AltTab vs DockDoor
We give AltTab and DockDoor the same GPA: 3.2 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AltTab
Windows-style window switcher for macOS, free and open source
Free plan · from $9.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAAltTabVery good | 3.2GPADockDoorVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $9.99 once, and Pro Lifetime is $24.99 once with every future update. No subscription either way, and a license covers 3 devices. That's cheap even for a pay-once utility. The $9.99 license only covers updates for the current major version, mind. | AEvery feature is free, with no subscription or paywall, and it's open source under GPL-3.0 and paid for by donations. The $20 DockDoor Pro is a separate app that replaces the Dock, and you don't need it for any of this. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe core switcher is free for personal or business use: thumbnails, preview, window controls, trackpad gestures and custom shortcuts, with no account. New users get all of Pro for 14 days too, and the free features keep working afterwards. | AIt's all free. No trial clock, no locked settings. Previews, the switcher, gestures and widgets come in the one download, and you could stay on it for good. |
| Features | AIt lists every window, minimized and hidden ones included, shows the selected one at full size, and lets you close or minimize from the switcher. A three-finger swipe works too. Pro adds search by title and up to 9 shortcuts. One job, done fully. | APreviews of every window on a Dock icon, including minimized ones and those on other Spaces, with buttons to close, minimize or quit. Add the Option-Tab switcher with search, windows inside Command-Tab and AppleScript commands. That's the whole window-finding job. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. It works like Alt-Tab on Windows, so there's little to learn. You do have to grant Accessibility permission, plus Screen Recording for thumbnails, and those can look distorted under Stage Manager. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You install it and point at the Dock. First you have to grant Accessibility and Screen Recording, and the FAQ says a few oddly built apps may show fewer windows. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 12 and later. No integrations are listed, though a command line lets the terminal or your scripts list and focus windows. | DMac only, on macOS 13 Ventura or later. It does hook into AppleScript, BetterTouchTool and Karabiner-Elements, and shows synced lyrics for Spotify and Apple Music. Still one operating system. |
| Best for | Windows-style window switching on a Mac | Windows-style window previews on the Mac Dock |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AltTab and DockDoor. How we grade
Where they differ
- AltTab starts at $9.99 one-time purchase (AltTab Pro). DockDoor is free.
- AltTab can be bought with a one-time purchase.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceWorks offlineWindow management
At a glance
| AltTab | DockDoor | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9.99 one-time purchase (AltTab Pro) | Free |
| Free plan | AltTab (free): core window switching with thumbnails, preview, window controls, trackpad gestures and custom shortcuts, at no cost for personal or business use. | Every feature is free, with no trial, subscription or paywall. DockDoor Pro, a separate app from the same developer that replaces the Dock, is a $20 one-time purchase. |
| Free trial | 14-day trial of all Pro features for new users; free features keep working afterwards | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | AltTab | Ethan Bills |
| Price read from | alt-tab.app | dockdoor.net |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
DockDoor
- People coming from Windows who miss taskbar previews and Alt+Tab
- Mac users who keep many windows of the same app open
- Anyone who wants a free utility with no analytics or tracking
Worth knowing
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.
DockDoor
- macOS only: it needs macOS 13 Ventura or later, and the Liquid Glass look needs macOS 26 or later.
- It requires both the Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions to find windows and draw their previews.
- The FAQ says a few apps built with unusual UI frameworks may show fewer windows or skip some actions.
- Per-display Docks, profiles and the widget library belong to DockDoor Pro, a separate $20 app, not to this one.
Key features
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.
DockDoor
- Window previews on Dock icons
- Pointing at an app in the Dock shows all of its open windows, including minimized and hidden ones and those on other Spaces and displays, as thumbnails, a list of titles or large previews.
- Window controls on each preview
- Buttons on a preview close, minimize or quit without switching apps, and further buttons close or minimize every window of that app at once.
- Option-Tab window switcher
- Holding Option and pressing Tab lists every open window, not just every app. Typing searches the list, and Command with W, M or Q closes, minimizes or quits.
- Windows in Command-Tab
- While Command-Tab is held, DockDoor shows the highlighted app's windows above the built-in app switcher so a specific window can be picked.
- Folder Pop and music controls
- Hovering a Dock folder lists its contents for opening or dragging, and hovering an app that is playing audio shows a player, with synced lyrics for Spotify and Apple Music.
- AppleScript and command line
- AppleScript commands open the switcher or a preview, focus, close, center or snap windows, and return lists of apps and windows as JSON for scripts.
Plans
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.
DockDoor
DockDoor$0
Dock previews, the Option-Tab window switcher, Command-Tab previews, gestures and widgets. Open source under GPL-3.0 and funded by donations.
Ways to pay less
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.
DockDoor
No public discounts listed.
