OmniSwitch vs AltTab

OmniSwitch is AltTab's window switching — plus clipboard history, quick snippets, and quick links — in one app. If all you need is window switching and you prefer a community-driven open-source tool, AltTab is excellent. If you want window switching bundled with clipboard and snippet tools in a single buy-once package, OmniSwitch is the better fit.

Feature Comparison

Feature OmniSwitch AltTab
Window switching ✓ Grid view, instant pick by letter/number ✓ Grid view, keyboard-driven
Two-level drill-down ✓ App → Window, pick by number — no Enter — Single-level only (show all windows flat)
Clipboard history ✓ Persisted, configurable 1–50 items, prefix access — Not available
Quick snippets ✓ Preset text/images, bind to keys, instant paste — Not available
Quick links ✓ Web URLs & app deep-links, pick by number — Not available
Custom hotkeys ✓ Any combo, double-tap modifier, avoids Spotlight clash ✓ Configurable
Mouse support ✓ All cards clickable, hover highlight ✓ Click to select
Search / filter windows ✓ Built-in (included in base price) Pro only (paid)
Multiple shortcuts per app ✓ Built-in (included in base price) Pro only (paid)
Technology SwiftUI + AppKit, pure native macOS Native macOS (Objective-C)
Open source ✓ GPL v3 ✓ GPL v3
Price model One-time purchase — from $7.99 (launch) Free (base) / Pro ≈ $10 (donation)
Platform macOS 15+ macOS 11+
Free trial ✓ 200 invocations, no time limit ✓ Free tier (limited features)
Privacy ✓ All data stays local — no account, no telemetry ✓ Local-only, no account

Pricing reflects publicly available information as of June 2026. Prices may change — check each product's website for current pricing.

When to choose each

Choose OmniSwitch if…

  • You want window switching + clipboard history + snippets in one app
  • Two-level drill-down matters — you have many windows per app
  • You prefer search/filter and multi-shortcut features included, not paywalled
  • You want quick links (URLs/app deep-links) alongside your window switcher
  • One-time purchase matters to you — no recurring costs

Choose AltTab if…

  • You only need window switching and nothing else
  • You're on macOS 11–14 (OmniSwitch requires macOS 15+)
  • You value a mature project with years of community trust
  • You prefer a free (base) tool and don't need the Pro features
  • You don't need clipboard history, snippets, or quick links in the same tool

Try OmniSwitch free — 200 invocations

See how window switching + clipboard + snippets feels in one app. No account needed. No time limit on the trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. OmniSwitch is released under GPL v3 — the same license as AltTab. You can inspect, modify, and redistribute the code. The source repository is public.

For most users, yes. OmniSwitch covers everything AltTab does for window switching — and adds clipboard history, quick snippets, and quick links. The window-switching paradigm is similar: a hotkey brings up a visual grid. But some users prefer AltTab's specific interaction model or need macOS 11–14 support.

AltTab's base window switching is free; Pro features (search, multiple shortcuts, etc.) require a donation around $10. OmniSwitch bundles all of those plus clipboard history, snippets, and quick links — four tools in one — for a one-time purchase from $7.99 (launch). You're paying for an integrated suite, not just window switching.

Technically yes — they can coexist. But practically, most users pick one window switcher. If you set different hotkeys, there's no technical conflict.

Yes. OmniSwitch targets macOS 15+ and is actively maintained. We follow macOS updates closely, and the SwiftUI+AppKit architecture ensures compatibility with the latest Apple frameworks. AltTab, being Objective-C, also stays current — but OmniSwitch's modern Swift stack tends to track new macOS APIs more directly.

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