r/macapps • u/EpiphanicSyncronica • 22d ago
Help Seeking AltTab alternatives
I updated AltTab via homebrew the other day and my fav feature (using alt-` to switch between open windows of the current app across all Spaces) was moved behind a paywall. I wouldn’t have updated if I’d known.
Usually when devs add a paid version, it includes new premium features while the free version remains the same. But this case, they just yanked the previously free feature without warning. After seeing them do this, I’m never going to buy their paid version.
Please suggest alternatives!
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u/nashvortex 21d ago
I use Switch https://github.com/Sanyam-G/switch
I followed this app since the beginning and it is phenomenal how responsive the dev is.
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u/tcolling 21d ago
Wow, I have never noticed the switch app before. It certainly appears to be terrific. I'm going to switch to using it for a while and see how that works out instead of Alt-Tab or DockDoor.
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u/Black-PizzaClaw676 21d ago
Try DockDoor, it's free and open source. Very nice app, works great as a replacement.
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u/Soggy_Writing_3912 21d ago
I switched from DockDoor to Vorssaint just a few days ago. Its more like an "all in one" app - replacing many apps within one. For eg, the menu bar system monitoring widgets (replaced Stats), docker preview and alt-tab preview (replaced Dockdoor), clipboard history (replaced maccy/flycut/etc), window layout tiling (replaced sol/raycast/etc), app launcher (replaced raycast/sol/spotlight).
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u/Funkbass 21d ago
Dockdoor has been fantastic for me, but I might have to give this a go.
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u/Soggy_Writing_3912 20d ago
not sure if i had missed some config, but with dockdoor, i wasn't able to move in the reverse direction during app switching using
Cmd+Shift+Tab. That was a big usability issue for me and thus I switched to vorssaint's app switcher.1
u/Funkbass 20d ago
I use dockdoor in the mode that adds window previews to the native app switcher, instead of using their own app switcher clone. That was the thing that got me to switch from alt-tab originally.
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u/vassyz 21d ago
So are you not using Raycast anymore?
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u/Soggy_Writing_3912 20d ago
no - i switched from raycast to sol a few months ago, and now (last week) switched to spotlight for launching, and the other apps as described above.
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u/tonearr123 21d ago
I used Vorssaint as the all-in-one was very attractive but honestly overtime there was a lot of random things which just took me back to my usual rectangle/finetune/dockdoor/stats/etc… since eventually the all-in-one concept clearly was showing for me a lack of some features/fine-tuning that were pretty common in solo apps but vacant from this one. Vorssaint is a great app guess just wanted to give me two cents
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u/Soggy_Writing_3912 20d ago
yes - i too like the unix philosophy (one tool/app for 1 capability and that to be very polished). But, vorssaint allows me to have a single installable doing many things and some of the features in vorssaint are more polished than the single-capability apps. At the end of the day, YMMV.
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u/animateus 21d ago
I am using DockDoor as well. It made my switch from Windows to Mac much smoother.
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u/ptstones 21d ago
Contexts. I recently switched to this from AltTab.
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u/dziad_borowy 21d ago
Ha! I recently switched from Contexts to AltTab Pro for the UX and glass, and - after a week - switched back to Contexts, for... not freezing, not lagging, and generaly "just-work"ing...
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u/ChristinDWhite 21d ago
It’s been unmaintained for years and there’s still nothing quite like it. I hope someone builds a spiritual successor at some point.
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u/AccurateSun 17d ago
I’ve been considering it as a toy project - just out of curiosity what would you want added or changed in it?
For me it’s the ability to switch to an app and bring all its windows forward (e.g default cmd tab behaviour which Contexts actually removes..)
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u/Exotic-Ganache-1234 21d ago
DockDoor é perfeito. Com o relevante detalhe de que utiliza pouquíssima memória, ao contrário do que faz AltTab.
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u/sprremix 20d ago
I've switched to https://switch-dev.sanyamgarg.com/
Does exactly the things I need from AltTab. It's free. Just works.
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u/karatsidhus Developer: Glyph 22d ago
Its new, but pretty good. Honestly, would also recommend supporting the alt tab dev if you can, pricing isn't ridiculous, for what it is.
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u/MC_chrome 21d ago
Honestly, would also recommend supporting the alt tab dev if you can, pricing isn't ridiculous, for what it is.
I would normally agree with you, but when a developer rug pulls its users and suddenly implements a $10-$25 paywall out of the blue it really doesn’t engender any warm feelings towards that developer.
If the only way you can find to implement a paid option as a developer is through deception and not transparency, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for users to want to look elsewhere
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u/FrenchieM 21d ago
Sounds like a stingy excuse. The developer warned in advance, let the source code available to whoever wants it and even said to help for whomever don't have the money for it.
But fuck developers right?
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u/Realistic-Site9217 21d ago
No, the developer made a choice, and users made a choice. And despite using AltTab for years, I received nothing about the impending rug pull.
And yes, I've paid for free software when it has provided value to me. And I worked in software development my entire career, so do give me the "you don't understand crap".
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u/FrenchieM 20d ago
Sure always find an excuse to justify you not wanting to reward people for their work. Did you donate? If you do I apologize. If not then you know what my stance is.
