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Utilities · head to head

Magnet vs Sedaru

Magnet logo

Magnet

Utilities

Mac App Store window manager sold as a one-time paid app, with no free tier

From
$4.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sedaru logo

Sedaru

Utilities

Water utility asset management and field operations built on top of Esri ArcGIS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Magnet there is no free tier at all, so a user cannot try before buying beyond the Mac App Store return window.; Sedaru the Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • They diverge on capability: Magnet covers Keyboard shortcuts, Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Magnet and Sedaru actually diverge.

Attributes where Magnet and Sedaru differ
AttributeMagnetSedaru
Starting price$4.99/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelOne-time purchasequote
PlatformsMacWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

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 Magnet

  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Drag to snap
  • Multi-display support
  • Mac App Store distribution
  • Menu bar access
  • Third display layouts

Only in Sedaru

  • Esri-native asset model
  • Field crew mobile
  • Hydraulic model integration
  • SCADA alarm context
  • Capital planning
  • Customer service linkage

What people use each for

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

Magnet

  • A user who wants the App Store handling licensing, family sharing and updates automaticallynot Sedaru
  • Someone who prefers paying a small one-time fee up front over evaluating a free tool firstnot Sedaru
  • A less technical user who does not want to install from GitHub or Homebrewnot Sedaru
  • A family sharing one Apple ID that wants one purchase to cover multiple Macs in the householdnot Sedaru

Sedaru

  • A water utility whose crews already work from ArcGIS maps and that wants work orders on the same map rather than in a separate CMMSnot Magnet
  • A wastewater authority prioritising collection system renewal by risk and condition rather than by age alonenot Magnet
  • Giving field crews offline access to network asset data and work history in areas with no mobile coveragenot Magnet
  • A utility trying to connect SCADA alarms to the physical assets and recent work that explain them, instead of reading alarms in isolationnot Magnet

Where each one falls short

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

Magnet

  • There is no free tier at all, so a user cannot try before buying beyond the Mac App Store return window.
  • It offers fewer customisation options than Rectangle, such as fewer configurable snap zones and less granular per-app behaviour.
  • Update cadence has historically been slower than the actively developed open source Rectangle project.
  • It is Mac only and App Store only, so it cannot be scripted, redistributed internally by a company, or installed outside Apple normal channels.
  • Being a small independent app, support depends on the developer responding to App Store reviews or email rather than a dedicated support team.

Sedaru

  • The Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • Sedaru inherits GIS data quality, so a utility with an incomplete or stale geodatabase discovers the gaps in front of field crews rather than fixing them, and the data remediation project is not in the Sedaru quote.
  • The North American water focus means limited relevance and limited implementation support outside that market, particularly for utilities operating under European or Australian regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Nothing is published on price and the product is sold within a large corporate portfolio, so a small utility has little basis for judging whether the quoted subscription is competitive.
  • It is a water and wastewater product; a municipality wanting one asset system across water, roads, parks and facilities will need a broader public works platform alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Magnet

$4.99/one-time
  • Magnet$4.99/one-time
    • Full app unlocked immediately, no trial gating
    • Mac App Store purchase and family sharing
    • Free updates through the App Store

Sedaru

On request
  • Sedaru$undefined/year
    • Subscription sized on utility scale and module selection
    • Esri ArcGIS licence required and purchased separately from Esri
    • Implementation and GIS data preparation quoted as services

Which should you pick?

Choose Magnet if

  • You need keyboard shortcuts.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want drag to snap.
Magnet review

Choose Sedaru if

  • You need esri-native asset model.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want field crew mobile.
Sedaru review

Questions people ask

Is Magnet or Sedaru better?
Neither clearly leads. Magnet starts at $4.99/one-time and Sedaru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Magnet or Sedaru?
Magnet starts at $4.99/one-time and Sedaru at On request.
Does Magnet or Sedaru run on more platforms?
Magnet runs on Mac. Sedaru runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
What is Magnet best used for?
Magnet is most often used for a user who wants the app store handling licensing, family sharing and updates automatically, someone who prefers paying a small one-time fee up front over evaluating a free tool first, a less technical user who does not want to install from github or homebrew, a family sharing one apple id that wants one purchase to cover multiple macs in the household. Of those, a user who wants the app store handling licensing, family sharing and updates automatically and someone who prefers paying a small one-time fee up front over evaluating a free tool first are not what Sedaru is typically brought in for.
What can Magnet do that Sedaru cannot?
Magnet covers Keyboard shortcuts, Drag to snap, Multi-display support, Mac App Store distribution. Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model, Field crew mobile, Hydraulic model integration, SCADA alarm context.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Magnet: Does Magnet have a free version?

No. It has always been a paid Mac App Store purchase with no free tier.

Sedaru: Do I need Esri ArcGIS to use Sedaru?

Yes. Sedaru is built on the ArcGIS geodatabase and the Esri licence is a separate purchase from Esri, not part of the Sedaru subscription.

Magnet: Can I share one purchase across my family Macs?

Yes, through Apple Family Sharing on the Mac App Store, the same as any other App Store app.

Sedaru: Who owns Sedaru?

Aquatic Informatics, which is part of Veralto, the water quality group spun out of Danaher in 2023.

Magnet: How is it different from Rectangle?

Magnet is a paid App Store app from the start; Rectangle is free and open source, with paid Pro features sold as a separate app.

Sedaru: Does Sedaru replace a CMMS?

For water network assets, largely yes. For plant equipment and facilities maintenance many utilities still run a separate CMMS.

Sedaru: Is pricing published?

No. Subscriptions are sized on the utility and quoted, with implementation and data preparation charged as services.

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