The short answer. If you want macOS to behave like Windows and switch to a window rather than to an app, AltTab is the one to start with. If you want to find a window by typing its title, Contexts. If you have many windows across many spaces and want a sidebar to look at them, Contexts again. If you want the switcher to be free and small, DockDoor. The general rule: a switcher is worth installing when Command-Tab has started bringing you the wrong window, and nothing else.
This guide covers 5 window switchers for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AltTab | window switcher | Freemium | GPL-3.0 | 11.8.0 |
| Contexts | window switcher | One-time purchase | not published | 3.9.0 |
| Convoker | window switcher | Open source | MIT | 0.5.0 |
| DockDoor | window switcher | Open source | not published | 1.40.7 |
| Assignee | window switcher | not published | not published | — |
What actually decides this
- Window-level or app-level. macOS switches to the app and then to whatever window was last active. A window-level switcher brings you the window you actually clicked. This single difference is why people install one, and it is the first thing to check.
- How you find the window. A thumbnail grid scales to dozens of windows; typing a title scales to hundreds. Which one works depends on how many windows you keep open, not on which looks better.
- Whether it shows previews. A live preview costs GPU and battery but removes the guesswork when two windows have similar titles. A title-only list is faster and often enough.
- What it does to Spaces and displays. Some switchers only see the current Space, which makes them useless for the window you know is on display two. Worth checking before you rely on one.
Our picks
- AltTab — Its record describes Windows-style Alt-Tab with window previews, which is exactly the difference macOS leaves to the user to fix. Choose it when you want the Windows behaviour — a window switcher that replaces Command-Tab outright.
- Contexts — Search, a sidebar and gestures are all listed, which is the combination that survives a crowded desktop. Choose it when you have more windows than you can hold in your head and want search and a sidebar.
- Convoker — Its record describes typing an app name and having all of its windows come forward — the keyboard-only end of the same problem. Choose it when you would rather type an app name than cycle through anything.
- DockDoor — It is open source and covers both peeking and Alt-Tab, which is the free version of what Contexts charges for. Choose it when you want window peeking and a switcher and would rather not pay for either.
The apps
AltTab
AltTab is a window switcher for macOS. Free, open-source macOS window switcher that brings Windows-style Alt-Tab behaviour with live window thumbnails to the Mac, with a paid Pro tier adding search and extra styles. It is released under GPL-3.0. It is freemium.
Strengths. According to the developer, switches between individual windows rather than whole applications, with live thumbnails. Is free and open source under the GPL version 3, with the source published on GitHub. According to the developer, includes dark mode, live preview, window controls and trackpad gestures at no cost.
Trade-offs. Search and the extra appearance styles are Pro features, not part of the free application. The Pro price is not published in the sources Nuanyue tracks, so the cost has to be confirmed at purchase. Requires accessibility permission to enumerate and focus other applications’ windows. Search, the extra appearance styles, auto-sizing and multiple shortcuts require the paid Pro tier. The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.
Not for. Anyone who is happy with macOS application-level switching and does not want an extra switcher. Users who need the search and extra shortcuts without paying, since those are Pro features.
What it does. Switches between individual windows rather than whole applications. Live window thumbnails in the switcher panel. Dark mode support. Window controls and trackpad gestures.
AltTab is listed with current version 11.8.0.
Full profile and verified facts for AltTab →
Contexts
Contexts is a window switcher for macOS. Paid macOS window switcher with keyboard search, a window-based Command-Tab, an auto-hiding sidebar and a trackpad gesture. It is one-time purchase.
Strengths. Search-based switching reaches a window in two or three keystrokes rather than cycling through a list. According to the developer, search shortcuts make a query deterministic: once you pick a window for a query, that window is always the first result for it. Handles multiple Spaces and multiple displays, including a sidebar per display and filtering that excludes off-screen windows.
Trade-offs. A licence costs $9.99, where several window switchers are free and open source. The most recent release is 3.9.0 from August 2022, so the app is not under active release cadence. The site states which macOS versions it works on but does not publish a single minimum version. The site states the app works on macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia but publishes no single minimum version; the changelog’s last explicit statement was Catalina and Big Sur. It is closed source and no licence text beyond the end-user agreement is published.
Not for. Anyone who needs free software — Contexts is paid and closed source. Users who want the Dock or the menu bar replaced — Contexts only changes how windows are selected.
What it does. Switch between application windows effortlessly — with Fast Search, a better Command-Tab, a Sidebar or even a quick gesture. Free trial available.
Contexts is listed with current version 3.9.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Contexts →
Convoker
Convoker is a window switcher for macOS. Type an app name, press Enter, all its windows come to you. It is released under MIT.
What it does. Type an app name, press Enter, all its windows come to you. Per-app window control, app launcher, and workspace management for macOS.
Convoker is listed with current version 0.5.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Convoker →
DockDoor
DockDoor is a window switcher for macOS. Free and open source window peeking & alt-tab for macOS. It is open source.
What it does. An easy, free way to see every open window on your Mac. Hover an app in the Dock for live window previews, plus Windows-style Alt+Tab. Open source.
DockDoor is listed with current version 1.40.7.
Full profile and verified facts for DockDoor →
Assignee
Assignee is a window switcher for macOS. Simple, instant app switcher. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Eliminate context switching. Boost your macOS productivity with Assignee — assign custom shortcuts to your most-used apps and switch instantly.
Full profile and verified facts for Assignee →
How to choose
- No licence fee, source available. Convoker and DockDoor — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- One-time purchase. Contexts — you pay once.
- Freemium. AltTab — free to use, with paid tiers for additional features.
- Pricing not published in our data. Assignee — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.
Open source: AltTab, Convoker and DockDoor (3 of 5).
Common mistakes
- Installing a window switcher to solve a Spaces problem. If the window you want is on another Space, no switcher will find it — that is a Spaces or display setting.
- Expecting a switcher to remember window positions. Switching is navigation; restoring a layout is what a window manager does.
- Keeping two switchers running at once. They bind the same shortcuts and the result is that neither fires reliably.
- Judging a switcher from the first day. The pain it solves appears in week two, when you have twenty windows and three desktops.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Verified 2026-10-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these window switchers?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 5 window switchers: AltTab, Contexts, Convoker, DockDoor and Assignee. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these window switchers free?
Pricing across this group: freemium (AltTab), one-time purchase (Contexts), open source (Convoker and DockDoor) and not published (Assignee). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these window switchers are open source?
AltTab (GPL-3.0), Convoker (MIT) and DockDoor (not published) are open source.
Do these window switchers support Apple Silicon?
Apple Silicon support is explicitly stated for Contexts. For the others our data does not carry an explicit statement either way, so we do not infer one.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
Who should not use these apps?
AltTab and Contexts each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.
When was this data last verified?
The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-05. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.
