Okie Dockie vs Rectangle
Short answer: Rectangle is a free, open-source window manager focused on moving and resizing windows, with a large set of keyboard shortcuts and snapping to screen edges. Okie Dockie snaps windows through a layout chooser at the top of the screen, and also includes a window switcher, Dock and display features, and Chrome profile Dock icons. Both can run on the same Mac.
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What each app is for
Rectangle is a window manager dedicated to moving and resizing windows. It is free and open source, with a paid Rectangle Pro for extras.
Okie Dockie is a menu-bar app with several features for window management, the Dock and displays. Snapping windows is one part; the others are switching windows, the Dock, displays and Chrome profiles.
Snapping windows
Rectangle works by keyboard first. It has a shortcut for nearly every position — halves, quarters, thirds, two-thirds, centre, maximise — and pressing a shortcut again cycles through sizes. Dragging a window to an edge or corner snaps it there.
Okie Dockie works by choosing. Drag a window to the top of the screen and a row of layouts appears — halves, three columns, one-left-two-right, quarters, four columns. Drop the window into a slot, and Okie Dockie offers your other windows to fill the rest. Keyboard shortcuts cover the common cases: Control-Option with the arrow keys for halves and filling the screen, and Control-Option-2, 3 or 4 to tile the frontmost windows side by side.
The main difference is the approach: Rectangle offers a shortcut or edge for each position, while Okie Dockie shows a set of layouts to choose from.
Everything beyond snapping
Rectangle is dedicated to window positions. Okie Dockie also includes, free:
- Option-Tab — switch between individual windows, not just apps.
- Dock window lists — rest the pointer on a Dock icon to pick one of that app's windows.
- Click-through focus — one click in a background window both focuses it and acts.
- Dock on one display — stop the Dock jumping between monitors.
- Turn a monitor off without unplugging it.
And one paid feature: each Chrome profile as its own Dock icon, returning to that profile's open window — $19 once, with a 7-day free trial.
Side by side
| Rectangle | Okie Dockie | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Pro is paid | Free; Chrome profile icons $19 once |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Keyboard snapping | Shortcuts for many positions and sizes | Halves, fill screen, tile 2–4 windows |
| Drag to edges and corners | Yes | Drag to top, then choose |
| Thirds | Yes | Yes |
| Fills the rest of the layout | No | Yes |
| Window switcher | No | Yes (Option-Tab) |
| Dock and display features | No | Yes |
| Chrome profiles in the Dock | No | Yes (paid) |
| Oldest macOS | 10.15 | 13 |
Things to consider
- Do you arrange windows mostly by keyboard shortcut, or by dragging and choosing a layout?
- Is open source important to you?
- Which macOS version is your Mac on? Rectangle supports 10.15 and later, Okie Dockie 13 and later.
- Do you need only window positions, or also a window switcher, Dock and display features?
Both apps can be installed together; if shortcuts overlap, turn them off in one of them.
Get every Chrome profile into your Dock
Okie Dockie builds a real Dock icon for each Chrome profile you use, badged with that profile's own picture. Click one and you land back in the window it already had open.
Everything except Chrome profile icons is free forever, and the profile icons come with a 7-day free trial that starts on its own — no sign-up, no card. macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Okie Dockie and Rectangle?
Rectangle is an open-source window manager with many keyboard shortcuts and edge snapping. Okie Dockie snaps windows through a drag-to-top layout chooser and also includes window switching, Dock window lists and Chrome profile Dock icons.
Can I use Rectangle and Okie Dockie together?
Yes. If any shortcuts overlap, turn them off in one of the two apps.
Is Okie Dockie free like Rectangle?
Its window features are free. Only Chrome profile Dock icons are paid, at $19 once with a 7-day free trial.
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