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AltTab vs Magnet

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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AltTab
AltTabSee every open window at a glance and switch between them instantly on Mac.
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Magnet
MagnetSnap Mac windows into halves, thirds, and quarters by dragging them to the edge of the screen.
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Overview
Description

AltTab is a free and open source window switcher for macOS that replaces the operating system's default Command-Tab behavior with a full window-by-window view, showing high-quality thumbnail previews of every open window, including hidden and minimized ones, across spaces. The free version includes dark mode, live thumbnail previews, and trackpad gesture support, while AltTab Pro adds window search by title or app name, up to nine independently configurable keyboard shortcuts, automatic thumbnail sizing, and alternate display styles like a dock-style icon view or text-only list. The project reports over 8.5 million downloads and 16,000 GitHub stars, and Pro includes a 14-day free trial.

Magnet is a lightweight macOS window manager from CrowdCafe that lets users drag a window to the edge or corner of the screen to snap it into a half, quarter, or third of the display. It can also be controlled from the menu bar or with customizable keyboard shortcuts, and supports layouts for fullscreen, halves, thirds, and corner quarters. The app targets people who juggle multiple windows and want faster, more consistent arrangement than manual dragging and resizing. It is a simple, focused, one-time-purchase utility rather than a full automation suite.

Pricing
Freemium
Paid (One-time)
Category
Window Management
Window Management
Best for
Mac users, especially those switching from Windows, who want a better window switcher
Mac users who want fast, simple window snapping without a steep learning curve
Specifications
deployment
Desktop App
Desktop App
open source
Yes
No
api available
No
No
support options
—
Mac App Store support page
key integrations
—
None (standalone utility)
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Free and open source with a large download base
  • More capable than macOS's built-in Command-Tab switcher
  • Highly configurable with the Pro tier
  • Actively maintained, described as 8 years of refinement
  • Simple, focused tool that does one job (window snapping) very well.
  • Low one-time price with no subscription.
  • Menu bar and keyboard shortcut controls fit different working styles.
  • Lightweight with minimal system resource use.
Cons
  • macOS only
  • Search and multiple custom shortcuts require the paid Pro upgrade
  • Adds another background utility to manage
  • Lacks the tiling automation and scripting depth of tools like Amethyst or BetterTouchTool.
  • No Windows or Linux version.
  • Layout options are fixed presets rather than fully custom grids.
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
0
User rating
Not enough data
Not enough data

More alternatives & similar tools

Alternatives to AltTab

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Alternatives to Magnet

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Moom
Moom

A Mac window management app for quickly moving, resizing, and saving window layouts.

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Amethyst
Amethyst

Free, open-source tiling window manager for macOS inspired by xmonad.

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Rectangle
Rectangle

Move and resize any Mac window instantly using keyboard shortcuts or snap areas.

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

AltTab offers a free, open‑source window switcher with thumbnail previews and searchable Pro features, while Magnet provides a low‑cost, one‑time purchase focused solely on window snapping.

Key differences

  • •AltTab emphasizes visual window switching with thumbnails and searchable lists; Magnet focuses on drag‑and‑snap layout positioning only.
  • •AltTab is freemium and open source; Magnet requires a paid one‑time license.
  • •AltTab’s Pro tier adds custom shortcuts and filters, whereas Magnet’s shortcuts cover fixed snap layouts.
  • •AltTab runs only on macOS and adds a background utility; Magnet also runs on macOS but is lightweight with minimal background processes.
DimensionWinner

Pricing & value

AltTab is free with optional paid Pro tier; Magnet costs a one‑time fee for all features.

AltTab

Ease of use / learning curve

Magnet’s drag‑to‑edge snapping is intuitive; AltTab requires learning shortcuts and Pro upgrade for search.

Magnet

Features & depth

AltTab provides thumbnail previews, searchable windows, multiple shortcut slots; Magnet only offers fixed snap layouts.

AltTab

Integrations & ecosystem

Both are standalone macOS desktop apps with no listed integrations or APIs.

Tie

Support

Magnet offers a Mac App Store support page; AltTab lists no support options.

Magnet

Choose AltTab if…

Mac power users who need visual window switching and are comfortable with a free tool that may require a Pro upgrade.

Choose Magnet if…

Users who want simple, reliable window snapping with a one‑time purchase and minimal setup.

Common questions

Is there a free version?

AltTab offers a free tier; Magnet requires a paid one‑time purchase.

Can I customize keyboard shortcuts?

AltTab Pro allows up to 9 custom shortcuts; Magnet provides shortcuts for each preset snap layout.

Does either tool work on Windows or Linux?

Both are macOS‑only; no Windows or Linux versions are listed.