DockDoor vs Swish
We give DockDoor a 3.2 GPA and Swish a 2.8, out of 4.0. DockDoor grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Swish
Trackpad-gesture window manager for macOS
Free trial · from $16 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADockDoorVery good | 2.8GPASwishGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | A$16 once in the US, with no recurring cost, and one license can be active on two machines at a time. That's well under a year of a typical paid utility here. It's also in Setapp if you already subscribe. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CNo free version. There's a 14-day free trial, and the listing doesn't say whether it asks for a card. After that it's the $16 license or Setapp. |
| Features | 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. | ASwipes snap windows into 2×2, 3×2 and 3×3 grids, and dragging the divider between snapped windows resizes several at once. Pinches close or full-screen a window, and more swipes move windows between screens and spaces. The site counts 30 gestures, each switchable, plus keyboard hotkeys. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. The gestures copy things your hands already do on a trackpad, and the settings window includes a tutorial. It isn't on the Mac App Store, because it can't run sandboxed. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | DMac only, on macOS 12 and above. It works with the Magic Trackpad, the Magic Mouse and keyboard hotkeys. A third-party mouse needs a separate app such as Mac Mouse Fix to emulate touch gestures. |
| Best for | Windows-style window previews on the Mac Dock | arranging Mac windows with trackpad swipes |
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: DockDoor and Swish. How we grade
Where they differ
- DockDoor is free. Swish starts at $16 one-time purchase (US price).
- DockDoor has a free plan. Swish does not, though it has a free trial.
- DockDoor is open source, according to its own site.
- Swish can be bought with a one-time purchase.
In commonmacOSWindow management
At a glance
| DockDoor | Swish | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $16 one-time purchase (US price) |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ethan Bills | Highly Opinionated (Christian Renninger) |
| Price read from | dockdoor.net | highlyopinionated.co |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Swish
- MacBook and Magic Trackpad users who prefer gestures to keyboard shortcuts
- Multi-monitor setups where windows move between screens often
- Buyers who want a low one-time price, or who already pay for Setapp
Worth knowing
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.
Swish
- macOS only, version 12 and above. It is not on the Mac App Store because it cannot run sandboxed.
- It is designed mainly for the Magic Trackpad; a third-party mouse needs a separate app such as Mac Mouse Fix to emulate touch gestures.
- A license can be active on two Macs at a time and has to be unlinked in Settings before moving to another Mac.
- The Buy button shows a price that Paddle localizes by country; $16 is the US figure.
Key features
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.
Swish
- Title bar snapping
- A quick swipe on a window's title bar snaps it into position, in place of dragging the window to a screen edge.
- Grids and shared dividers
- Snapping supports 2×2, 3×2 and 3×3 grids, and dragging the divider between snapped windows resizes several of them at once.
- Close, minimize and full screen
- Pinching in closes a window, swiping down minimizes it and pinching out sends it full screen, replacing the three title bar buttons.
- Screens and spaces
- Swipes move windows between displays according to how the monitors are physically arranged, and further gestures work with macOS spaces.
- Keyboard hotkeys
- Arrow, WASD, IJKL and Dvorak hotkeys trigger the snapping, screen and spaces actions, configured in the Advanced tab of the settings.
- 30 gestures, each switchable
- The site counts 30 window, Dock and menu bar gestures. Each can be turned on or off by clicking its icon in the settings window, which also includes a tutorial.
Plans
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.
Swish
Swish license$16
one-time purchase (US price; Paddle localizes it elsewhere)
A full license with no recurring cost, for personal use on two computers. One license can be active on two machines at a time.
Setapp subscription$9.99
per month, after 7 days free, for the whole Setapp catalog
Swish is also available through Setapp, a subscription that the Swish site says includes more than 200 Mac and iOS apps.
Ways to pay less
DockDoor
No public discounts listed.
Swish
- Education
33% off for students
The Swish FAQ says students get 33% off by sending an email from a .edu address.
