Window Manager for macOS – Best Applications for Switching Between Open Windows

applicationssoftware-recommendationwindow-manager

After 4 years of being a Mac user, there is only one thing that I still miss from the Windows world, and that is being able to switch with a single keystroke between all open windows in the computer.

What is the best app or utility, free or not, for accomplishing that?

I've used Witch, but I never was completely satisfied with it. It's a bit slow and the switcher UI is not very pretty.

Do you know any alternative?


EDIT (2016): This question keeps getting views and upvotes after 6 years. When I asked this question in 2010 I was still transitioning from being a Windows user. Eventually, I got used to Mac OS X UI and nowadays I don't use any third party utility for managing app windows, just Mission Control and the native keyboard shortcuts. So, although this question is no longer relevant for me I hope it is useful to new Mac users making the switch (Including this comment).

Best Answer

Here's a list of all the options from this page:
["italicized & quoted notes are sourced from linked url"]

  • Mission Control and native keyboard shortcuts: +tab or +` (backtick)
  • Witch ["v4.3.8 requires macOS 10.10 Yosemite or newer"] [$14]
  • Hyperswitch ["Mountain Lion, Mavericks & Yosemite"; works on Sierra & High Sierra] [$0 Free] [window preview]
  • Contexts ["v3.7.1 Works on Mojave & Catalina"] [$9 after Free trial]
  • Optimal Layout [Snow Leopard or later] [$0 (free) but not currently actively developed]
  • Karabiner - ["macOS 11.0 Big Sur, macOS 10.15 Catalina"]
  • Senebier ["10.4 or later", last update in 2012]
  • AltTab ["macOS 10.12 to 10.15"] [$0 (free), open source]
  • Hammerspoon with hs.window.switcher [free and open source]