Last updated: July 29, 2026
Tiles vs Rectangle: should you pay at all?
Let's start with the honest part: Rectangle is free, open source, and very good. If it already covers everything you need, keep using it — no app should talk you out of a tool that works. This page is for people deciding between the two, and it lays out exactly what differs.
The short version
Keep Rectangle if you live in English, are happy with preset window positions, and want to pay nothing. It is a mature open-source project and the default recommendation in this category for a reason.
Consider Tiles if you want custom layouts you draw yourself without buying a separate Pro upgrade, use your Mac in one of 11 languages, prefer a single focused app over a free/Pro split — and want to verify all of that first with an unlimited free trial.
Feature comparison
| Tiles | Rectangle (free) | Rectangle Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9 one-time, unlimited trial | Free (open source) | $9.99 one-time |
| Drag to snap with preview | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Halves / quarters / thirds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Size cycling on repeated press | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom layouts (draw on a grid) | Included | No | Yes |
| Restore original position | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move between displays | Yes, keeps relative size | Yes | Yes |
| Interface languages | 11 | English-focused | |
| Download size | ~2 MB | ~10 MB | |
| Model | One app, one price | Free base + paid Pro | |
What you actually get for $9
Custom layouts without the Pro upsell
Rectangle's free version gives you preset positions. The moment you want your own — a 70% editor with a narrow chat strip, a centered writing column — you're shopping for Rectangle Pro at $9.99. Tiles includes its grid layout editor in the one $9 price: drag out any rectangle, save it, give it a shortcut.
A first-class experience in 11 languages
Tiles is fully localized — app, website, and documentation — in English, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian. If you or your team work in any of these languages, this is the difference you notice every day.
One focused app
No free tier with feature gaps, no separate Pro app to evaluate. Every feature is in the trial, the trial never expires, and the license is a single purchase that covers your Macs.
What Rectangle does better
- It's free. That's not a small thing, and we won't pretend otherwise.
- Open source. You can read the code, build it yourself, and file issues on GitHub. For some users that transparency is decisive.
- Ecosystem maturity. Years of community, documentation, and answers on every corner of the internet.
The bottom line
Rectangle free is the right answer for a lot of people. Tiles is for those who want layout freedom and native-quality localization in one small, supported app — and because the trial has no time limit, you don't have to take our word for any of this. Run both for a week and keep the one you reach for.
Tiles is free to try — no time limit, no signup.
Download Tiles for FreeRectangle and Rectangle Pro are projects of Ryan Hanson. This comparison was last checked in July 2026 — if anything here is out of date, let us know.