep Rectangle (or Raycast window commands) even after native tiling shipped." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why do these free window managers need Accessibility permissions?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "macOS blocks apps from resizing other apps until you grant Accessibility. Rectangle, Amethyst, and the others need that permission to read window geometry and send resize commands. You grant it once in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I use Rectangle on a company laptop without admin rights?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Often yes if you can run apps from your user folder and grant Accessibility yourself. Many corporate profiles lock Accessibility. If IT blocks that pane, no third-party window manager works, paid or free." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happened to the Spectacle app?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Spectacle was the original open-source Mac window manager and was abandoned. Rectangle was built as a modern Swift successor and can import Spectacle-style shortcuts on first launch. Uninstall Spectacle and use Rectangle." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will disabling SIP for Yabai ruin my Mac?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Partial SIP changes reduce system protection so Yabai can inject into WindowServer features like shadow removal and faster space switching. The Mac still boots, but malware has an easier path. Only do it if you understand the trade and have a recovery plan. AeroSpace covers many tiling needs without SIP changes." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I completely remove Magnet before installing a free alternative?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Uncheck Launch at login in Magnet preferences, quit it, move Magnet.app to Trash, then remove it from System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Install Rectangle and grant Accessibility to the new app only." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do tiling window managers drain MacBook battery life?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Snap tools like Rectangle and Raycast only wake on a shortcut, so battery impact is negligible. Auto-tilers like Amethyst watch window events more often and cost a little more CPU, but still a small share of a workday compared with browsers and IDEs." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why do some Mac apps refuse to snap perfectly in half?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Some apps enforce minimum widths (System Settings is a common example). The window manager asks for half the screen; the app refuses sizes below its minimum, so it overlaps the center line. That is an app constraint, not a Magnet or Rectangle bug." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I sync my window shortcuts across multiple Macs?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Rectangle exports JSON settings you can store in iCloud or git. Raycast can sync hotkeys with an account. Hammerspoon users keep Lua configs in a repo. Magnet relies more on re-entering preferences per machine." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Rectangle free vs Rectangle Pro vs Magnet?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Free Rectangle covers Magnet-like snaps for most people. Rectangle Pro adds faster snapping and custom any-size shortcuts for about $9.99 one-time on the vendor site. Magnet stays a separate paid App Store app focused on polished drag zones. Start free; upgrade only when you hit a missing custom layout." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Magnet alternative with keyboard only (no drag zones)?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Use Raycast window commands or Rectangle with drag snapping disabled. 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