vs
Backdrop
PeekFocus · A softer Backdrop alternative
PeekFocus vs Backdrop
Backdrop drops a solid color (or wallpaper) behind your active app, hiding every other window completely. It's an effective sledgehammer. PeekFocus uses a scalpel: dim or blur the background, three modes, you keep peripheral awareness when you want it.
At a glance
| PeekFocus | Backdrop | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Dim / blur in place | Solid color or wallpaper backdrop |
| Modes | Three (Standard, Ambience, Focus) | Single backdrop |
| Peripheral awareness | Yes — soft | No — fully hidden |
| Pricing | $4.99 one-time, 7-day trial | One-time |
| Distribution | Mac App Store, sandboxed | Mac App Store |
| Apple Silicon | Native | Native |
Where they're similar
Both isolate your active window
Both apps make the window you're working in feel like the only one. Both are native, both run on Apple Silicon, both put a single keystroke between distraction and calm.
Where they differ
Hide everything vs. dim everything
Backdrop is binary — your background is gone, replaced by a single color or your wallpaper. That's powerful when you really want to disappear into one app and the rest of the desktop is a mess.
PeekFocus is graduated. Standard mode is a soft dim — you can still see chats or charts in your peripheral vision. Ambience adds a tonal blur. Focus is the closest to Backdrop's approach — but even there, the windows are still on screen, just heavily de-emphasized.
When each shines
If you want absolute disappearance — single window, nothing else — Backdrop is more decisive. If you want a softer treatment with several intensities, PeekFocus gives you the dial.
Pick the right one
Which should you choose?
Choose Backdrop if you want everything else to truly vanish behind a solid surface.
Choose PeekFocus if you want a softer, multi-mode treatment that keeps the rest of the screen visible but quiet.
FAQ
Can PeekFocus completely hide background windows?
Focus mode comes close — heavy blur and dim — but the windows remain on the desktop. Backdrop covers them entirely.
Why three modes?
Different work needs different intensities. Casual reading is Standard; deep writing is Focus.
Can I switch modes via keyboard?
Yes — one shortcut cycles modes, with optional per-mode shortcuts.
Is it on the Mac App Store?
Yes — $4.99 once, sandboxed and notarized, with a 7-day free trial.
A softer way to focus
If Backdrop's hard cut feels too abrupt, PeekFocus's three modes give you the dial.