What is the best window switcher?

Recently started using Switch which I discovered the other day on this sub. I'm really enjoying it. You can use it to switch between apps and in-app windows. It's FOSS and is under active development.

I also really like it, and maybe I’m just a moron, but I am confused about how you switch from desktop to desktop after that switch window is triggered. I would love if one could just swipe between that little window. Really great app though!

Free app, btw.

+1. for AltTab. Use the thumbnail setting + 'Preview selected window' on.

The latest rcmd v3 implements native Cmd-backtick and Cmd-Tab window cycling if you’d like to try it. Beta here: https://files.lowtechguys.com/rcmd-3.0.0b9.dmg It’s not as visual as AltTab, I’d like to stay away from screen recording permissions as much as possible. But there is a cycling OSD that definitely helps. And you can also CmdTab and while holding Cmd start typing to fuzzy search windows. This proved to be so useful! I wasn’t expecting to use it.

Thank you for dropping the beta and keeping permissions minimal. The fuzzy search while holding Cmd+Tab is a really nice touch - I can see it becoming muscle memory. Will check this out.

This is the way! ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️

Context is goat

I used AltTab which is basically switching windows similar to Windows for Mac. it works for both between and in-app windows. Been using for a month and it worked pretty well for me

This is the one

I’ve been using AltTab for a few years. Very intuitive. Unfortunately, my Logitech mouse shortcuts don’t work consistently with it. So I’m looking at other options at the moment.

I also have a similar workflow to yours, utilizing both Alfred and Homerow. I think you will likely find rcmd useful. I just can't think of any switcher that is more intuitive and efficient than rcmd. The new version seems to be releasing very soon (potentially near the end of the month), and you can download the beta in the Discord. I have been using the original Mac App Store version for more than 1.5 years and once believed that it was almost perfect, with per-app window switching as its only potential weakness. However, the new version has eliminated that weakness and incorporated many other enhancements (e.g., it eliminates the redundant motion when switching between Spaces, uses rcmd + number to quickly jump to a specific Space, double-taps rcmd to switch among open windows, allows typing to search for more accurate switching, and more). It's definitely worth taking a look.

Might want to find previous version of Alt-Tab. Developer just started a "Pro" tier and now some features are hidden behind payment. 😔

Two different problems depending on what you mean, probably worth separating them. For same-app cycling, multiple windows of the same app, macOS has cmd+~ built in, no downloads needed. I ended up scripting my own equivalent in Hammerspoon because the tilde position is uncomfortable on a 60% keyboard, remapped to alt+tab and alt+shift+tab instead. Same behavior, keys that actually sit comfortably. Works well and it's one of the simpler scripts to write if you're willing to go that route, and honestly with AI tools today the scripting side is much less of a barrier than it used to be. Hammerspoon also has hs.window.switcher built into the API for a more visual picker, though I haven't used that part myself. For cross-app switching, a better cmd+tab, I don't use a dedicated app for it. cmd+tab is capable enough on its own once the list stays lean, which is a separate problem. I keep a curated workspace group of apps that stay open all day for writing and publishing, so cmd+tab only ever shows what's actually in active use. Worth noting I didn't map per-app focus shortcuts to the most comfortable key positions either since those slots were already taken by things I trigger more often, like markdown formatting shortcuts and browser tab shortcuts. The default cmd+tab just handles the rest fine. Contexts and Witch come up most when people want an actual replacement for it though, so probably worth a trial if you want something more visual. Since you're already going mouse-less with Homerow, the keyboard-first direction has more headroom than it looks. I'm running 316 hotkeys on a 60% keyboard as part of a pretty text-heavy publishing workflow, so the physical key count stops being the ceiling pretty quickly once you layer modifier combinations.

DockDoor

Raycast

I've found rcmd works best for Alfred users who want to stay keyboard-focused. Switching between windows feels quicker and more seamless than layering Homerow or jumping to Raycast. Visually, AltTab still dominates. The built-in Cmd + ~ shortcut handles most same-app cases without extra effort.

Witch is worth trying if you're already in the Alfred ecosystem. it shows per-app windows in a clean list and you can assign a shortcut. been using it for years and never looked back

Contexts for me is still unbeaten :( I tried replacing it many times but nothing comes close to how simple, flawless, and useful it is.

Raycast for starting Apps. Context 3 for switching via Alt Tab

Flashspace all the way https://github.com/wojciech-kulik/FlashSpace/releases

checkout https://betterstage.app I love it!