What DockDoor does well
A lot, for nothing. DockDoor's site says every feature is free, with no trial, subscription or paywall, and the source is open under GPL-3.0. Point at an app in the Dock and you see its windows, which you can close, minimize or quit from there. Hold ⌥ and press Tab for a switcher of every open window, with type to search. Windows can show as thumbnails, large previews or a compact list of titles. Windows on other desktops and displays appear too, minimized and hidden ones included. It collects no analytics, runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later, and gets frequent releases: 1.40.7 came out on October 4, 2026.
Why people look elsewhere
Mostly one thing: Screen Recording. DockDoor's FAQ says it needs Accessibility and Screen Recording to find your windows and show their previews. Its setup screen calls Screen Recording optional, for preview images; skip it and DockDoor shows only its compact list of titles (DockDoor's source). Previews are the heart of DockDoor, though, and they need it. Screen Recording is the permission macOS lists under Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording in Apple's guide; on macOS 13 Ventura it's called Screen Recording. It lets an app record what's on your screen, which is how window previews are made, and some people would rather not grant it to anything that doesn't need to see their screen. What the Screen Recording permission allows explains it in full.
Other reasons are simpler: you live on the keyboard and don't want anything happening in the Dock, or you want browser tabs in your switcher, which DockDoor's site doesn't offer. For a side-by-side with our app, see Flick vs DockDoor.
At a glance
Each app as its maker described it on October 15, 2026, with DockDoor first for reference. The order isn't a ranking.
| App | Price | Requires | Screen Recording |
|---|---|---|---|
| DockDoor, for reference | Free | macOS 13 or later | For previews; its list of titles works without it |
| The Dock and App Exposé | Free, part of macOS | Nothing to install | No permission needed |
| Witch | $14, one-time | macOS 10.13 or later | Only for its optional previews |
| AltTab | Free; Pro $9.99, one-time | macOS 12 or later | For thumbnails; works without them |
| Raycast Switch Windows | Free | macOS 26 and Apple silicon | Not listed; the manual lists Accessibility |
| Contexts | $9.99, one-time | Site lists Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia | Not verified |
| rcmd | Free; Pro €15, lifetime | macOS 13 or later | Needed, to read window titles |
| Flick | Free version, or from $9.49 once | macOS 14 or later | Not needed |
Built in: the Dock and App Exposé
macOS already covers part of what DockDoor adds, with no permission to grant. Force click an app's icon in the Dock (click, then press deeper) to see all of its open windows, as Apple's Dock guide describes. Or press ⌃↓ for App Exposé, which lays out all the open windows of the front app as live windows, or swipe down with three or four fingers if it's turned on in Trackpad settings (Apple's Mission Control guide). What's missing is the hover: you click or press a key first. How to use App Exposé has the details.
- Price
- Free, part of macOS
- Requires
- Nothing to install, no permission
- Good for
- Live windows of one app, now and then
- Compared with DockDoor
- Live previews with no permission, one app at a time and never on hover
Mission Control and App Exposé, Apple Support
Witch
Witch, from Many Tricks, is a keyboard switcher for apps, windows and tabs that you set up your way, rather than a Dock add-on. It asks for Screen Recording only if you turn on window previews: Many Tricks' note on previews says Witch takes a picture of open windows to make them, doesn't record your screen, and keeps working if you say no. Another permission to know about: to list or switch to windows on a Space you haven't visited yet, Witch uses AppleScript, and macOS asks you to approve that for each app. You can turn that off, and those windows then appear once you've visited their Space.
- Price
- $14, one-time, with at least a year of updates; free trial
- Requires
- macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later
- Good for
- A configurable switcher, with previews only if you want them
- Compared with DockDoor
- A keyboard switcher, not a Dock add-on; Screen Recording only for its optional previews
Witch website · Flick vs Witch
AltTab
AltTab is a keyboard switcher without the Dock side: hold ⌥ and tap Tab for a live thumbnail of every window, minimized, hidden and other-Space ones included, with the selected window shown full size. Like DockDoor, it's free and open source (GPL-3.0) and updated often. It won't settle a Screen Recording concern, though. AltTab's FAQ says Accessibility is what macOS requires to read window titles and move focus, and Screen Recording is for thumbnails: without it, AltTab works but shows none. Its other styles, App Icons and a compact list of titles, come with AltTab Pro, as does search.
- Price
- Free; AltTab Pro $9.99, or $24.99 for Pro Lifetime, one-time
- Requires
- macOS 12 or later
- Good for
- A free ⌥Tab switcher with thumbnails, and nothing in the Dock
- Compared with DockDoor
- The same thumbnails and the same Screen Recording need, without Dock previews; search costs extra
AltTab website · Flick vs AltTab
Raycast Switch Windows
Raycast is a launcher, and its Switch Windows command lists every open window, each with its title and app, in one list you search by typing. Return switches, and the ⌘K menu can minimize, close, go full screen or hide the app without switching. Raycast's manual lists Accessibility as the permission it needs, doesn't mention Screen Recording, and describes a list of titles rather than previews. It needs macOS 26 Tahoe and Apple silicon, and you open it from a hotkey rather than holding ⌥ and tapping Tab.
