Open ContextsDockDoor Free: previews on the Dock you already use
The free app shows live window thumbnails above Dock apps, supports a title-list preview style and provides a searchable window switcher. Glance can show the selected app’s windows above the standard Command-Tab interface.
Its main appeal is a small change to a familiar workflow: retain the macOS Dock and add ways to recognize and reach windows. DockDoor Free is GPL-3.0 open source, has no paid feature unlock and requires macOS 13 or later.
DockDoor Pro: a separate replacement Dock
Pro supplies its own Dock and adds profiles containing apps, folders and widgets. AppSense can switch profiles by active app. Its features also include a Dock per display, pinned apps/files/links, a file tray and window tiling actions in previews.
Pro costs $20 once for up to three Macs and requires macOS 14.6 or later. The vendor advertises a 14-day money-back policy; do not treat that as a no-payment free trial. The free app’s GPL license is not a claim about the Pro application’s source or license.
Requirements to check for either product
Both products advertise Intel and Apple Silicon support and request Accessibility and Screen Recording for their window features. The minimum macOS version differs: 13 for Free, 14.6 for Pro.
Check the permissions on your target machine and read the current purchase terms before paying for Pro. Avoid comparing the free app’s price with a Pro-only feature such as replacement-Dock profiles.
Evaluate Free and Pro with different questions
- Free: With several windows of one app, do previews or the title-list style make the desired window easy to identify? Does searchable switching fit your keyboard habits?
- Pro: Do profiles and AppSense show the right Dock items as your active app changes? Are widgets and per-display Docks useful on your usual screens?
- Both: Check minimized windows, Spaces, external displays and permission handling in your own setup.
These are suggested evaluation questions. This page contains no hands-on results, measured resource use or verified compatibility matrix.
Where a saved-window tool fits
DockDoor Free is worth considering for recognition through previews and search without replacing the native Dock. Pro is worth considering for a customizable replacement Dock.
Open Contexts instead focuses on a title list and saved groups of selected windows across apps. It currently lacks live previews and search. If your goal is a repeatable project window set rather than different Dock contents, that distinction matters more than a broad “best Dock app” label.
Official sources
Sources checked on October 8, 2026. Consult the current official pages for prices, licenses and system requirements.