Magnet
Window manager for Mac that snaps windows into organized tiles with keyboard shortcuts.
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask magnetQuick Take: Magnet
Magnet is still a polished, dependable snapper if you buy through the App Store. $4.99 once gets you Family Sharing and predictable grids for halves, thirds and sixths with no subscription. Version 3.0.7 is maintenance rather than a new feature wave, and between free Rectangle and Apple's built-in tiling the uniqueness is thinner than it used to be. Keep it if you already own it. If you are buying fresh and Family Sharing does not matter, try Rectangle first. If your household shares Macs through Apple Family and you like App Store simplicity, Magnet remains a fair buy.
Best For
- •Households that benefit from App Store Family Sharing on a $4.99 purchase
- •Windows-to-Mac switchers who want familiar edge/corner snapping
- •Users who need thirds, sixths and custom commands beyond Apple's basic tiler
- •People who prefer a maintained App Store utility over configuring open-source tools
What is Magnet?
Magnet is CrowdCafe's paid window snapper for macOS, sold on the Mac App Store by BOOTCODE A.S. It drops windows into set zones with keyboard shortcuts, edge and corner drags, the green traffic-light button, or the menu bar. If you have used Windows Snap Assist you already know the moves. Drag left for a half, to a corner for a quarter, to the top to maximize. Magnet still sells because it wraps that familiar behavior in a polished App Store package with Family Sharing and a one-time license. The current build is 3.0.7 from April 12, 2025, mostly performance and bug fixes rather than a big 2026 feature drop. It is Universal Binary, tuned for macOS Sequoia and needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. It still costs $4.99 on the Mac App Store. No subscription, no in-app purchases, Family Sharing works, and the listing states no data collection. Layouts cover halves, thirds, quarters and sixths, plus custom commands for power users. Multi-monitor setups are first-class (up to six displays), including vertical monitors with side-edge thirds. Settings can sync via iCloud so shortcuts travel between Macs. Competition is sharper in 2026. Rectangle (free and open source) is the main rival, with Rectangle Pro, BetterSnapTool, Amethyst and Aerospace covering paid and auto-tiling niches. Apple's own tiling in Sequoia and Tahoe now handles basic halves and quarters, and Stage Manager still competes for the same screen. Magnet still makes sense for households that want Family Sharing and zero setup, but many power users have already moved to Rectangle. Where Apple still falls short is thirds, sixths and custom commands.
Closer Look: Magnet vs Rectangle and Apple's Built-in Tiling
Every Magnet purchase decision in 2026 is really three products colliding: Magnet's App Store perpetual license, Rectangle's free open-source snapper and Apple's improving but still basic native tiling.
History & Background
Magnet launched in the early 2010s as one of the first polished drag-to-snap managers for Mac. Rectangle arrived later as a Spectacle successor and normalized free snapping. Apple's Sequoia tiling finally put a first-party half/quarter option on every Mac, which changed the default advice from "you need a third-party snapper" to "you might still want one for thirds and sixths."
How It Works
Magnet, Rectangle and most peers use Accessibility APIs to move and resize windows. The technical floor is similar; differentiation is distribution, Family Sharing, custom commands and how much automatic tiling you want. Magnet stays manual and predictable. Amethyst and Aerospace automate layouts continuously.
Ecosystem & Integrations
Magnet is closed-source with App Store updates and iCloud settings sync. Rectangle's GitHub community ships features and bugfixes in public. BetterSnapTool sits in the folivora.ai ecosystem beside BetterTouchTool. Apple's tiler needs no install but still lacks Magnet's denser grids.
Future Development
Magnet's 3.0.7 store build centers on performance and bug fixes, not a 2026 feature splash. Expect continued OS compatibility work rather than a rewrite. Buyers should evaluate the app as feature-complete maintenance software competing on polish and Family Sharing, not on a rapid roadmap.
Key Features
Edge and Corner Drag Snapping
Drag a window to any screen edge or corner and Magnet shows a translucent overlay of the landing zone before you release. Left and right edges create halves; corners create quarters; the top edge maximizes; the bottom edge creates thirds you can expand into two-thirds. The preview overlay removes guesswork and matches the Windows-style snap muscle memory many switchers expect.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Every Layout
Default Control+Option combinations cover left/right/top/bottom halves, maximize, restore, thirds, quarters and sixths. Every shortcut is editable in Preferences. Most people memorize four or five chords and use them hundreds of times a day. Custom commands extend beyond the built-in grid when a workflow needs a nonstandard size.
Green Button Menu and Menu Bar
Hover or click the green traffic-light button for Magnet's layout menu without memorizing chords and use the menu bar icon as a live cheat sheet of positions plus shortcuts. After a short learning period most users live on the keyboard, but the menus remain useful for infrequent sixths or third combinations.
Thirds, Quarters and Sixths
Beyond basic halves, Magnet tiles into three equal columns, ideal on ultrawide monitors for editor, browser and terminal side by side, plus quarters and a 3×2 sixths grid for large 4K/5K displays. You can also combine two thirds into a two-thirds/one-third split. These denser layouts are still an area where Magnet beats Apple's built-in tiling.
