Tangrid vs AltTab
See the right window. Search when you know its name.
AltTab is a window switcher with thumbnails, status badges, and shortcut filters; typing to search requires AltTab Pro. Tangrid’s Window Switcher offers horizontal previews and a vertical list with title and app-name search included. This page compares window switching only.
Feature comparison
| Feature |  Tangrid | AltTab |
|---|---|---|
| Switch individual windows | Across all apps or within the current app | Across all apps or within the current app |
| Window previews | Thumbnails in horizontal and vertical views | Window thumbnails and selected-window previews |
| Search titles and app names | Included in vertical view | AltTab Pro |
| Search matching | Pinyin, fuzzy matching, and relevance ordering | Pro searches window titles and app names |
| Display styles | Horizontal previews or a vertical searchable list | Thumbnails; extra styles in Pro |
| Desktop filtering | Limit the all-windows list to the current desktop | Shortcut filters for the current Space or screen |
| Window exclusion rules | App or title rules; titles support regular expressions | Blacklist apps or windows from the switcher |
| Actions in the switcher | Close, minimize, maximize, fullscreen, hide, or quit | Close, minimize, fullscreen, hide, or quit |
Choose if
Choose AltTab if you want a free, open-source thumbnail switcher with status badges and shortcut-based filters, and are comfortable buying Pro for search.
Choose Tangrid if you want search included, prefer a vertical list when typing, or use pinyin and fuzzy matching to find partially remembered names.
FAQ
Can Tangrid switch between individual windows, including windows of the same app?
Yes. Window Switcher can show windows across all apps or only the current app. Each scope has separate display and behavior settings.
Can I search for a window instead of browsing every thumbnail?
Yes. Window Switcher's vertical view searches window titles and app names. It supports pinyin, fuzzy matching, and relevance ordering when you remember only part of a name.
Can Tangrid show only windows on my current macOS desktop?
Yes. Limit the all-apps window list to the current desktop. Use the current-app scope when you want to browse just one app's windows.
Can I hide certain apps or windows from Tangrid's switcher?
Yes. Create exclusion rules by app or window title. Title rules support regular expressions, and each rule can be enabled or disabled separately.
Does Tangrid upload the window previews shown in its switcher?
No. Tangrid processes window previews locally on your Mac. Live previews require Screen Recording permission, but screen content and previews are not uploaded to a server.
More comparisons
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