Mac-first workflows
Mac-first app workflows: four reviewed options
A focused comparison of four apps assigned to the directory's Mac-first workflow guide.
Direct answer
Which app fits which job?
The four reviewed options address separate daily frictions. Rectangle arranges windows, Facet opens apps from a visual grid, Tuck manages crowded menu-bar items, and Things 3 organizes personal tasks. Compare the action you repeat most often, then check each app's minimum macOS, hardware support, purchase model, and permissions or licensing caution.
This answer is limited to the reviewed members below. It is a workflow comparison, not a market-wide ranking.
Included in this review
Open any app page for its complete verified facts and official links.
Current membership
Reviewed apps at a glance
Facet
Productivity
Facet is a visual launcher for Mac users who miss browsing applications in a Launchpad-style grid instead of beginning every launch with a text search.
Rectangle
Utilities
Rectangle is a focused Mac utility for putting windows into repeatable positions with keyboard shortcuts, snap areas, and optional drag-based actions.
Tuck
Menu Bar
Tuck is a compact Mac menu-bar manager for people who can no longer fit their everyday status items into the visible bar.
Things 3
Productivity
Things 3 is a task manager for people who want one place to capture commitments, turn them into projects, and decide what deserves attention today.
Reviewed facts
Workflow and buying comparison
Compare the first reviewed workflow and primary caution for every member. Open an app page for complete facts and verification sources.
| App | Workflow fit | Price and purchase | Minimum macOS | Apple Silicon | Intel | Primary caution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Facet | Use the global shortcut to browse a familiar app grid, open a folder, and launch an installed application without moving through a text-only launcher. | Free tier; optional paid one-time Pro upgrade (check the official page for current price)freemium one time | macOS 14.0+ declared by Facet 1.0.25 Sparkle ZIP | Supported | Not supported | Facet Pro is a separate optional paid one-time upgrade. Its 14-day trial returns to the Free edition and keeps Pro preferences, but the compact mode and advanced controls are not part of Free; check the current official page for its price. |
Rectangle | Assign a shortcut for a half, third, or corner position, then arrange a browser, editor, and reference window without dragging each one into place. | Free and open source; Rectangle Pro is a separate paid productfree open source | macOS 14+ for current repository version; v1.100 listed for macOS 10.15–13 | Supported | Supported | Rectangle needs macOS Accessibility permission to move or resize other application windows; if that permission is revoked, the developer documents resetting and granting it again. |
Tuck | Keep indispensable icons visible, assign background utilities to the hide rule, and reveal the group only when one of those items needs attention. | Free tier with US $14.99 one-time Pro purchasefreemium one time | macOS 14 or later | Supported | Supported | The developer lists stable Tuck 1.1.7 for macOS 14 through 27 and requires macOS 14 or later. The prior 1.0.32 CPU package check does not establish 1.1.7 CPU support, so confirm the current download for your Mac. |
Things 3 | Capture an interruption with Quick Entry, add a start date or deadline, then return to it from Today or Upcoming when it becomes actionable. | US $49.99 for the Mac editionone time | macOS 13.3 or later | Supported | Supported | Things is a one-time purchase sold separately for Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Vision; it is not a single cross-platform subscription. |
Reading notes
How to use this comparison
What Mac-first means here
This guide preserves an editorial relationship, not a blanket technical claim. Check each app page for the reviewed implementation kind, Apple Silicon and Intel support, minimum system information, keyboard workflows, and distribution channel.
Choose by daily friction
Window movement, menu bar organization, task planning, and app launching solve very different problems. Start with the repeated action you want to shorten, then compare price and compatibility.
Scenario: organize a window-heavy workspace
Rectangle fits a browser-editor-reference layout that needs repeatable half, third, or corner positions. Facet addresses a different step: opening installed apps from a visual grid. Test each with the real shortcut and display arrangement you use before adding both to the same routine.
Scenario: reduce desktop and menu-bar friction
Use Tuck when a notched MacBook or a crowded status area hides useful menu-bar controls, and keep indispensable items visible during the trial. Use Things 3 when the clutter is cognitive rather than visual: capture the next action, assign a date only when needed, and return to it from the appropriate list.
Scope of this guide
Only current reviewed members appear here. The guide does not infer membership from marketing language or add unrelated apps to make the list look larger.