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LanesMac vs Loop
Loop is a free, open-source Mac app for moving and resizing the window you're using: hold a trigger key and pick a direction on a radial menu. It's quick and friendly, but it doesn't keep a layout; every new window still opens wherever its app puts it. LanesMac is a window manager that arranges every window for you on a scrolling strip.
Every feature free for 24 hours. No account needed.
Choose LanesMac if…
- You want windows arranged automatically, without placing each one
- You keep many windows open and want them never to overlap
- You want to move between windows in order with keys or swipes
- You'd like stacks, tabs, pins and per-app rules
Choose Loop if…
- You want a free, open-source tool
- You only need to send a window to a half or a corner now and then
- You like the default overlapping Mac windows most of the time
- You prefer a radial menu to keyboard shortcuts
Side by side
| Feature | LanesMac | Loop |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Arranges every window as a column on a strip | Moves and resizes the window you're using |
| New windows | Open beside the focused column automatically | Open where their app puts them |
| Overlapping | Never | Until you move them |
| Moving between windows | ⌃⌥ arrow keys, swipes, search, jump to 1-9 | macOS's own ⌘Tab and Mission Control |
| Setup | Settings window | Preferences window |
| Price | One-time $19.99, lifetime license | Free and open source |
Based on each project's public documentation as of 2026. See Loop for its latest features.
A mover vs a manager
Loop makes one action faster: putting the current window somewhere. LanesMac removes the action altogether, because every window already has its place in the strip. If you move windows a few times a day, Loop is plenty; if you rearrange them all day, a window manager saves more time.
Using both
They solve different problems, but don't run Loop's resizing on windows LanesMac is arranging, or the two will move the same window. You can float a window in LanesMac with ⌃⌥T and then place it with Loop.
Questions
Is Loop a tiling window manager?
No. Loop moves and resizes a window when you ask; it doesn't keep a layout of all your windows.
Can I use Loop and LanesMac together?
Only on windows you float in LanesMac (⌃⌥T). On windows LanesMac arranges, the two would move the same window.
See which one fits
The quickest way to decide is to try it with your own windows. LanesMac is free for 24 hours, then a one-time purchase.