Open ContextsDockDoor Free and DockDoor Pro are separate apps
DockDoor Free adds window thumbnails when you hover over apps in the native Dock. It also provides a searchable window switcher and a Glance overlay above Command-Tab. The free app is open source under GPL-3.0 and requires macOS 13 or later.
DockDoor Pro supplies its own Dock, with profiles, AppSense automatic profile switching, widgets, pinned items and a Dock per display. It costs $20 once for up to three Macs and requires macOS 14.6 or later. Its 14-day money-back policy is a refund policy, not a free trial.
Pro is not an in-app paid unlock for DockDoor Free. Evaluate the two products separately.
When a saved window group solves the problem
A research task might need one browser window, a PDF window and an editor. Open Contexts lets you place those individual windows in a named group and save their membership and order in the app bar.
DockDoor Free makes windows easier to recognize through previews and search. Pro profiles organize Dock contents such as apps, folders and widgets. A Dock profile and a saved set of particular open windows describe different kinds of state.
Keep DockDoor if previews or search are essential
Open Contexts currently has no live window thumbnails or window search. If your reason for installing DockDoor Free is to preview similar browser windows, it remains a closer fit. Replacing a free preview tool with a free title-list tool is a workflow choice, not a price saving.
If you need Pro’s replacement Dock, widgets or automatic profiles, Open Contexts does not cover that feature set. The app bar and window switcher both support multiple displays. Its app bar is for navigating windows; use the native Dock to launch applications.
Evaluate the alternative with one working set
- Keep your DockDoor settings. Quit the DockDoor app you are evaluating before testing overlapping shortcuts.
- Install Open Contexts on macOS 13 or later and grant Accessibility access.
- Put three windows from different apps into one group and choose a side or bottom bar.
- Switch with the keyboard and title list, then judge whether you miss previews or type-to-search.
- Restart Open Contexts to check how saved groups match still-open windows; check your usual Space workflow.
No DockDoor settings or Pro profiles are imported. Saved groups do not reopen apps or restore window positions.
Three different license and system choices
- Open Contexts: free, Apache 2.0, macOS 13+, Accessibility for current window features.
- DockDoor Free: free, GPL-3.0, macOS 13+, Accessibility and Screen Recording.
- DockDoor Pro: $20 once for three Macs, macOS 14.6+, Accessibility and Screen Recording.
Both DockDoor products advertise Intel and Apple Silicon support. Price and requirements here were checked against official pages on October 8, 2026.
Official sources
Sources checked on October 8, 2026. Consult the current official pages for prices, licenses and system requirements.