Shortcat review (2026): is it worth it?
Click and switch windows on a Mac using only the keyboard
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Shortcat report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for clicking buttons on a Mac without the mouse
Shortcat reads the front app's interface and lets you click buttons, search menus and jump between windows by typing. Its site shows no price or license terms, and how well it works depends on how each app handles Accessibility.
Who Shortcat is for
- 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
Who Shortcat is not for
- 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
Why Shortcat gets a 1.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyNo price is published on the site, so there is nothing to set against the category's $8.00 middle or $19 one-time figure.
- FFree plan and trialThe listing records no free plan and no trial, and the site shows no price or terms to say otherwise.
- CFeaturesClicking, 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record, and it needs macOS 13 or later plus an Accessibility permission before it does anything.
- CPlatforms and integrationsMac only, with Safari, Chrome and Firefox support but no other devices and no integrations listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Sproutcube's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Shortcat? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/shortcat#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/shortcat.svg" alt="Shortcat: 1.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Shortcat stands among window managers and launchers
Shortcat's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 48 other window managers and launchers we grade.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (C, above 35 of 48) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 window managers and launchers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Shortcat’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 48, level with 4
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 48, level with 1
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 48, level with 33
- CEase of useAbove 8 of 48, level with 23
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 35 of 48, level with 12
Keep Shortcat, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Shortcat you would be making a launcher wired into the operating system. 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: 48 of the 48 other window managers and launchers grade higher.
What you could not
- A launcher wired into the operating system.
- Control over other apps' windows.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Shortcat’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.
What is Shortcat?
Shortcat is a macOS app that reads the interface of the active app through the Accessibility API and lists buttons, menus and windows in a searchable palette. You type a few letters to click an element, search a menu or jump to a window. It also works in Safari, Chrome and Firefox.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Shortcat pricing
We could not confirm Shortcat’s current pricing from its own site, so we are not listing plans here. See shortcat.app for current prices.
Shortcat alternatives
- Shortcat vs Superkey
Free trial · from $15.99
- Shortcat vs Mouseless
Free trial
- Shortcat vs Contexts
Free trial · from $9.99
- Shortcat vs Sol
Free
Common questions
Does Shortcat have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Shortcat is listed for macOS.
Does Shortcat have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Shortcat is listed for macOS.
Is Shortcat open source?
Shortcat is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.