Layout that maintains itself
Auto Flow arranges managed windows into layouts with split or tab priority, so the arrangement holds as new windows open. Moom's placement and saved layouts apply at the moment you invoke them.
Moom alternative for Mac: Tangrid vs Moom
Moom is a Mac window placement app from Many Tricks that puts a palette of sizes and positions behind a window's green button and can save whole window layouts. Tangrid is a macOS window manager that places windows as well, and also keeps a layout arranged and helps you find a window again. Both products can restore an arrangement, so the choice comes down to how the arrangement is built.
In short
- Best at
- Moom is best at the mouse. Hover a window's green button for a customisable palette of up to 61 actions, drag out a position on the custom grid, or drop a window on a configurable snap zone.
- Tangrid adds
- Tangrid adds Auto Flow automatic layouts, Tab Grouping, Window Switcher with vertical search, Dock Preview, and a Space Indicator to the snapping and saved layouts both tools offer.
- The deciding question
- Do you want to arrange windows by hand and save that arrangement, or do you want the layout to keep itself in order while you work?
Module by module
Both products place windows and restore saved arrangements, so the table compares those two modules.
| Module | Moom | Tangrid |
|---|---|---|
| Window snapping | Yes A pop-up palette on the window's green button, a custom grid, configurable snap zones, and keyboard shortcuts, with actions that can be chained and organised into folders. | Yes Snap Assistant places a window in any of 18 positions on a 3x6 grid, fills the screen, and supports modifier-based moving and resizing. |
| Workspaces | Yes Saved layouts restore an arrangement when you activate them. A layout can be tied to the apps you use, or move the most recently used windows regardless of which apps they belong to. | Yes Workspaces save a named project layout, including positions, sizes, tiled or floating state, tab groups, and the target desktop, and can reopen missing windows when launch actions are configured. |
Where Tangrid goes further
Tangrid covers these modules too.
Finding one window by name
Window Switcher lists every window or only those of the current app, with previews and vertical search by window title or app name. Dock Preview shows an app's windows when you hover its Dock icon.
Keeping related windows together
Tab Grouping puts related windows into one tabbed slot in the layout, with previews, reordering, and whole-group moves, swaps, and merges.
Which one to choose
Choose Moom if
- You want one pop-up palette with up to 61 configurable actions, chained commands, and folders.
- You prefer to arrange windows by hand and save that arrangement instead of running a tiling model.
- You want saved layouts that can be applied to the most recently used windows, whatever apps they belong to.
Choose Tangrid if
- You want a layout that keeps holding as windows open and close.
- You want to find a window by title or app name rather than scan a palette.
- You want Dock previews and tab grouping alongside window placement.
Frequently asked questions
Can Moom save and restore window layouts?
Yes. Arrange your windows the way you want them, save the layout, and activate it later to restore that arrangement. Moom can associate a layout with specific apps, or move the most recently used windows into the saved positions independent of which apps they belong to.
Does Moom tile windows automatically?
No. Moom acts when you use the pop-up palette, a snap zone, the grid, a keyboard shortcut, or a saved layout. Keeping managed windows arranged as the desktop changes is the job of Tangrid's Auto Flow mode.
Can I use Moom and Tangrid together?
You can, but the placement and saved-layout features overlap. Snap Assistant and Workspaces cover similar ground, so most people turn off the duplicate shortcuts or choose one tool for placement.
What does Tangrid do that Moom does not?
Tangrid adds Auto Flow automatic layouts, Tab Grouping, Window Switcher with vertical search, Dock Preview, and a Space Indicator. Moom covers placement, custom grids, snap zones, and saved window layouts.