Open ContextsCompare the jobs, not just the bar’s appearance
The table separates returning to open windows from launching items and arranging the desktop. Similar-looking bars can serve different parts of your work.
On a small screen, scroll horizontally to see the full comparison.
| Category | Open Contexts | Sidebar |
|---|---|---|
| Window selection | MRU title list and clickable edge bar | Individual window titles and live previews |
| Organization | Saved named groups of open windows | Stacks of apps and folders; window layout features |
| Search and snapping | Not currently provided | Window search and snapping documented |
| App and file launching | Use the native Dock or another launcher | Built-in launcher and Dock items |
| Price | Free, Apache 2.0 | Seven-day trial; €19.99 lifetime or subscriptions |
| Published minimum | macOS 13+ | macOS 13+ |
A task group and a Stack organize different items
Imagine two projects using the same editor and browser. Open Contexts can group the individual windows for each project together, then retain the order of windows it can match after a restart. Sidebar’s documented Stacks collect apps and folders.
Neither label alone proves that the products save the same state. Open Contexts groups do not launch a project or restore a tiled desktop; Sidebar’s window-position features address a separate layout job.
Titles, previews and search answer different questions
If the title tells you which window to choose, a persistent list may be enough. If two windows have indistinguishable names, Sidebar’s live previews offer a visual route. Its window switcher also includes search, while Open Contexts currently relies on titles and most-recently-used keyboard cycling.
Choose using a repeated example from your own work: locating a particular document, returning to the last terminal or selecting a reference window in a project group.
Which workflow should you try?
- Try Open Contexts for a free, editable tool with saved window groups and keyboard switching.
- Try Sidebar if you want the same Dock surface to launch apps, show previews, search and arrange windows.
- Keep the native Dock if its launcher already works for you, then add a window list only for selection.
Open Contexts needs Accessibility access and targets macOS 13+. Full-screen behavior has not been comprehensively verified here; neither speed nor memory use has been benchmarked against Sidebar.
Official sources
Sources checked on October 8, 2026. Consult the current official pages for prices, licenses and system requirements.