Window manager comparison
Rectangle, Magnet, and Raycast move and resize the front window. They do not save a named Mac workspace and put every window, app, and all open browser tabs back later. SnapState does not tile or snap. It restores window positions and sizes across every Space, relaunches the apps in a workspace, remembers the monitor layout, and reopens all open tabs in Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, and Chromium. If you only want snapping, do not buy SnapState.
Short version: use Rectangle, Raycast, or Magnet to snap. Use SnapState, at $9.99 once, when the job is calling a whole workspace back. Rectangle Pro is the paid snap tool that also arranges apps.
Rectangle (rectangleapp.com) is an open source snap tool. It moves and resizes windows with keyboard shortcuts or snap areas on macOS 10.15 or later, on Intel and Apple Silicon. It is a snap tool, not a named workspace restore product.
Magnet is a Mac App Store app listed around $4.99 one-time in the U.S., with a perpetual license and no subscription. It requires macOS 13 or later. You snap the window you are using from trigger areas, keyboard shortcuts, the green-button menu, or the menu bar. Its listing does not describe named multi-app snapshots or browser tab restore.
Raycast includes Window Management commands that snap, resize, and move windows between displays with shortcuts. Raycast also sells a separate Pro plan for other features. Those window commands do not restore a saved multi-app layout or browser tab URLs.
Rectangle Pro is a separate app, not an unlock inside free Rectangle. It costs $9.99 one-time after a 10-day trial, and one license can be active on 3 devices. It focuses on snapping: throws, custom sizes, and shortcuts.
Its own site also says it can arrange an entire workspace of apps with one shortcut and activate when displays are connected or disconnected. Do not treat SnapState as the only paid app that can arrange apps. The difference is the job. SnapState keeps several named snapshots you switch on demand, relaunches missing apps, restores all open tabs, and can restore on wake or when a matching display layout appears. It still does not snap.
SnapState is a native menu bar app for macOS 15.7 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel. Version 2.7.1 ships as a signed, notarized DMG, not through the Mac App Store. A workspace stores windows on every Space, the apps needed to relaunch them, the display layout, and all open tabs after Automation permission. Restore from the menu bar or with Control-Command-1 to 6. Optional triggers cover display connect, disconnect, a matching layout, and wake from sleep. If the displays differ, saved frames are remapped. Workspace data stays on the Mac in ~/Library/Application Support/SnapState/. The app needs Accessibility permission to move windows.
The license is $9.99 one-time for up to three Macs, with a 14-day refund. That is the same price as Rectangle Pro and more than Magnet, for a different feature set. For a deeper tiling comparison, see Moom vs SnapState. See also Stay vs SnapState.
Use the table to separate snapping from restoring a workspace. Rectangle Pro is called out in the rows where it differs from free Rectangle.
| Capability | SnapState | Rectangle | Magnet | Raycast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snaps or tiles the front window | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Named workspaces you switch on demand | Yes | No | Not listed | No |
| Relaunches apps in a saved workspace | Yes | No in free Rectangle. Rectangle Pro can arrange a workspace of apps. | Not listed | No |
| Restores all browser tabs | Yes | No | Not listed | No |
| Restore on display connect or disconnect | Yes | Rectangle Pro, not free Rectangle | Not listed | No |
| Wake and matching-layout triggers | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | No |
| Price | $9.99 one-time | Free. Pro is $9.99. | About $4.99 one-time | Window commands included. Pro is separate. |
SnapState restores layouts across multiple Spaces (each Space is restored when you switch to it). It restores tabs only from supported browsers, and Firefox is not supported. It will not replace Rectangle, Magnet, or Raycast if your daily habit is snapping windows into zones. If that habit plus one display-aware app arrangement is the whole job, try Rectangle Pro before you pay for SnapState. Using a snap tool and SnapState together is reasonable when you want both jobs.
Yes, if you want your whole workspace back: SnapState saves named workspaces and restores windows, relaunches apps and reopens all open browser tabs, automatically on wake or monitor reconnect. Rectangle, Magnet and Raycast snap the front window and do not restore a saved workspace, so many people run a snap tool alongside SnapState.
No. SnapState does not tile, snap, or resize the window you are dragging. It saves an arrangement you already made and puts those windows back later.
Rectangle Pro is a separate $9.99 app. Its site says it can arrange an entire workspace of apps with one shortcut and activate when displays connect or disconnect. SnapState goes further by keeping several named snapshots, relaunching missing apps, restoring all open tabs, and offering wake and matching-layout triggers, without snapping.
Yes. Use Rectangle, Magnet, or Raycast to place the window you are working in now. Use SnapState to capture the whole arrangement and call it back after a restart, a monitor change, or a context switch.
SnapState restores layouts across multiple Spaces (each Space is restored when you switch to it). It restores tabs only from supported browsers. Firefox is not supported. It requires macOS 15.7 or later.