AltTab
Free (Pro: $9.99 one-time or $24.99 lifetime) · Open source
Price checked at source August 30, 2026.
A free, open-source window switcher — live thumbnails, up to 9 custom shortcuts, and trackpad gestures — with an optional $9.99 Pro upgrade for search and extra styles.
Our take
The default free pick for seeing every open window at a glance, not just cycling app icons: AltTab shows live thumbnails of every window (grouped or flat), with Dark Mode, trackpad gestures, and up to 9 independently configurable keyboard shortcuts. Built and maintained since 2016 by a developer using the handle lwouis (no full name publicly disclosed on the project’s site or GitHub profile) — 8.6M downloads and 16k GitHub stars, with press mentions from MacRumors, How-To Geek, and Lifehacker. The core switching experience stays free and open source under the plain “AltTab” name most people search for; the developer now also markets an optional “AltTab Pro” upgrade ($9.99 one-time or $24.99 lifetime) that adds in-switcher search, two extra display styles, and auto-sizing thumbnails.
- Price
- Free (Pro: $9.99 one-time or $24.99 lifetime)
- License
- Open source
- Get it via
- Homebrew · Direct
- Developer
- lwouis
Do you use AltTab?
Who made this
lwouis ✓
AltTab’s own site credits itself with 9M+ downloads and 16K+ GitHub stars, and lists its own press coverage — including a #1 spot in MacRumors’s "10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026." No real name is published anywhere under the developer handle "lwouis," on the app’s site or GitHub.
What it does
Live window thumbnails
See every open window as a real preview, not just an app icon, with multiple display styles to choose from.
Up to 9 custom shortcuts
Pro tier: configure independent keyboard shortcuts, each with its own filters and appearance (Free tier ships one).
Trackpad and Dark Mode support
Full trackpad gesture support and native Dark Mode, included free.
The deal
- Free and open source for the core app
- Optional Pro upgrade: $9.99 one-time or $24.99 lifetime, with a 14-day trial — adds search, extra display styles, auto-sizing, and up to 9 shortcuts
AltTab — questions people ask
Is AltTab free?
The core window switcher is free and open source. An optional Pro upgrade ($9.99 one-time or $24.99 lifetime, 14-day trial) adds search, extra styles, and more shortcuts.
Who makes AltTab?
A developer using the GitHub handle lwouis; no full name is publicly disclosed on the project’s site or GitHub profile.
Is AltTab the same as “AltTab Pro”?
Yes — the developer now markets the project under the “AltTab Pro” name on its homepage, but the underlying open-source app (Homebrew cask alt-tab, GitHub repo alt-tab-macos) is the same AltTab most people search for, with Pro as an optional paid layer on top.
Is AltTab free?
Yes — AltTab is free.
Does AltTab work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — AltTab lives in the menu bar, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download AltTab?
AltTab is available via Homebrew, Direct.
Is AltTab open source?
Yes — AltTab is open source.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified August 30, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
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