AltTab vs Mission Control Plus (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AltTab grades higher than Mission Control Plus: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
AltTab grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
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
Mission Control Plus
Close, minimize and quit windows from inside Mission Control
Which one is for you
Pick AltTab if
- Fits if you've moved from Windows and miss switching between individual windows
- Works for people who keep many windows of the same app open
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on a Mac, as it runs on macOS 12 and later only
- Tight if you're staying free: search, the App Icons and Titles styles and more than two shortcuts stop after the 14-day trial
- Watch out: the $9.99 license covers the current major version only; future major updates need Pro Lifetime at $24.99
- Not for you if you live in Stage Manager, since thumbnails can look distorted there
- Watch out: it needs Accessibility permission, plus Screen Recording before thumbnails show
Pick Mission Control Plus if
- Fits if you use Mission Control a lot and want to close windows there
- Works for Mac users who'd like to quit apps from that view
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for window layouts, since it only acts inside Mission Control
- Not for you if you're not on a Mac, as no other system is listed
- Watch out: it needs Accessibility access in System Settings
- Watch out: the price is filled in by the vendor's payment script, so check the final amount at checkout
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAltTabGood | 2.0GPAMission Control PlusFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $9.99 once, Pro Lifetime $24.99 once with every future update, and a license covers 3 devices. Pay-once utilities here sit around $15, so $9.99 is under the going rate and well under a year of any subscription. The $9.99 license only covers the current major version, mind. | BUS$10.07 for one license across 5 Macs, as the page's script shows it. That's below the $16 middle of one-time prices in this category. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe core switcher is free for personal or business use: thumbnails, preview, window controls, trackpad gestures and shortcuts, with no account. Most people could stay there for good. Search, the other styles and more than two shortcuts stop after the 14-day Pro trial. | CA 10-day free trial with every feature. The page doesn't say if a card is needed, and there's no free plan. |
| Features | CSwitching windows is a small job and AltTab covers it: every window including minimized, hidden and other Spaces, a full-size preview, close and minimize from the thumbnail, a three-finger swipe. Search by title and the extra styles are Pro, and thumbnails can distort under Stage Manager. | CA close button, Cmd-W, Cmd-M and Cmd-Q on a window, and arrow-key moves in Mission Control. A small job it does fully, and it doesn't arrange windows. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record, but there's nothing to build: it behaves like Alt-Tab on Windows from the moment it's installed. You do have to grant Accessibility permission, plus Screen Recording before thumbnails show up. | CNo store rating on record. It needs Accessibility access turned on before the close button appears. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 12 and later, so one operating system. No integrations are listed, though a command line lets the terminal or your scripts list and focus windows. | DMac only, on macOS 12 Monterey or later. Setapp is the only integration listed. |
| Best for | Windows-style window switching on a Mac | closing windows from Mission Control |
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 Mission Control Plus. How we grade
Where they differ
- AltTab is open source, according to its own site.
- AltTab can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| AltTab | Mission Control Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $9.99 one-time purchase (AltTab Pro) | US$10.07 per license, as displayed |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day trial of all Pro features for new users; free features keep working afterwards | 10-day free trial with every feature. |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | AltTab | Chapter Two LLC |
| Price read from | alt-tab.app | fadel.io |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Mission Control Plus
- Requires macOS 12 Monterey or later.
- Needs Accessibility access in System Settings.
- The price is filled in by the vendor's payment script; confirm the final amount at checkout.
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.
Mission Control Plus
- Close button
- Shows a close button on the window under the pointer in Mission Control.
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Command-W closes, Command-M minimizes and Command-Q quits the pointed-at window or app.
- Arrow-key navigation
- Move between windows in Mission Control with the arrow keys.
- Configurable
- Each shortcut can be switched on or off in Preferences.
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.
Mission Control Plus
LicenseUS$10.07
per license, for 5 Macs; price as the checkout script shows it
One license can be used on 5 Macs. Also included in a Setapp subscription.
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.
Mission Control Plus
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AltTab or Mission Control Plus?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AltTab starts at $9.99 one-time purchase (AltTab Pro), and Mission Control Plus starts at US$10.07 per license, as displayed.
Which has a free plan, AltTab or Mission Control Plus?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only AltTab has a free plan. Mission Control Plus does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.