Placing the window
Snap Assistant places a window with the mouse or a shortcut, and Auto Flow keeps the desktop arranged as windows open and close. AltTab switches to a window without changing its size or position.
AltTab alternative for Mac: Tangrid vs AltTab
AltTab is a free window switcher that shows thumbnails of every window on your Mac. Tangrid is a macOS window manager that answers the same question and then decides where those windows live, with snapping, automatic layouts, Dock previews, and saved Workspaces. AltTab changes how you switch; Tangrid changes what you switch between and where it stays.
In short
- Best at
- AltTab is best at switching to any window, with thumbnails, status badges, and gestures on the free tier.
- Tangrid adds
- Tangrid adds snapping, automatic layouts, window actions inside the switcher, Dock previews, and Workspaces.
- The deciding question
- Do you want a better switching overlay, or a window manager that also switches and searches?
Module by module
Both apps answer "which window", so the table stays on the modules they share and names the AltTab tier wherever the answer changes.
| Module | AltTab | Tangrid |
|---|---|---|
| Window switching and search | Yes AltTab shows thumbnails for all apps or the current app, marks windows that are minimised, hidden, or on another Space, and binds each shortcut to its own filter. | Yes Window Switcher lists all windows or only those of the current app, adds horizontal and vertical layouts, and searches by window title or app name. |
| Desktops and displays | Partly An AltTab shortcut can be limited to the current Space or screen, but AltTab does not move windows between desktops or displays. | Yes Tangrid moves the focused window to the next desktop, the previous desktop, or a chosen display from a shortcut, and Space Indicator shows the current desktop number. |
Where Tangrid goes further
Tangrid covers these modules too.
Previewing from the Dock
Dock Preview shows every window of an app when you hover its Dock icon, which is a separate path to the same window when your hand is already on the mouse.
Returning to a project
Workspaces save a project's window layout and restore it later, including positions, sizes, tab groups, and the target desktop.
Which one to choose
Choose AltTab if
- You want a switcher with thumbnails, status badges, and gesture support without paying for a window manager.
- You only want Command+Tab to behave, and you are happy to leave placement and layout to macOS.
- You want several shortcuts that each show a different slice of your windows, filtered by app, Space, or screen.
Choose Tangrid if
- You want switching, snapping, automatic layouts, and Dock previews from one app instead of three.
- You would rather type part of a window title than browse a wall of thumbnails.
- You want the layout of a project saved and restored, not just the window you switched to.
Frequently asked questions
Is AltTab free?
AltTab keeps a permanent free tier with thumbnails, gestures, and configurable shortcuts. Its source is GPL-3.0, and the Pro licence covers the signed and notarised builds; Pro was $9.99 as of September 2026.
Does AltTab have search?
Search by typing is a Pro feature in AltTab. The free tier shows thumbnails and supports gestures, but it does not filter the list as you type, so a free-tier comparison should be read without search.
What is a good AltTab alternative for Mac?
Tangrid is an AltTab alternative for Mac users who need window placement as well as switching. It includes previews and search, and adds snapping, Auto Flow, Dock previews, and saved Workspaces in the same app.
Can I use AltTab and Tangrid together?
Yes. AltTab replaces the switching overlay while Tangrid manages placement, layout, and previews, so the two can cover different jobs. If both listen for the same shortcut, bind them to different keys.