Shortcat vs Sol (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sol grades higher than Shortcat: 2.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shortcat grades higher on platforms. Sol grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Shortcat if
- Fits if you live on a Mac and want to click things from the keyboard
- Works for people who like Vimium-style clicking in every app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Tight if you want a free tool, since the listing shows no free plan or trial
- Not for you if you need to know the cost first, because the site publishes no price or license terms
- Watch out: it needs macOS 13 or later and Accessibility permission, and some Electron apps expose less than others
Pick Sol if
- Fits if you want one free keyboard window for launching apps on a Mac
- Works for developers who like open source and extra commands
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as the site lists neither
- Too light for tiling and window snapping, where a dedicated manager does more
- Skip it if you want support, since the listing names no company behind it
- Watch out: the site gives few details on what each built-in tool does
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAShortcatWeak | 2.8GPASolGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published on the site, so there is nothing to set against the category's $8.00 middle or $19 one-time figure. | AThe whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. |
| Free plan and trial | FThe listing records no free plan and no trial, and the site shows no price or terms to say otherwise. | AFree outright, with no plan to buy and no cap. |
| Features | CClicking, menu search, window search and emoji search, but results depend on each app's Accessibility support, including some Electron apps. It does that one job fully, and it is a smaller job. | CApp and file search, window resizing, clipboard, calculator, emoji, calendar and notes. It is a launcher first, so its window management is a smaller part than in a dedicated manager. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and it needs macOS 13 or later plus an Accessibility permission before it does anything. | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it and press a shortcut to start. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac only, with Safari, Chrome and Firefox support but no other devices and no integrations listed. | DmacOS only. The site lists no Windows or Linux version. |
| Best for | clicking buttons on a Mac without the mouse | a free keyboard launcher for Mac |
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: Shortcat and Sol. How we grade
Where they differ
- Sol is open source, according to its own site.
- Sol also covers clipboard manager and calculator.
In commonmacOSKeyboard-firstLauncherWindow management
At a glance
| Shortcat | Sol | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| Starts at | Not published | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Sproutcube | ospfranco |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | sol.ospfranco.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Shortcat
- Needs macOS 13 or later and Accessibility permission.
- Results depend on how well each app implements Accessibility, including some Electron apps.
- The site shows no price or license terms, so the cost could not be confirmed.
Sol
- Runs on macOS only; the site lists no Windows or Linux version.
- Window management is one feature of a launcher, not a dedicated tiling tool.
Key features
Shortcat
- Click with the keyboard
- Type what you want to click, such as ok for an OK button; supports right, double and modified clicks.
- Window search
- Searches window titles to bring a window forward without cycling through the app switcher.
- Menu search
- Exposes the front app's menu items to fuzzy search.
- Browser support
- Works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and some Chromium browsers such as Vivaldi.
- Emoji mode
- Fuzzy search for emojis by several labels.
Sol
- App and file search
- Finds apps, files and folders from a single launcher window opened with a keyboard shortcut.
- Window manager
- Resizes and moves windows with keyboard shortcuts, such as the Control-Option-Return example shown on the site.
- Clipboard manager
- Keeps a history of copied items that can be searched and pasted back through a shortcut.
- Calculator and emoji picker
- Does quick math in the launcher and offers an emoji picker the site presents as an alternative to the system one.
- Calendar, bookmarks and notes
- Shows calendar events, searches browser bookmarks and takes quick notes from the same window.
- Developer commands
- Includes commands such as cleaning Xcode derived data and launching scripts.
Plans
Shortcat
Pricing could not be confirmed. See shortcat.app.
Sol
Free$0
The whole app is free; the site calls it free and open source.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shortcat or Sol?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shortcat has no price we could confirm, and Sol is free.
Which has a free plan, Shortcat or Sol?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sol has a free plan. Shortcat does not.
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.