Softwr

File Storage · head to head

Ceph vs Rectangle

Ceph logo

Ceph

File Storage

Open source distributed storage providing object, block and file from one cluster

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rectangle logo

Rectangle

Utilities

Free open source window snapping for macOS, with a separate paid Rectangle Pro for extra features

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ceph ceph assumes an operator who understands placement groups, CRUSH rules and recovery tuning, so organisations without dedicated storage staff routinely end up with a cluster that works until the first failure and then does not.; Rectangle rectangle Pro is a separate app rather than an in-app purchase, so upgrading means installing and managing a second piece of software.
  • They diverge on capability: Ceph covers RADOS object store, Rectangle covers Keyboard shortcuts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ceph and Rectangle actually diverge.

Attributes where Ceph and Rectangle differ
AttributeCephRectangle
PlatformsLinuxMac
CategoryFile StorageUtilities

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ceph

  • RADOS object store
  • RADOS Gateway
  • RBD block devices
  • CephFS
  • CRUSH placement
  • Erasure coded pools

Only in Rectangle

  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Drag to snap
  • Multi-display support
  • Almost full screen
  • Rectangle Pro extras
  • Open source core

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ceph

  • Backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an S3 endpoint all need the same hardwarenot Rectangle
  • Growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity serversnot Rectangle
  • Research and media environments with petabytes of data and staff who can operate storagenot Rectangle
  • Providing an S3 endpoint on premises with multi site replication under your own controlnot Rectangle

Rectangle

  • A developer who wants source-available window management with no cost and no accountnot Ceph
  • Anyone replacing Magnet who does not want to pay even a small one-time feenot Ceph
  • A user who installs software via Homebrew rather than the Mac App Storenot Ceph
  • A power user who later wants Rectangle Pro extras but does not need them from day onenot Ceph

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ceph

  • Ceph assumes an operator who understands placement groups, CRUSH rules and recovery tuning, so organisations without dedicated storage staff routinely end up with a cluster that works until the first failure and then does not.
  • Small clusters are inefficient: three way replication means a third of raw capacity is usable, and erasure coding needs enough failure domains to be safe, so the economics only work above a certain size.
  • Recovery and rebalancing generate heavy internal traffic, so a failed disk can degrade client latency across the cluster unless backfill is throttled correctly beforehand.
  • Upgrades must follow a strict daemon order across monitors, managers, OSDs and gateways, and a mistake in that order on a live cluster is difficult to reverse.
  • Because it is self hosted, every byte served to the internet is transit you pay for on your own links, so the free licence does not mean free egress and bandwidth planning becomes your problem rather than the providers.

Rectangle

  • Rectangle Pro is a separate app rather than an in-app purchase, so upgrading means installing and managing a second piece of software.
  • It is Mac only, so it offers nothing for a user who also runs Windows and wants one window manager everywhere.
  • It has no official paid support channel, being a community open source project, so issues are handled through GitHub rather than a vendor support desk.
  • Some very old or unusually built third party apps still resist Rectangle window snapping, a limitation shared with most third party window managers on macOS.
  • Because it is not distributed through the Mac App Store, some users have to manually approve accessibility permissions and updates rather than getting silent App Store updates.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ceph

Free
  • CephFree
    • Full functionality, no capacity limit
    • Object, block and file interfaces
    • Community support via mailing list and Slack

Rectangle

Free
  • RectangleFree
    • Free and open source, no account needed
    • Keyboard and drag window snapping
    • Multi-display support
  • Rectangle Pro$9.99/one-time
    • Separate paid app, not an in-app unlock
    • Cursor-following snap areas
    • Per-app window size memory

Which should you pick?

Choose Ceph if

  • You need rados object store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want rados gateway.
Ceph review

Choose Rectangle if

  • You need keyboard shortcuts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want drag to snap.
Rectangle review

Questions people ask

Is Ceph or Rectangle better?
Neither clearly leads. Ceph starts at Free and Rectangle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ceph or Rectangle?
Ceph starts at Free and Rectangle at Free.
Does Ceph or Rectangle run on more platforms?
Ceph runs on Linux. Rectangle runs on Mac.
Can I use Ceph for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ceph best used for?
Ceph is most often used for backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an s3 endpoint all need the same hardware, growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity servers, research and media environments with petabytes of data and staff who can operate storage, providing an s3 endpoint on premises with multi site replication under your own control. Of those, backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an s3 endpoint all need the same hardware and growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity servers are not what Rectangle is typically brought in for.
What can Ceph do that Rectangle cannot?
Ceph covers RADOS object store, RADOS Gateway, RBD block devices, CephFS. Rectangle covers Keyboard shortcuts, Drag to snap, Multi-display support, Almost full screen.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ceph: How many nodes do I need to start?

Three is the practical minimum for a replicated cluster with real fault tolerance, and most production advice starts at five once you account for maintenance windows.

Rectangle: Is Rectangle really free?

Yes. The core app is free and open source with no feature gating or trial period.

Ceph: Is it faster than a SAN?

Not on single stream latency. It wins on aggregate throughput and on growing without a forklift upgrade, which is a different property from raw speed.

Rectangle: What does Rectangle Pro add?

Cursor-following snap areas, per-app window size memory and some additional layouts, sold as a separate one-time purchase app.

Ceph: Can I buy support?

Yes. IBM sells IBM Storage Ceph and SUSE and others have offered supported builds; the upstream project itself is free.

Rectangle: How is it different from Magnet?

Rectangle is free and open source; Magnet is a paid Mac App Store app from the start with no free tier.

Ceph: Should I use it just for S3?

If object is all you need, a dedicated object store is simpler to run. Ceph earns its complexity when you need block and file as well.

Share

Related pages

More on Ceph

More on Rectangle

Keep looking

Other head to heads