- Price
- Free; Pro $10 a month or $96 a year
- Requires
- macOS 26 Tahoe and Apple silicon
- Good for
- Searching windows from a launcher you already use
- Compared with DockDoor
- A searchable list instead of previews, with Accessibility as the documented permission
Raycast website · Flick vs Raycast
Contexts
If you like reaching windows with the pointer, Contexts has an auto-hiding sidebar along the screen edge that lists your windows grouped by Space; click one to switch. It also has a ⌘Tab-style switcher with a row per window and a keyboard search window. It shows icons and titles, not previews, but its site doesn't say whether it needs Screen Recording, so we can't tell you. Its latest release, 3.9.0, came out on August 27, 2022, and its site lists macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia.
- Price
- $9.99, one-time; 21-day evaluation
- Requires
- Site lists macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia
- Good for
- A clickable sidebar of windows, by Space
- Compared with DockDoor
- A sidebar of titles instead of Dock previews; its Screen Recording need isn't documented
Contexts website · Flick vs Contexts
rcmd
rcmd is pure keyboard: hold the right ⌘ key and press an app's first letter to switch to it, and use its ⌘Tab replacement to cycle windows. It's here for DockDoor users who want to leave the Dock behind, but it won't help if Screen Recording is your concern: its FAQ says it needs Screen Recording to read the titles of your open windows, and that it doesn't record or capture your screen. The free version covers app switching and the ⌘Tab replacement; rcmd Pro adds fuzzy search of apps and windows.
- Price
- Free; rcmd Pro €15, lifetime, with a 14-day trial
- Requires
- macOS 13 or later
- Good for
- One keystroke per app, with no Dock at all
- Compared with DockDoor
- Keyboard only, and it needs Screen Recording too
Flick Our app
Flick works like DockDoor's ⌥Tab switcher (hold ⌥, tap Tab, type to search) but with no previews and nothing in the Dock. It reads window titles through Accessibility, the one permission it needs, and never asks for Screen Recording or Input Monitoring. Automation is asked for only if you turn on browser tabs, once for each browser you turn on; tabs come with a license, for Chrome, Chrome Beta, Brave and Edge, and for Safari while Include private windows is on. The optional window locator outlines the selected window using only its position, so it doesn't need Screen Recording either. In exchange, you see titles rather than pictures, and the free version covers your 5 most recent windows, where DockDoor is free in full. What Flick reads lists it all.
- Price
- Free version (5 most recent windows); license from $9.49, once
- Requires
- macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel
- Good for
- An ⌥Tab switcher without screen access
- Compared with DockDoor
- The same ⌥Tab habit with no Screen Recording; titles instead of previews
How we chose
We included switchers a DockDoor user might move to, whether for the Dock-and-pointer side or the ⌥Tab side, and for each one we report the Screen Recording need exactly as its maker documents it, or say that the maker doesn't. Facts come from each maker's site, help or manual, checked on October 15, 2026. We left out tools we couldn't verify. The list isn't complete, and the order isn't a ranking. We make Flick, so weigh its entry with that in mind.
Questions
How do I see which apps have Screen Recording?
Open System Settings, click Privacy & Security, then Screen & System Audio Recording (Screen Recording on macOS 13 Ventura). Turn the switch next to any listed app off to stop it recording your screen.
Does a switcher need Screen Recording to read window titles?
Not always. rcmd's FAQ says it needs Screen Recording for titles, while Flick reads them through Accessibility, and Raycast's manual lists only Accessibility for Switch Windows. AltTab's FAQ ties titles to Accessibility and its thumbnails to Screen Recording. Witch needs it only for previews, and so does DockDoor: without it, DockDoor shows only its list of titles.
Can I keep DockDoor's Dock previews and use another switcher?
Yes, as long as the two don't share a shortcut. DockDoor lets you change its switcher's modifier (⌃, ⌥ or ⌘) and trigger key in its settings, so you can move it off ⌥Tab if another switcher uses it.
Sources
Checked on . Prices are in US dollars before tax, as each app's site listed them that day (rcmd lists its price in euros). If something has changed, tell us at [email protected].
- DockDoor, official website and FAQ; DockDoor releases; setup screen source, version 1.40.7 (Screen Recording optional, for previews)
- Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac, Mac User Guide; macOS 13 Ventura version (Screen Recording)
- View open windows and spaces in Mission Control on Mac, Mac User Guide
- The Dock on your Mac, Apple Support
- Witch, official website; previews and Screen Recording; advanced help (Spaces and AppleScript)
- AltTab, official website; pricing (Free vs Pro); FAQ (Accessibility and Screen Recording); releases
- Raycast manual: Navigation; Raycast pricing; Raycast 2 requirements
- Contexts, official website; What's New; license agreement
- rcmd, official website (features, Free vs Pro, FAQ); update feed (minimum macOS)
