The Contexts Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Contexts in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Contexts
The Insider’s Guide
Mac window switcher with search, a sidebar and a better Command-Tab
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among window managers and launchers, read from Contexts’s own pages.
Made by Contexts · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Contexts’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Contexts’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 0 of the 28 other window managers and launchers we grade
Contexts replaces the Mac's app switcher with one that lists windows rather than apps. Windows can be reached by typing part of a name, through an alternative Command-Tab list, from an auto-hiding sidebar or with a trackpad gesture. It is a one-license Mac utility with a free trial.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Contexts, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It doesn't resize or tile windows, and it's Mac only, so look elsewhere for window layouts.
- 1
Best for switching windows by typing
Contexts is a window switcher for the Mac, where you press a key and type a few letters of a window's name.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $9.99 per license.
- 3
You can try it first
Free trial download; the license agreement allows a 21-day evaluation period.
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
Search switching
Open a search window with a shortcut, type scattered characters from an app name or window title, and press Return to switch.
- 6
Fast Search
Hold a modifier key such as Fn, type one or two characters and release to bring the selected window forward.
- 7
Command-Tab replacement
Lists windows separately rather than apps, with Command-Backquote for the windows of the frontmost app.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 0 of 28
That is against the other window managers and launchers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Contexts you would be making control over other apps' windows. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Contexts at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $9.99 per license
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free trial download; the license agreement allows a 21-day evaluation period.
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Contexts
- Category
- Window Managers & Launchers
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for switching windows by typing
Contexts is a window switcher for the Mac, where you press a key and type a few letters of a window's name. It's $9.99 and has a trial. It doesn't resize or tile windows, and it's Mac only, so look elsewhere for window layouts.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $9.99 per license, below the $16 middle of one-time prices in this category. The page doesn't say whether major versions cost extra. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free trial download, and the license agreement allows 21 days. No free plan. |
| Features | C | Search switching, a Command-Tab replacement, a sidebar and a trackpad gesture across displays and Spaces. It switches windows but doesn't arrange them. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It's a Mac install, with a shortcut to set and a learning curve for the search. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac only, on macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Contexts is for
- Fits if you keep many windows open and want to jump by typing
- Works for Mac users with several displays and Spaces
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want windows snapped to halves or tiles, because it doesn't resize
- Skip it if you're not on a Mac, as no other system is listed
- Watch out: the page doesn't say whether major versions are paid upgrades
- Watch out: only macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia are named
Good to know
Good for
- Mac users who keep many windows open across Spaces
- People who would rather type a few letters than hunt for a window
Worth knowing
- Mac only, and the page lists macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia.
- Switches between windows; it does not resize or tile them.
- The page names a license price but does not say whether major versions are paid upgrades.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9.99
To start
Contexts is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9.99 per license.
The page doesn't say whether major versions cost extra.
License
$9.99
per license
One license for Contexts 3 on macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia.
Trying it first
Free trial download; the license agreement allows a 21-day evaluation period.
Read from contexts.co on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Mac window switcher with search, a sidebar and a better Command-Tab. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: keyboard-first, window management.
Search switching, a Command-Tab replacement, a sidebar and a trackpad gesture across displays and Spaces.
- Search switching
- Open a search window with a shortcut, type scattered characters from an app name or window title, and press Return to switch.
- Fast Search
- Hold a modifier key such as Fn, type one or two characters and release to bring the selected window forward.
- Command-Tab replacement
- Lists windows separately rather than apps, with Command-Backquote for the windows of the frontmost app.
- Sidebar
- An auto-hiding list of windows grouped by Space, with Dock-style count badges.
- Trackpad gesture
- Scroll down with two fingers from the top edge of the trackpad to pick a window, then lift to switch.
- Multiple displays and Spaces
- The search window can appear on every display at once, and lists can be filtered by Space.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Contexts is made by Contexts.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/28
Other window managers and launchers it is graded above
Contexts's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 28 other window managers and launchers we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 3 of 28) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 29 window managers and launchers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Contexts’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 3 of 28
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 28
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 28
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 28
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 28
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Contexts you would be making control over other apps' windows. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 28 other window managers and launchers grade higher.
What you could not
- Control over other apps' windows.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Contexts’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
AltTab, DockDoor, Raycast and Moom
The 4 tools Contexts is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
AltTab
Free plan · from $9.99 one-time
Windows-style window switcher for macOS, free and open source.
- AltTab has a free plan. Contexts does not, though it has a free trial.
- AltTab is open source, according to its own site.
- AltTab can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
DockDoor
Free
Free Dock window previews and Alt-Tab switcher for macOS.
- DockDoor has a free plan. Contexts does not, though it has a free trial.
- DockDoor is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Raycast
Free plan · from $96/yr
Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI.
- Raycast has a free plan. Contexts does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Raycast lists Windows and iOS apps.
- Only Raycast lists a browser extension.
- 2.2GPA
Moom
Free trial · from $15 one-time
Mac window manager with saved layouts, snapping and a palette.
- Moom can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Moom also covers menu bar app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Contexts free?
No, Contexts is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial download; the license agreement allows a 21-day evaluation period.
How much does Contexts cost?
Contexts lists one plan. License: $9.99 per license.
What platforms does Contexts work on?
Contexts is available on macOS.
Does Contexts have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Contexts is listed for macOS.
Does Contexts have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Contexts is listed for macOS.
Is Contexts open source?
Contexts is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Who makes Contexts?
Contexts is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Contexts?
The closest alternatives to Contexts in our directory are AltTab, DockDoor, Raycast and Moom.
How does Contexts compare with other window managers and launchers?
Contexts's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 28 other window managers and launchers we grade, and level with 3.
Could I make my own version of Contexts?
To replace Contexts you would be making control over other apps' windows.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Contexts’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Contexts's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Contexts. Prices change, so check contexts.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Contexts, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/contexts
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Contexts: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/contexts
Know someone choosing between window managers and launchers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/contexts/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded window managers and launchers after Contexts, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Window Managers & Launchers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 29 window managers and launchers we grade, compared
- Flow Launcher Insider's GuideFree, open-source app launcher and file search for Windows3.0 GPA
- DockDoor Insider's GuideFree Dock window previews and Alt-Tab switcher for macOS2.8 GPA
- Loop Insider's GuideFree, open-source macOS window manager with a radial menu2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Contexts’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Contexts is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Contexts. Prices and plans change: check contexts.co before you buy.