Multi-Monitor and Vertical Displays
Snap zones work independently on each connected display, with support for up to six monitors. Keyboard shortcuts can move windows between screens. Vertical displays adapt: thirds run along the sides while quarters and halves sit in corners and along the bottom edge, so portrait monitors stay usable instead of feeling like broken landscape layouts.
iCloud Settings Sync
Magnet can sync preferences, including customized shortcuts and enabled commands, via iCloud across Macs signed into the same Apple ID. That matters for people who bounce between a laptop and a desktop and do not want to re-teach their chord map on every machine.
Restore and Center
Magnet remembers a window's pre-snap geometry so a restore shortcut returns it to the original size and position after a temporary layout. A center command places the current window in the middle of the screen without resizing, handy for dialogs and preference panes that should not fill a half.
Custom Commands
Beyond the stock grid, Magnet lets you define custom sizing and positioning commands for workflows Apple's native tiling still does not cover. Power users who need a recurring nonstandard fraction of the screen can bind it once and reuse it from the keyboard or menus.
Who Should Use Magnet?
1The Developer with a Dual-Monitor Setup
A MacBook sits beside an external display. The code editor occupies the external monitor's right half, the terminal the left half and documentation fills the laptop screen. Three Magnet shortcuts lock the layout; three more rearrange it when switching from coding to pull-request review. No manual dragging between meetings.
2The Writer Comparing Sources
Research lives in a browser on the left half, the draft on the right and notes occasionally join as a third. Magnet's halves and thirds flip between two- and three-pane layouts in a keystroke. When focus mode hits, maximize collapses everything to the writing app alone.
3The Designer in a Review Session
Figma and the live site sit in opposing halves for pixel comparison. When a client joins a call, Zoom drops into a quarter while the remaining three quarters stay on design work. Screen real estate flexes without reshuffling every window by hand.
4The Student Taking Online Classes
Lecture video and notes occupy opposing halves; a browser for lookups joins as a third when needed. Keyboard snaps keep rearrangement from interrupting note-taking. Between classes, maximize opens reading assignments full screen.
5The Analyst with Multiple Spreadsheets
Four workbooks land in screen quarters on a 27-inch display so columns stay readable while comparing figures. Maximizing one sheet for deep edits and restoring the four-up grid is a chord away instead of a resize marathon.
How to Install Magnet on Mac
Magnet is sold exclusively through the Mac App Store as a one-time purchase.
Purchase from the Mac App Store
Open the Mac App Store, search for Magnet (or open the listing for id 441258766) and buy it for $4.99 USD. There is no subscription and no in-app purchase upsell.
Grant Accessibility Permission
On first launch, allow Accessibility access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility so Magnet can move and resize windows. Enable the toggle and relaunch if macOS prompts again after an update.
Learn the Core Shortcuts
Start with left half, right half, maximize and restore. Those four cover the majority of daily window management before you add thirds or quarters.
Tune Preferences
From the menu bar icon, open Preferences to remap shortcuts, toggle drag-to-snap, enable iCloud sync of settings and configure which layouts appear in the green-button menu.
Pro Tips
- • Family Sharing means one $4.99 purchase can cover eligible household members on the same Apple Family group.
- • If an external keyboard puts modifiers in awkward places, remap chords immediately instead of fighting the defaults.
- • Magnet can coexist awkwardly with Stage Manager and with Apple's built-in tiling, many users disable one when the other feels fighty.
Configuration Tips
Disable Drag-to-Snap if Shortcuts Are Enough
If edge overlays fire while dragging windows between monitors, turn off drag-to-snap in Preferences and rely on keyboard chords. Accidental snaps are the most common multi-monitor complaint.
Learn Halves First
Memorize left half, right half, maximize and restore before thirds or sixths. Gradual adoption beats trying to learn fifteen shortcuts on day one.
Use Sixths Only on Large Displays
Sixths shine on 27-inch and larger monitors. On a 13- or 14-inch laptop panel the panes are usually too narrow to read comfortably.
Remap Around IDE Conflicts
Control+Option+Arrow defaults often collide with VS Code and JetBrains navigation. Remap Magnet to a Hyper key (via Karabiner-Elements) or another free modifier combo if editors swallow the chords.
Turn On iCloud Settings Sync
If you use more than one Mac, enable iCloud sync so shortcut remaps and enabled layouts follow you instead of diverging per machine.
Alternatives to Magnet
Window management on macOS in 2026 spans free snap utilities, paid power tools, automatic tilers and Apple's improving built-ins:
Rectangle
Rectangle is the free, open-source primary rival. It covers keyboard snapping, drag-to-snap, halves, thirds and quarters, with an active GitHub community. Unless you specifically want App Store Family Sharing and a perpetual MAS purchase, try Rectangle first.
