Open ContextsOpen Contexts and uBar at a glance
On a small screen, scroll horizontally to see the full comparison.
| Category | Open Contexts | uBar |
|---|---|---|
| Primary interface | MRU window list and a left, right or bottom app bar. | Dock or taskbar modes; top, bottom, left or right positions. |
| Window organization | Named groups with chosen windows across apps; saved membership and order. | Always, Never or Automatic grouping of windows from the same app. |
| Recognizing windows | Window titles and keyboard ASCII search; no live thumbnail previews. | Window titles, hover previews and app window menus. |
| Launching and status | Use the native Dock for launching; no clock or CPU/RAM dashboard. | Favorites for apps, files and folders; clock and activity indicators. |
| Displays and density | The app bar and window switcher both support multiple displays. | Taskbar per display or mirrored bar; up to five rows. |
| Price and minimum macOS | Free, Apache 2.0; macOS 13+. | 14-day trial; $30 Personal or $50 Commercial per employee; published minimum macOS 10.13. |
Test the grouping that matches your work
With three browser windows and a terminal open, uBar’s Never setting exposes each window. Always groups the browser windows under their application; Automatic adjusts that grouping when space is limited.
In Open Contexts, you can put one browser window and the terminal in “Development,” leaving the other browser windows outside that group. The saved group concerns selected windows, rather than whether an app’s entries collapse. It is not a saved desktop layout.
Consider the rest of the taskbar
uBar combines favorites, a clock, window menus, preview thumbnails and configurable rows. It also documents a taskbar per display or a mirrored bar. If those are part of your routine, compare their value before choosing a smaller window tool.
Open Contexts supports keyboard switching with app-name and title search and an app bar on the left, right, or bottom edge that can remain visible or appear on hover.
A practical way to choose
- Try Open Contexts for named cross-app window groups, a bottom or side window bar, and a free open-source window switcher.
- Try uBar for a Windows-style taskbar, favorites, hover previews, or multi-row per-display bars.
- In either tool, check title clarity with several windows of the same app and test the Spaces you use.
uBar’s documentation lists Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions for window control and preview-related behavior. Open Contexts requests only Accessibility for its window-list and switching features.
Official sources
Sources checked on October 8, 2026. Consult the current official pages for prices, licenses and system requirements.