The best HyperDock alternative for Mac: window previews that still get updates
HyperDock taught a lot of Mac users that the Dock could do more. Hover an icon and you got a preview of every window that app had open, minimized ones included. Click one and you were there. If you're looking for a HyperDock alternative now, it's usually because the app hasn't moved in years and you've started wondering how long it has left. Here's where HyperDock stands, what it actually did for you, and what covers each part of it today, including the keyboard route that skips the Dock entirely.
Why people look for a HyperDock alternative
The last release is from the Mojave era. HyperDock's own download page offers version 1.8 and lists "Mac OS Mojave, High Sierra, & Sierra". That's macOS 10.14, from 2018. Nothing on the page mentions anything newer, and the release history link now returns a 404.
It's an Intel app. The compatibility tracker Does It ARM lists HyperDock as x86 only, so on an M-series Mac it runs through Rosetta 2. Apple says Rosetta is available on Apple silicon Macs running macOS 27 or earlier, and that from macOS 28 it will only be kept for certain older games. A Dock utility isn't one of them. Our guide to checking which apps are Intel shows how to find everything else in the same position.
It's built the old way. The website version installs as a preference pane, a format Apple has been sidelining for years. There's also a Mac App Store version, but HyperDock's FAQ says it has a reduced feature set and lacks the shortcuts feature.
None of that means it stops working tomorrow. But a tool you touch dozens of times a day shouldn't depend on a translation layer with a published end date.
What HyperDock actually did
HyperDock bundled several jobs into one app, and it helps to split them up, because no single replacement does all of them the same way:
- Window previews on Dock hover. Its headline feature. The bubble showed every window of an app, including minimized windows and windows on other Spaces.
- Window snapping. Drag a window to a screen edge and it resized to fill that part of the screen.
- Move and resize with a modifier key. Hold keys and move the mouse to drag or resize a window from anywhere in it.
- Dock shortcuts. Key and mouse shortcuts on Dock items to hide or quit an app, start Exposé, and so on.
- Music and calendar peeks. Hover the iTunes or Calendar icon for the current track or your next events.
The previews are what most people miss. That's where to start.
The best HyperDock alternatives at a glance
| HyperDock | DockDoor | Let's Switch | AltTab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.95 one-time | Free, open source | Free; Pro $9.99 one-time | Free, open source (optional paid Pro) |
| Latest release | 1.8 (lists Mojave) | 1.41.0, October 2026 | Actively developed | Actively developed |
| Native on Apple silicon | No (Rosetta) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Previews on Dock hover | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Keyboard switcher with previews | No | Yes (⌥⇥) | Yes (⌥⇥, most recent first) | Yes (⌥⇥) |
| Includes other Spaces | Yes | Yes | No, current Space only | Yes |
| Type to find a window | No | Yes | Yes (Pro, ⌥Space) | Yes (Pro) |
| Minimum macOS | Sierra, per its download page | 13 (Ventura) | 14 (Sonoma) | 12 (Monterey) |
DockDoor: the direct replacement
If you want HyperDock's hover previews back, exactly where they were, use DockDoor. It's free, open source under GPL-3.0, and native on both Apple silicon and Intel, from macOS 13 Ventura up. Version 1.41.0 shipped in October 2026, so it's very much alive.
Point at a Dock icon and it shows every window of that app, including minimized and hidden ones and windows on other Spaces and displays. That's the same reach HyperDock had. Each preview has buttons to close or minimize that window without leaving the app you're in. It also has music and calendar widgets, which cover HyperDock's iTunes and Calendar peeks.
It goes further than HyperDock in two places. It adds an Alt-Tab-style switcher on ⌥⇥, with search, and it can show a highlighted app's windows above the built-in ⌘Tab switcher. And its optional trackpad gestures can snap a window to half the screen or a corner. The same developer sells a separate app, DockDoor Pro ($20 once), that replaces the Dock entirely. You don't need it to replace HyperDock.
For how it stacks up against the keyboard-first option, see DockDoor vs AltTab.
Let's Switch: when the hover was the slow part
Here's the honest question to ask before you reinstall a Dock previewer: how often were you hovering the Dock just to get to a window? If the answer is "most of the time", the faster fix is to stop going to the Dock at all.
Let's Switch is a keyboard window switcher. Hold ⌥ and tap ⇥, and you get a live preview of every open window across your apps and monitors, newest first. The window you just left is one tap away, so a quick ⌥⇥ flips you straight back. Keep tapping to go further, ⇧⇥ to step back, release ⌥ to jump. ⌥` cycles only the current app's windows, which is the HyperDock "show me this app's windows" job without the mouse.
That switcher is free, permanently. Pro is $9.99, paid once, and adds a search palette: press ⌥Space, type a few letters of a window title, and ↵ takes you there. Press ⌥Space again and the same box launches any installed app. There's no account and no subscription, a key covers up to 20 devices, and the app sends no telemetry. It lives in the menu bar with no Dock icon, which suits people who end up hiding the Dock altogether.
To be fair about the trade: Let's Switch is much newer than HyperDock, it needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later, it isn't open source, and it doesn't preview anything on Dock hover. It also only switches between windows on your current Space. If you rely on HyperDock showing windows from other desktops, DockDoor or AltTab keeps that.
Replacing the rest of HyperDock
Window snapping is built in now. Since macOS 15 Sequoia, dragging a window to a screen edge tiles it, so that HyperDock feature is no longer worth a third-party app on its own. If you want more than halves and quarters, or want to do it from the keyboard, Let's Tile puts a visible grid on screen; its free tier covers halves, thirds, quarters and full screen. Our guide to tiling windows on macOS covers the built-in options first.
Modifier-drag move and resize isn't something macOS offers natively. Several window managers do; check that one supports it before you uninstall HyperDock if you use it daily.
Dock item shortcuts mostly map onto keys you already have: ⌘H hides, ⌘Q quits, ⌃↑ opens Mission Control, ⌃↓ shows the current app's windows.
Moving off HyperDock
- Uninstall it cleanly. Remove the preference pane, then delete its entries in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. An app you've removed shouldn't keep that access.
- Install one replacement at a time. DockDoor, AltTab and Let's Switch all default to ⌥⇥. Running two at once means two apps fighting over the same keys. More in Mac shortcut conflicts.
- Grant Accessibility, and Screen Recording if you want previews. Every switcher needs Accessibility to raise windows. Let's Switch uses Screen Recording only to draw the thumbnails; skip it and you get names and icons instead.
Frequently asked questions
Is HyperDock still supported? Its download page still offers version 1.8 and lists Mojave as the newest supported macOS. There's no sign of a newer release, so plan as if there won't be one.
Will HyperDock work on macOS 28? Probably not. It's an Intel build that runs through Rosetta 2, and Apple says Rosetta won't be kept for general apps from macOS 28.
What's the best free HyperDock alternative? DockDoor, if you want previews on Dock hover. It's free, open source and actively updated. If you'd rather switch from the keyboard, the Let's Switch switcher and AltTab are both free.
Does Let's Switch show previews when I hover the Dock? No. It shows live previews in its ⌥⇥ switcher instead. If hovering the Dock is the habit you want to keep, use DockDoor.