Magnet alternative for Mac: when halves and thirds aren't enough
By Guido Crego · Last updated:
Magnet snaps windows to halves, thirds and quarters when you drag them to a screen edge. Shoji costs the same, US$4.99, and does something Magnet doesn't: you draw your own zones on each monitor and drop windows into them.
Pick Magnet if…
- You like keyboard shortcuts for moving windows. Magnet has them, plus a menu-bar menu.
- Halves, thirds, quarters and two-thirds cover what you need.
- You want it from the Mac App Store, on every Mac you own.
Pick Shoji if…
- You want sizes Magnet doesn’t have: a wide center with narrow sides, a narrow chat column, two windows stacked next to a big one.
- You use more than one monitor and want a different layout on each.
- You’d rather drag windows into zones you can see than aim for a screen edge.
Side by side
As checked on the date at the top of this page.
| Magnet | Shoji | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$4.99 (¥490 in Japan) | US$4.99 |
| Where | Mac App Store | getshoji.com |
| Macs per purchase | Any Mac you own (App Store license) | One Mac (move it by deactivating) |
| Trial | No | No; 14-day refund |
| How you snap | Drag to a screen edge or corner, keyboard shortcuts, menu | Hold fn (or another key) while dragging, drop on a zone |
| Sizes | Halves, thirds, two-thirds, quarters, full screen, plus custom commands | Any zone you draw |
| A layout per monitor | No | Yes, and it comes back when you reconnect the monitor |
| Saved layouts to switch between | No | Yes, several per monitor |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | No |
| Latest update | 3.0.7, April 2025 | 1.0.2, October 2026 |
| macOS | 13 or later | 15 or later |
How the two work
Magnet watches the edges of the screen. Drag a window to the left edge and it takes the left half; to a corner, a quarter; to the bottom edge, a third, and sliding along it makes two-thirds. Its shortcuts and custom commands move the active window without the mouse.
Shoji lets you draw the layout first. Open the editor, drag across the screen to make zones (they snap to a grid and to each other), and save. From then on, hold fn while you drag any window: your zones light up, and the window fills the one you let go over. Each monitor has its own zones.
Switch from Magnet to Shoji
- Open Shoji and allow Accessibility when macOS asks. Any app needs it to move other apps’ windows.
- From the Shoji menu in the menu bar, choose Edit Zones.
- Start from a quick start (Halves, Thirds, Center + sides), or draw the layout you kept building by hand with Magnet.
- Save. Hold fn while you drag a window, and let go over a zone.
If you still want keyboard shortcuts for halves and quarters, macOS has them built in since macOS 15: Fn + Control + arrow keys.
Questions
Is Shoji on the Mac App Store?
No. It’s sold on getshoji.com, through Dodo Payments. Your license key arrives by email.
Can I use one purchase on two Macs?
No. A Shoji license is for one Mac. To move it, deactivate it in Settings → General on the old Mac and activate it on the new one.
Does it work with every app?
With any window macOS lets other apps move and resize. A few windows have a fixed size, and full-screen apps live in their own space.
Magnet is made by BOOTCODE A.S. Shoji isn’t affiliated with it.
Shoji · window zones for Mac
Draw zones on each monitor, drag a window over one, and it snaps in. $4.99 once; if it isn't for you, your money back within 14 days.
$4.99 once · one Mac · macOS 15 or later