Open ContextsWhen a different workflow helps
Picture a coding session with an editor, two browser windows, a terminal and chat. A preview tells you what each window looks like; a named group can tell you which task it belongs to. Consider switching if that second question is the one you keep asking.
Cost alone is not a reason to leave AltTab: its core window switching and thumbnails are free. Open Contexts makes more sense when you want a free title list together with a sidebar where you can name groups, pin windows and arrange their order.
What Open Contexts changes
The default Command-Tab switcher lists individual windows in most-recently-used order. Two windows from one browser become two choices, rather than a single app icon. The default same-app shortcut opens a separate list for the current app; both shortcuts are customizable.
Use the app bar on the left, right or bottom of the screen. Make a “Research” group for your reference windows and a “Build” group for your editor and terminal. Saved group names and order persist; matchable windows can return to their recorded group when they are available again. This does not reopen apps or restore window sizes and desktop positions.
When to keep AltTab
Keep AltTab if screenshots are how you identify the right window, or you rely on trackpad gestures. Open Contexts currently has no window search, thumbnail grid or gesture switching. AltTab Pro also has title and app-icon layouts, so a text list by itself is not a unique reason to switch.
AltTab supports macOS 12 and later on Intel and Apple silicon. Open Contexts requires macOS 13 and later. If you are still on Monterey, Open Contexts is not an option for that Mac.
Try it without losing your setup
- Keep your AltTab settings and license; you do not need to uninstall it to evaluate another switcher.
- Quit AltTab before testing shared global shortcuts. Install Open Contexts and grant Accessibility access.
- Open several windows from the same app, test the all-window and same-app lists, then set your preferred shortcuts.
- Create one task group, arrange its windows, and restart Open Contexts to check the saved organization.
- If previews or gestures turn out to matter more, quit Open Contexts and relaunch AltTab.
There is no automatic AltTab settings importer. Configure shortcuts, sidebar placement and groups in Open Contexts itself.
Questions before switching
Is this a free AltTab Pro replacement? Open Contexts is free under Apache 2.0, but it does not replace Pro search or visual styles. It offers its own title-list and group workflow.
Will it switch individual Chrome tabs? It switches browser windows, not every tab inside them. If you need tab-level switching, read the Better Window Switcher pages in the comparison hub.