AltTab vs BetterTouchTool

AltTab

• People moving from Windows who miss switching between individual windows
• Mac users who keep many windows of the same app open
• Anyone who wants a free, open-source switcher with optional paid extras

BetterTouchTool

• Mac users who want custom trackpad, mouse and keyboard gestures in one app
• People automating multi-step tasks triggered from any input device
• Stream Deck and macro pad owners who want to skip the vendor software
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

AltTab

• macOS only; it runs on macOS 12 and later.
• Search, the App Icons and Titles styles, auto-sizing and more than two keyboard shortcuts require Pro once the 14-day trial ends.
• The $9.99 Pro license covers updates for the current major version only; future major updates need Pro Lifetime.
• It needs Accessibility permission, plus Screen Recording to show thumbnails, and thumbnails can look distorted under Stage Manager.

BetterTouchTool

• macOS only. BTT Mobile for iPhone and iPad is a companion remote control for the Mac app, not a standalone version.
• There is no free version: after the 45-day trial a license or a Setapp subscription is needed.
• The Standard License stops receiving updates after 2 years, though the last version received keeps working.
• Listed prices vary by country and taxes, and refunds outside the European Union are decided case by case.

AltTab

Every window, not every app

The switcher lists individual windows, including minimized and hidden ones and those on other Spaces, each with a badge saying where it is.

Full-size preview

The selected window is shown at full size on top of everything else, so you can confirm it is the right one before switching.

Window controls in the switcher

Hovering a thumbnail lets you close the window, minimize it or send it full screen without switching to it first.

Custom shortcuts and filters

Almost any key combination can open the switcher, filtered by app, Space or screen. Pro allows up to 9 shortcuts, each with its own keys and filters.

Search and styles (Pro)

Pro finds a window by typing part of its title or app name, switches between thumbnails, app icons or a compact list of titles, and resizes previews to fit.

Trackpad gestures and command line

A three-finger swipe switches windows without the keyboard, and a command line lists and focuses windows from the terminal or scripts.

BetterTouchTool

Trackpad and Magic Mouse gestures

Map multi-finger taps, clicks, swipes and drawn shapes on a MacBook trackpad, Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse to any action.

Keyboard shortcuts and Hyper Key

Global hotkeys that tell left and right modifiers apart, short and long presses, typed key sequences, text triggers and a configurable Hyper Key.

Window snapping and built-in tools

Window snapping, resizing and switching, plus a clipboard manager and a screenshot tool. The vendor says the snapping is the same technology as its separate BetterSnapTool app.

Spotlight-style launcher

Searches apps, windows, files, actions and calendar events, calculates inline and browses clipboard history. Several launchers can run in parallel, each with its own pinned items.

Stream Deck, macro pads and controllers

Drives Elgato Stream Deck and 43 recognized macro pad models without vendor software, and maps Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch controllers, MIDI devices and the Touch Bar.

Conditional automations and scripting

A trigger can run different actions by active app, Wi-Fi or time of day. It can run Apple Shortcuts, JavaScript or AppleScript, and BTT itself is controllable by URL scheme, web server or CLI.

AltTab

• AltTab (free)$0

  Window switching with thumbnails, live preview, Dark Mode, window controls and trackpad gestures. No account or registration needed.

• Pro$9.99

  one-time purchase, updates for the current major version

  Adds search, the App Icons and Titles styles, an auto-sizing switcher and up to 9 keyboard shortcuts. 3 devices per license.

• Pro Lifetime$24.99

  one-time purchase, every future update

  Everything in Pro plus all future major updates. 3 devices per license.

BetterTouchTool

• Standard License$15

  one-time purchase, 2 years of updates

  Updates for 2 years, after which the last version received keeps working. Covers all of the buyer's personal Macs and unlocks BTT Mobile.

• Lifetime License$25

  one-time purchase, lifetime updates

  All updates for as long as BetterTouchTool exists, plus any other Mac apps the developer releases in the 2 years after purchase.

AltTab

• Lifetime license

  Pro Lifetime with every future update

  The $24.99 Pro Lifetime license is a one-time purchase that includes every future major update, where the $9.99 Pro license covers the current major version.

BetterTouchTool

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime License with all future updates

  The $25 Lifetime License receives every update for as long as BetterTouchTool exists, where the $15 Standard License covers 2 years of updates.

• Other savings

  Included with a Setapp subscription

  BetterTouchTool is also available through Setapp, a subscription service that bundles many Mac apps for a monthly fee.