Shift vs WebCatalog
We give Shift a 2.0 GPA and WebCatalog a 2.2, out of 4.0. Shift grades higher on the free plan. WebCatalog grades higher on value for money 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.
Shift
Build-your-own desktop browser for multiple inboxes, apps and Spaces
WebCatalog
Turns websites into desktop apps, with many accounts signed in
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAShiftFair | 2.2GPAWebCatalogFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DAdvanced is $19.99 a month, or $199.99 a year, which is exactly where this category's dearest tenth begins. The two apps doing the same job cost a fraction: Rambox Pro $7, Wavebox Pro $8.33 paid annually. For the gap you get unlimited Spaces, more Shift AI and support that will video-call you. | CPro is $5 a month billed yearly ($6 monthly), the dear end of what utilities charge, though it undercuts the apps it competes with, like Rambox at $70 a year and Wavebox at $8.33 a month. Teams pay $8 a user on Business for shared spaces and SSO. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever with 5 Spaces and 10 apps in each, which is 50 apps and enough for one person's working life. A freelancer with six clients will run out of Spaces, and Shift AI is described only as limited, with no number against it. | CBasic is free for good, but it's 2 desktop apps, 2 profiles and 1 space, with ads and no blocker or app lock. Fine for one extra WhatsApp; you'll hit the wall after that. There's a 7-day Pro trial too. |
| Features | CFor taming a pile of accounts it's complete: Spaces with their own apps, tabs and extensions, several logins per app, Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo inboxes side by side, 4,500-odd apps in the library and any Chrome extension. That's a smaller job than a browser's, and it's the whole of what Shift does. | CIt does its one job fully: any site in its own window with native notifications, separate sessions for several accounts, spaces per client, a new-tab extension and an ad blocker on Pro. That's a small job, though, and Linux support is only experimental. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and the headline feature is that you build the thing yourself: apps, bars and controls dragged where you want them. Templates spare you the blank page, but there are still Spaces to plan and several email accounts to sign into. | BNo store rating on record, but there's next to nothing to set up: install it, pick a site from the 65,000+ in its catalog, sign in, and it's an app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only, and only two of them: Mac and Windows. No Linux, no phone, so whatever you build stays on that one machine. Chrome extensions and the 4,500-app library are what it reaches instead. | CMac, Windows and, experimentally, Linux, plus a new-tab extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave and Vivaldi. That's computers only: no phone apps are listed. |
| Best for | several email accounts in one desktop window | web apps in their own windows, several accounts each |
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: Shift and WebCatalog. How we grade
Where they differ
- Shift starts at $19.99 per month, or $199.99 billed annually (Advanced). WebCatalog starts at $5 per month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly).
- Only WebCatalog lists a web app.
- Only WebCatalog lists a Linux app.
- Only WebCatalog lists a browser extension.
- WebCatalog also covers bookmarks and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Shift | WebCatalog | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19.99 per month, or $199.99 billed annually (Advanced) | $5 per month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 5 Spaces with 10 apps per Space, the Browser Builder and templates, and limited Shift AI usage. No credit card is needed to download. | Basic plan: 2 desktop apps, 2 profiles and 1 space, one new-tab page, basic widgets and cloud sync. It shows ads and has no app lock or ad blocker. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Pro or Business |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Shift Technologies Inc. | WebCatalog, Inc. |
| Price read from | shift.com | webcatalog.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Shift
- People juggling several email accounts and app logins
- Freelancers and consultants who keep each client in its own Space
- Those who want to design their own browser layout
WebCatalog
- People juggling several accounts of the same web app
- Freelancers and agencies keeping each client's apps apart
- Anyone who wants web apps in their own windows instead of browser tabs
Worth knowing
Shift
- The free plan is limited to 5 Spaces, 10 apps per Space and limited Shift AI usage.
- Shift is available on desktop for Mac and Windows only; no Linux or mobile version is listed.
- Team setups with consolidated billing and a central dashboard are not priced publicly; the pricing page says to contact Shift.
- Refunds are offered only within 14 days of a purchase or renewal payment.
WebCatalog
- The free Basic plan stops at 2 desktop apps, 2 profiles and 1 space, and it shows ads.
- Linux support is experimental: WebCatalog says the app may not work on every distribution and it may not help with distribution-specific issues.
- The desktop app needs macOS 13 or Windows 10 or later, and no phone apps are listed.
- Shared spaces, team management and SAML single sign-on need Business, at $8 per user / month billed annually.
Key features
Shift
- Browser Builder and templates
- Apps, bars and controls can be dragged anywhere in the window, unused controls can be removed, and templates offer ready-made layouts with the sidebar at the side, top or bottom.
- Spaces
- Spaces separate work, hobbies and projects, each with its own apps, tabs and extensions. Several logins for the same app can be toggled without signing out.
- Multiple inboxes
- Several Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo email accounts can be opened side by side, with the apps and extensions used alongside them kept in the same Space.
- Shift AI
- An optional assistant summarizes pages and videos, drafts replies and answers questions using context from Spaces, apps, history and open tabs, with a separate chat in each Space.
- App library and Chrome extensions
- More than 4,500 apps can be connected from Shift's library in one click, any Chrome extension can be added, and Shift offers to add apps that are missing.
- Download scanning and site checks
- Downloads are screened through Avira's file reputation service, visited URLs are checked with Google Web Risk, and passwords are encrypted and stored locally.
WebCatalog
- Desktop apps from websites
- Gives any website its own window, icon and place in the Dock or taskbar, with native notifications and badges. The catalog lists 65,000+ ready-made apps.
- Multiple accounts
- Each app keeps its own session, so several WhatsApp, Slack or Instagram accounts can stay signed in at the same time.
- Spaces
- Group apps into spaces for work, personal life or each client, and switch between them without closing anything.
- New-tab extension
- A new-tab page for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave and Vivaldi shows the same apps, folders and pages, which sync across devices and the web.
- Widgets
- To-dos, focus mode and live weather on every plan; Pro adds a Pomodoro timer, world clock, calculator and currency and unit converters.
- Privacy controls
- Pro adds an ad and tracker blocker and an app lock, and removes the ads shown on the free plan.
Plans
Shift
Free$0
5 Spaces with 10 apps per Space, the Browser Builder and templates, limited Shift AI usage, and email and chatbot support.
Advanced$19.99
per month, or $199.99 billed annually
Unlimited Spaces and apps per Space, expanded Shift AI usage and priority customer support with video calling.
WebCatalog
Basic$0
2 desktop apps, 2 profiles, 1 space, basic widgets and cloud sync, with ads. No credit card required.
Pro$5
per month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
Unlimited desktop apps, profiles and spaces, all widgets, an ad and tracker blocker, app lock, theme colors, no ads and priority support.
Business$8
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro plus shared spaces, team management, centralized billing and SAML single sign-on.
Ways to pay less
Shift
- Annual discount
Save $40 with annual billing
Shift Advanced is $199.99 billed annually, against $19.99 a month. Shift's pricing page labels the annual option as a $40 saving.
WebCatalog
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
The pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 20%: Pro is $5 a month billed annually against $6 monthly, and Business $8 per user against $10.
