Is there a free Mac Dock alternative?
Short answer. Yes, several. Superdock is free to download and the dock itself is free forever: window previews on hover, an Alt-Tab style window switcher, a dock on every display, and clickable space at each end. One feature, a separate Dock icon per Chrome profile, is free for 14 days and then $7.99 once. AltTab and DockDoor are free and open source if you only want one piece.
What "free" means here
Most Dock utilities on the Mac fall into three groups: fully free and open source, free to try then paid, or paid up front. It is worth knowing which you are installing before you spend an evening configuring it.
- Free and open source. AltTab does window switching. DockDoor adds hover previews to Apple's own Dock. Both are free with no paid tier.
- Free with one paid feature. Superdock replaces the Dock. Everything except Chrome profile icons is free with no time limit and no account.
- Paid. uBar and ActiveDock are commercial Dock replacements with trials.
What you get in Superdock without paying
- The dock itself, drawn to match Apple's, with pinning, dragging, folders, spacers and the Trash.
- Window previews on hover, the way the Windows taskbar shows thumbnails.
- A window switcher: hold Option and press Tab to see every open window as a thumbnail, minimized ones included.
- A dock on every display at the same time, optionally listing only the apps with a window on that screen.
- Clickable dock ends for Show Desktop, Mission Control or Stage Manager.
- Magnification, size and appearance that follow your system settings.
The one paid feature
macOS gives one Dock icon per running process, and every Chrome profile shares a single process, so Apple's Dock collapses them into one icon. Superdock draws its own tiles, so it can show one tile per profile with that profile's avatar. That feature is free for 14 days, then $7.99 once, for as many Macs as you use up to five. Everything listed above keeps working whether or not you buy it.
No account, no subscription
Downloading Superdock does not ask for an email address or create an account. There is no subscription. The licence, if you buy one, is a signed file checked on your own Mac rather than a login.
Frequently asked questions
Is Superdock really free, or is it a trial?
The dock, previews, switcher, multi-display support and edge actions are free with no time limit. Only Chrome profile icons are time limited, at 14 days, and the rest of the app keeps working after that.
Do I need an account to download it?
No. There is no sign-up, no email required and no subscription.
What is the best fully free option?
If you only want window switching, AltTab. If you want hover previews on Apple's Dock, DockDoor. Both are open source. Superdock is the option if you want one app that replaces the Dock and does all of it.
Does it work on Apple Silicon?
Yes, on Apple Silicon and Intel, on macOS 14 or later.
Download free Superdock is free to download. The dock, window previews, the switcher and multi-display support are all free. Chrome profile icons: 14 days free, then $7.99 once. macOS 14 or later.
Superdock