Loop
An open-source macOS app for elegant window management with a customizable radial menu and keyboard shortcuts.
What is Loop?
Loop is an open-source macOS application designed to simplify window management through an elegant radial menu and customizable shortcuts. It allows users to move, resize, and arrange windows effortlessly, solving the problem of cluttered workspaces and inefficient window organization on macOS.
macOS users who frequently multitask with multiple windows and seek a more efficient, visually appealing way to manage their desktop layout, including developers, designers, and productivity enthusiasts.
Developers choose Loop for its unique radial menu interface, extensive theming options, and being a free, open-source alternative to paid window management tools, offering both mouse-driven and keyboard-centric workflows.
Overview
Window management made elegant.
Use Cases
Best For
- Managing multiple windows on a single macOS screen efficiently
- Customizing window management with personalized colors and shortcuts
- Quickly arranging windows into halves, quarters, or thirds using keyboard shortcuts
- Decluttering workspaces by stashing windows at screen edges
- Performing sequential window manipulations with cycle actions
- Previewing window resize actions before applying them
Not Ideal For
- Teams working across Windows or Linux platforms
- Users who prioritize built-in trackpad gestures over mouse or keyboard inputs
- Environments requiring persistent workspace saving and restoration
- Professionals needing to pin windows on top for reference while working
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides an intuitive, mouse-driven interface for window manipulation that is visually distinct from standard keyboard-centric tools, enhancing ease of use for spatial tasks.
Offers full theming control over the radial menu and preview window, including colors, shapes, and borders, allowing personalized aesthetics without coding.
The preview window lets users visualize resize actions before applying them, reducing errors and enabling precise window adjustments.
Allows hiding windows at screen edges to clean up workspaces, with quick access via hover or keybinds, a feature not common in free alternatives.
Cons
Only supports macOS 13 and later, completely excluding Windows and Linux users, which limits its utility in mixed-OS environments.
Lacks advanced features like trackpad gestures and workspace saving, as shown in the comparison table, making it less competitive against tools like Rectangle Pro or Hammerspoon.
Setting up Caps Lock as a trigger key requires cumbersome system settings changes or external apps like Karabiner Elements, adding friction to initial setup.
Open Source Alternative To
Loop is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Multitouch is a technology that enables touchscreens and trackpads to recognize multiple points of contact simultaneously, allowing for gestures like pinch-to-zoom and rotation.
Swish is a minimal HTTP client library for Swift, built on top of URLSession, designed for simplicity and ease of use.
A paid version of Rectangle with additional features like window snapping presets, multi-display support, and advanced customization.
Moom is a macOS window management utility that allows users to quickly resize, move, and organize application windows using keyboard shortcuts, mouse gestures, or a menu bar interface.
Magnet is a window management utility for macOS that organizes windows into organized tiles using keyboard shortcuts or drag-and-drop to screen edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
RectangleMove and resize windows on macOS with keyboard shortcuts and snap areas
YabaiA tiling window manager for macOS based on binary space partitioning
IcePowerful menu bar manager for macOS
AeroSpaceAeroSpace is an i3-like tiling window manager for macOS
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