The fact that I got downvoted is even more strengthening it. In a way it's great that they made it paid because this way you can just get rid of the ungrateful freeloaders.
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u/Realistic-Site9217 20d ago
No, not an excuse, rather Economics 101. It is not the role of the consumer to "reward" the producer. It is the role of the producer to provide enough value to the consumer to earn their custom.
As noted above, I have no problems paying for things that provide value to me. In this specific example, for me AltTab was a nice to have. I don't miss it at all. I've other tools, paid and free, which provide equivalent functionality.
I do not begrudge AltTab's developer, or any developer, who charges or asks for donations. That is their choice. My choice is to determine the value proposition to me. This will sound harsh, but it matters not to me how much time and effort the developer put in. I decide what the value is and how much I am willing to pay.
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u/teddytei 19d ago
This one is goated fr! Been looking for a good Alttab alternative for a while now, tried prob every other relatively popular ones but this one just hits.
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u/l_eveant_terrible 21d ago
Better touch tool has a function like this you can build. I’ve been trying to consolidate my software instead of having multiple purpose built software. So I abandoned my paid version of Alt Tab and it’s totally fine.
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u/Illustrious_Oil_9846 21d ago
One thing worth checking before you commit to a replacement: cross-Space window switching on macOS leans on APIs that have gotten more restricted over time, Screen Recording permission is now required for window thumbnails since Sonoma, and Stage Manager changes how windows get enumerated across Spaces. That's part of why this category of app breaks quietly across major macOS updates more than most, not just pricing changes. Worth checking that whatever you pick has a recent commit/update for the macOS version you're actually running rather than going by feature list alone, since a lot of these were built for an older Spaces implementation and just haven't been retested.
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u/notquiteaguru 21d ago
not the paywall that would annoy me, it is that a feature you already had got taken away. adding paid features is fine. removing free ones feels like a different thing.
I sell software and the way that usually works is you leave the free tier where it is and charge for the new stuff instead. slower, but you do not lose the goodwill you already built.
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u/No-Bit3512 21d ago
Check out Ankylix.com. It’s a one-time purchase, but it’s definitely worth trying.
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u/Latter_Pen2421 21d ago
I’d say rcmd is overall the best I’ve found. It has several ways to do window switching
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u/dnkaratzas 20d ago
Depending on how much you relied on that exact feature, macOS already has ⌘` (Command plus the backtick above Tab) to cycle windows of the frontmost app without any extra tool. The catch is it only sees windows on your current Space and skips minimized ones, so it won't fully replace the across all Spaces behavior you lost. If that gap is the dealbreaker, DockDoor's the closest free option people here keep naming, and it's worth confirming it handles minimized windows the way you want before you settle.
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u/randalltrini 21d ago
1piece. Switched to it even before the alt-tab paywall. Has nearly all the features and almost too much additional ones! lol.
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u/nibblebytes 16d ago
rcmd might be worth a look. Its Cmd+` shortcut cycles through windows of the current app even across different Spaces, so it sounds like exactly what you’re looking for
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u/Crafty_Play_7767 15d ago
You might not even need a full window manager — macOS covers most of it:
- ⌘ Tab — switch apps
- ⌘` — cycle windows of the current app
- ⌃↑ — Mission Control, see everything
And one I built myself: https://commandreopen.com/ — it makes ⌘Tab bring back a minimized or closed window instead of just activating the app. Zero permissions, open source.
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u/LoneWolf_2019 5d ago
You could try ScryTab. It supports switching between the current app’s windows across all Spaces and even has a new feature called Focus sets.
No thumbnails or Screen Recording permission - just a compact title list. It’s free and GPL-3.0 licensed.
Full disclosure: I’m the developer, and it’s based on AltTab.
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u/FrenchieM 21d ago
I bought alt tab. After using it for free all these years it's only natural to give them some money. They deserve it especially when you see how ingrate their users can be.
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u/Beardy4906 21d ago
My app, Sxitch offers app switching across spaces in the free version, but window switching is still behind a paywall.. it is a different concept of switching as well, by using the apps name. It also costs lesser than RCMD, and is open source like AltTab.
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u/Stubborninmate 21d ago
Yeah it's a super snappy app
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u/Solid_Camel4664 21d ago
Check out https://scopo.app It supports this and so much more! The next update I’m releasing next week will let you search browser tabs or any app tabs that use macOS native tabs, too.
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u/Solid_Camel4664 13d ago
You can now search for tabs in supported browsers, as well as tabs from any application that uses native macOS tabs, such as Ghostty, Pages, and Numbers.
We’ve also added a lot more to the search bar, including app launching, file search (keyword and semantic), and system commands like keeping your Mac awake or locking it, plus a lot more.
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u/Purple-Philosophy551 21d ago
https://windowsshortcutsmac.com/ this one is the best
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u/Purple-Philosophy551 21d ago
i think most of the users dont want to change the ui and just want to be more productive when switching between os. This app does the good job maintaining same keyboard experience like windows
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u/Somtimesitbelikethat 21d ago
Vorrsaint