Rectangle Pro
Rectangle Pro adds paid power features such as custom sizes, app-specific behavior and gaps. Choose it when free Rectangle is close but you need finer control Magnet does not expose.
BetterSnapTool
BetterSnapTool from folivora.ai (the BetterTouchTool developer) emphasizes customizable snap areas and advanced positioning. It is a strong pick when Magnet's predefined grid feels too rigid.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a free automatic tiling window manager. It continually retile windows instead of waiting for manual snaps. Prefer it if you want hands-off tiling rather than Magnet's on-demand layouts.
Aerospace
Aerospace is a modern i3-inspired tiling manager for macOS power users. It is far more configurable than Magnet and aimed at keyboard-centric workflows that treat the desktop like a Linux tiling setup.
macOS built-in tiling / Stage Manager
Apple's Sequoia/Tahoe window tiling handles basic halves and quarters without a third-party app and Stage Manager groups windows differently. Native tiling is still weaker on thirds, sixths and custom commands, Magnet's remaining differentiator for App Store buyers.
Pricing
Magnet costs $4.99 USD as a one-time Mac App Store purchase. The license is perpetual: no subscription, no in-app purchases and free updates for the current product line. Family Sharing is supported. The App Store privacy label indicates no data collection. Compared with free Rectangle, you are paying for App Store distribution, automatic updates, purchase history, Apple's refund path and household sharing, not for exclusive layouts Apple and Rectangle cannot approximate.
Pros
- ✓Simple, reliable snapping from day one with minimal configuration
- ✓Drag-to-snap, keyboard shortcuts, green-button menu and menu bar coverage
- ✓Halves, thirds, quarters, sixths, custom commands and multi-monitor support (up to six displays)
- ✓One-time $4.99 purchase with Family Sharing and no subscription
- ✓iCloud sync of settings and Universal Binary for Apple Silicon and Intel
- ✓No data collection per App Store privacy labeling
Cons
- ✗Costs $4.99 when Rectangle covers the same core job for free
- ✗No major 2026 feature release, current store build is still 3.0.7 maintenance work
- ✗Apple's Sequoia/Tahoe built-in tiling overlaps basic halves/quarters and can conflict
- ✗Limited compared with scripting-heavy managers (yabai) or automatic tilers (Amethyst, Aerospace)
- ✗Default three-key shortcuts can collide with IDE chords unless remapped
Community & Support
Magnet is developed by CrowdCafe and sold on the Mac App Store by BOOTCODE A.S. Support flows through App Store review replies and developer email rather than a public GitHub issue tracker, because the app is closed-source commercial software. Community debate lives on Reddit (r/macapps, r/MacOS), Mac rumor sites and endless "Magnet vs Rectangle" threads. Softwar and similar directories still list Magnet as an active utility. Expect praise for simplicity and Family Sharing, plus frequent reminders that Rectangle is free.
Frequently Asked Questions about Magnet
About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
Expert Tips for Magnet
The eternal $4.99 Magnet vs free Rectangle debate is almost never about missing layouts, it is about whether App Store Family Sharing and purchase history are worth five dollars for your household.
Family Sharing is Magnet's real moat: one perpetual purchase covering eligible family Macs still beats asking relatives to install and trust a separate open-source binary.
Apple's native Sequoia/Tahoe tiling closed the "Mac cannot snap at all" gap, but Magnet still wins for thirds, sixths, custom commands and predictable green-button layouts power users expect.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Related Topics
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Aug 9, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Magnet snaps windows into organized tiles via dragging, customizable keyboard shortcuts, or the menu bar, including fullscreen, halves, quarters and thirds.[cite-1]
- Magnet is sold on the Mac App Store for a one-time purchase (listing id 441258766) with Family Sharing and no subscription model.[cite-2]
- Magnet supports up to six external displays and adapts layouts for vertical screens.[cite-1]
- Rectangle is a free open-source macOS window manager commonly compared with Magnet.[cite-3, cite-4]
- Apple documents built-in Mac window tiling that covers basic side-by-side arrangements without third-party apps.[cite-6]
- 1Magnet to Window manager for Mac
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Official site describing drag, shortcut and menu bar snapping plus multi-display support."
- 2Magnet on the Mac App Store
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Mac App Store listing for Magnet with pricing, version and Family Sharing metadata."
- 3Rectangle to macOS window management
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Official site for the free Rectangle window manager, Magnet's primary rival."
- 4Rectangle GitHub repository
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Open-source repository for Rectangle, used to compare features and maintenance activity."
- 5BetterSnapTool
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Product page for BetterSnapTool, a paid snapping alternative from folivora.ai."
- 6Tile windows on Mac to Apple Support
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Apple's documentation for built-in Mac window tiling introduced and expanded in recent macOS releases."
- 7Magnet on Softwar
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Third-party software directory entry summarizing Magnet as an active macOS window utility."
Research queries: Magnet macOS CrowdCafe App Store 3.0.7 pricing 2026; Magnet vs Rectangle vs macOS Sequoia window tiling; BetterSnapTool Aerospace Amethyst alternatives