Our verdict: AltSnap brings the Linux habit of Alt+drag to Windows: grab a window anywhere to move it, or right-drag to resize. It is tiny and runs from the tray. Some antivirus engines flag it, and the settings dialog looks dated, but the core feature works well.
About AltSnap
AltSnap is a maintained fork of AltDrag by Stefan Sundin. Hold Alt and left-drag anywhere on a window to move it, or right-drag to resize it, so you no longer need to hit the title bar or a thin border. It can also snap windows to screen edges and to other windows, and supports Aero Snap-style sizes.
Unlike the original AltDrag, AltSnap injects nothing into other programs, so one build works with both 32-bit and 64-bit apps. Extra options include transparent dragging, mouse-button actions such as minimize or always-on-top, blacklists for apps where Alt+drag should not work, and advanced settings in AltSnap.ini.
What it does well
- Alt+drag to move. Hold Alt and drag from anywhere inside a window to move it.
- Alt+right-drag to resize. Resize a window from any point without aiming for its border.
- Snapping. Snaps windows to screen edges and neighboring windows, including Aero Snap dimensions.
- Mouse actions. Bind mouse buttons and the wheel to actions like maximize, minimize, always on top or transparency.
- Blacklists. Exclude apps or windows where the Alt shortcuts should be ignored, such as games.
Who it is for
Good fit
People coming from Linux and anyone who moves and resizes many windows with the mouse.
Look elsewhere
Users who rely on Alt+click inside apps, unless they change the hotkey or blacklist those apps.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and open source
- Tiny and light on resources
- Works with 32-bit and 64-bit apps without injection
- Many optional mouse actions
Cons
- Some antivirus engines flag it as a false positive
- Can clash with apps that use Alt+click themselves
- Settings dialog is dated and some options are only in the INI file
How to install AltSnap
The button downloads the x64 installer from GitHub; portable ZIPs, a 32-bit and an ARM64 build are on the releases page. After installing, AltSnap sits in the tray: right-click the icon for Configure, and tick Autostart if you want it to run at logon. The developer notes that a few antivirus engines report false positives.
Questions about AltSnap
Is AltSnap free?
Yes. AltSnap is free and open source under the GNU GPL v3.
Does AltSnap work with admin windows?
Only if AltSnap itself runs elevated. The settings have an Elevate option for that.
Can I use another key instead of Alt?
Yes. The hotkey can be changed in the Keyboard tab of the configuration dialog.
