Open ContextsCompare the capabilities
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to compare both products.
| Category | Open Contexts | Better Window Switcher |
|---|---|---|
| Window selection | Title list in most-recently-used order | Seven arrangements, including 3D views and a flat 2D row |
| Search | Not currently available | Search windows and individual tabs in supported browsers |
| Task organization | Saved named custom groups; pin and order windows | Visual arrangements and tab stacks; use Open Contexts for saved custom groups |
| Gestures | Not currently available | Trackpad invocation and navigation |
| Price | Free, Apache 2.0 | Personal $19.99 / 2 Macs; Team $49.99 / 5 Macs; 7-day trial |
| Compatibility | macOS 13+; Intel and Apple silicon | macOS 14+; Apple silicon only |
One browser window can hide many targets
A browser window is a single item in Open Contexts even if it contains many tabs. Better Window Switcher can expose individual tabs and search across supported browsers. Its official list includes Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi and Opera.
Consider a reference page open beside a code editor. If the reference has its own window, an Open Contexts group can keep that window with the editor. If it is one of thirty tabs inside a window, tab-level navigation may matter more than grouping windows.
Visual recognition and persistent organization
Better Window Switcher offers seven arrangements, including 3D views and a flat 2D row, with previews and trackpad navigation. Open Contexts has a title list and a screen-edge app bar where you can name groups and order windows manually.
A saved task group records how matchable windows are organized. It is not a visual arrangement of previews and does not restore desktop window geometry. Open Contexts does not currently have thumbnail previews, search or trackpad gesture switching.
Permissions, hardware and purchase
Open Contexts needs Accessibility access and supports macOS 13+ on Intel and Apple silicon. Better Window Switcher needs Accessibility and Screen Recording access, and requires macOS 14+ on Apple silicon. An Intel Mac or Ventura installation rules out the latter’s currently listed requirements.
Open Contexts is free. Better Window Switcher offers a seven-day trial, Personal at $19.99 for two Macs and Team at $49.99 for five Macs. Purchases are one-time with current-major-version updates; regional checkout prices can differ. Fewer permissions are not a performance benchmark, and this comparison has no measured latency or battery results.
Which job are you buying the tool for?
- Choose Better Window Switcher if finding individual browser tabs or recognizing window contents is the central job.
- Choose Better Window Switcher if its visual layouts and trackpad interaction fit your Apple silicon Mac.
- Choose Open Contexts if you want a free titled list, saved project groups and Intel support.
Try your actual browser, minimized windows and multiple displays before choosing. Open Contexts still needs further real-world full-screen verification. There is no automatic settings import between the products; quit one before testing conflicting shortcuts in the other.