Open ContextsCompare the capabilities
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to compare both products.
| Category | Open Contexts | Better Window Switcher |
|---|---|---|
| Window selection | Title list in most-recently-used order | Seven arrangements, including 3D views and a flat 2D row |
| Search | App-name and window-title search; ASCII input | Search windows and individual tabs in supported browsers |
| Task organization | Saved named custom groups; pin and order windows | Visual arrangements and tab stacks; use Open Contexts for saved custom groups |
| Gestures | Not currently available | Trackpad invocation and navigation |
| Price | Free, Apache 2.0 | Personal $19.99 / 2 Macs; Team $49.99 / 5 Macs; 7-day trial |
| Compatibility | macOS 13+; Intel and Apple silicon | macOS 14+; Apple silicon only |
One browser window can hide many targets
A browser window is a single item in Open Contexts even if it contains many tabs. Better Window Switcher can expose individual tabs and search across supported browsers. Its official list includes Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi and Opera.
Consider a reference page open beside a code editor. If the reference has its own window, an Open Contexts group can keep that window with the editor. If it is one of thirty tabs inside a window, tab-level navigation may matter more than grouping windows.
Visual recognition and persistent organization
Better Window Switcher offers seven arrangements, including 3D views and a flat 2D row, with previews and trackpad navigation. Open Contexts has a title list and a screen-edge app bar where you can name groups and order windows manually.
A saved task group records how matchable windows are organized. It is not a visual arrangement of previews and does not restore desktop window geometry. Open Contexts searches app names and window titles, without thumbnail previews or trackpad gesture switching.
Permissions, hardware and purchase
Open Contexts needs only Accessibility access and supports macOS 13+ on both Intel and Apple silicon. Better Window Switcher needs Accessibility and Screen Recording access, and requires macOS 14+ on Apple silicon. An Intel Mac or macOS 13 Ventura installation makes Open Contexts the direct choice.
Open Contexts is completely free under Apache 2.0. Better Window Switcher offers a seven-day trial, Personal at $19.99 for two Macs and Team at $49.99 for five Macs, as one-time purchases with current-major-version updates.
Which job are you buying the tool for?
- Choose Better Window Switcher if finding individual browser tabs or recognizing window contents is the central job.
- Choose Better Window Switcher if its 3D/2D visual layouts and trackpad interaction fit your Apple silicon Mac.
- Choose Open Contexts if you want a free, open-source alternative with a titled MRU list, keyboard search, saved project groups, and Intel/Apple silicon support.
The app bar and window switcher in Open Contexts both support multiple displays. Quit one switcher before testing overlapping shortcuts in the other.