Feature Comparison
| Feature | OmniSwitch | Alfred |
|---|---|---|
| Window switching | ✓ App → Window two-level drill-down, no Enter, pick by letter/number | Basic (via ⌘-Tab or workflows) |
| Two-level drill-down | ✓ Core design — app grid → window grid in two keystrokes | — Not built-in; possible via workflows but not native UX |
| App launcher | — Focused on window switching | ✓ Best-in-class launcher — apps, files, web, calculations |
| Workflows | — Not available (intentionally simple) | ✓ Powerful workflow automation engine |
| Clipboard history | ✓ Persisted, 1–50 items, prefix access | ✓ Built-in (Powerpack) |
| Quick snippets | ✓ Preset text/images, bind to keys, same-screen paste | ✓ Snippets with auto-expansion (Powerpack) |
| Quick links | ✓ Web URLs & app deep-links, pick by number | ✓ Custom web searches |
| File search / navigation | — Not available | ✓ Deep file system search and navigation |
| Custom hotkeys | ✓ Any combo, double-tap modifier, avoids Spotlight clash | ✓ Configurable, but ⌘-Space often conflicts with Spotlight |
| Mouse support | ✓ All cards clickable with hover highlight | Primarily keyboard-driven |
| Technology | SwiftUI + AppKit, pure native, tiny footprint | Native macOS |
| Open source | ✓ GPL v3 | — Proprietary |
| Price model | One-time purchase — from $7.99 (launch) | Free (base) / Powerpack £34 one-time |
| Platform | macOS 15+ | macOS 11+ |
| Free trial | ✓ 200 invocations, no time limit | ✓ Free tier (limited features) |
| Privacy | ✓ All data local — no account, no telemetry | ✓ Local-first, no account required |
Pricing reflects publicly available information as of June 2026. Alfred Powerpack pricing may vary — check the Alfred website for current pricing.
When to choose each
Choose OmniSwitch if…
- Fast, visual window switching is your primary need
- Two-level drill-down (app → window) matters to your workflow
- You want snippets and clipboard in the same screen as window switching
- Open source matters — you can inspect and modify the code
- You want a dedicated window-switching hotkey separate from your launcher
Choose Alfred if…
- Launching apps, files, and web searches is your daily workflow anchor
- Workflow automation matters — you want to chain actions together
- You need deep file system search and navigation
- You're on macOS 11–14 (OmniSwitch requires macOS 15+)
- A mature, 10+ year community with thousands of workflows appeals to you
Try OmniSwitch free — 200 invocations
Better window switching in two keystrokes. Pairs perfectly with your launcher of choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — OmniSwitch is not a launcher. It doesn't launch apps, search files, or run workflows. OmniSwitch focuses on window switching and snippets. Many users run both: Alfred (or Raycast/Spotlight) for launching, OmniSwitch for switching windows. They're complementary, not substitutes.
Absolutely. Use Alfred on ⌘-Space for launching, and OmniSwitch on double-⌘ for window switching. They don't conflict — and the combination gives you best-in-class tools for both tasks.
Both are one-time purchases, which is great. Alfred Powerpack (£34) gives you workflows, clipboard, snippets, file navigation, and more. OmniSwitch (from $7.99) gives you superior window switching with two-level drill-down plus snippets and clipboard in a tight, visual interface. If window switching is your primary pain point, OmniSwitch solves it better. If you need an all-around launcher + automation tool, Alfred Powerpack is the better buy.
Yes, but you might not need both. OmniSwitch's snippets are designed for quick, same-screen access alongside window switching — bind a key, and paste it instantly. Alfred's snippets excel at auto-expansion and are integrated into the launcher flow. If you're happy with Alfred's snippets, you can ignore OmniSwitch's snippet mode and just use it for window switching.
For window switching specifically, yes. OmniSwitch's two-level drill-down (hotkey → letter for app → number for window) gets you to any window in two keystrokes with no Enter. Alfred wasn't designed for visual window switching — it handles it through workflows or fallback to macOS ⌘-Tab, which is a flat list. If you juggle many windows, the drill-down alone is a meaningful speed upgrade.