Shoji

A place for every window

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Category
Window Manager
WM Type
snap
License
paid
Open Source
No
Keybindings
No
Scripting
No
Last Update
—

Features

  • Custom Zone Drawing
  • Grid Snapping
  • Per-Monitor Layouts
  • Named Layout Presets
  • Configurable Activation Key
  • Edge Snap Option
  • Menu Bar App
  • Offline Use

About

Shoji splits each screen into zones you draw, then snaps any window you drag over a zone to its exact size. Layouts are stored per monitor, and an activation key (fn by default) controls when snapping applies. It's a $4.99 one-time purchase with no account or analytics.

Who It's For

Shoji is for people with one or more monitors, including ultrawides, who want a layout they designed themselves rather than a fixed set of halves and thirds. If you've used FancyZones on Windows and miss drawing zones and dragging windows into them, Shoji describes itself as "same idea: you draw zones and drag windows into them." It also suits anyone who wants a small, one-time-purchase utility with no account and no analytics.

How It Works

You draw zones on each screen, and Shoji remembers the layout per monitor. To place a window, hold the activation key (fn by default, and configurable) while you drag it over a zone; on release it snaps in and is resized to fill the zone exactly. An optional edge-snap setting is also available, and you can save multiple named layout presets for different kinds of work.

Shoji needs Accessibility permission, which it explains is "the permission macOS requires to move other apps' windows." It states that it does not use Screen Recording and collects no analytics. It runs as a menu bar app, works with any resizable window, and excludes fixed-size and full-screen apps. If you unplug a monitor, its layout is saved and restored when the monitor reconnects.

Compared to Alternatives

Compared to Rectangle (free, fixed halves, thirds and quarters), Shoji is more flexible for non-standard screens because you draw the zones yourself instead of choosing from predefined positions. In exchange, Shoji is closed-source and costs $4.99, where Rectangle is free and open source. Shoji's own site also publishes comparison guides against FancyZones, Magnet, Rectangle and Divvy.

Requirements

  • macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs
  • Accessibility permission required
  • $4.99 one-time purchase, one license per Mac; 14-day refund period and no free trial
  • License is checked online every few days, and the app otherwise works offline
  • No SIP changes required

Getting Started

Download Shoji from getshoji.com, launch it, and grant Accessibility access when prompted. Draw your first zones on a screen, then hold the activation key (fn by default) while dragging a window over a zone to snap it. To move the license to a new Mac, deactivate it on the old one and activate it on the new one. See the changelog for release notes; the current version listed on the site is 1.0.2.

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