vs
Witch
Tesserac · A modern alternative to Witch
Tesserac vs Witch
Witch has been a Mac power-user staple for over fifteen years — a flexible app and window switcher with deep configuration. Tesserac is a newer take on the same job: less configuration surface, more visual presentation, and a focus on spatial recall instead of textual scanning.
At a glance
| Tesserac | Witch | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $9.99 once, 7-day trial | Paid license, free trial |
| Switching unit | App-level | App + window level |
| UI | Spatial — ring, orb, list, grid | List overlay |
| Configuration | Sensible defaults, simple settings | Deep configuration |
| Filter as you type | Yes — fuzzy filter | Yes |
| Pin favourites | Yes — anchored positions | No |
| Hide apps | Yes — Ignored list | Yes |
| Distribution | Mac App Store, sandboxed | Direct |
Where they're similar
Both want to make app switching feel fast
Both are dedicated, focused app switchers (not launchers, not productivity suites). Both let you filter as you type. Both are keyboard-first. Both are built by small teams that have been at it for years.
Where they differ
Different definitions of what that means
Configuration philosophy
Witch rewards configuration — keyboard layouts, modifiers, behavior per trigger, list ordering, theming. Power users tune it once and ride it for a decade.
Tesserac ships with defaults that work and a small set of tasteful options on top. There's no "wrong" Witch config, and there's no "deep tuning required" Tesserac. Different bets on what the user wants.
Visual presentation
Witch's UI is a list overlay — efficient and information-dense, with one row per item.
Tesserac's default Ring layout puts apps spatially around the screen center. The List layout (which is closer to Witch in spirit) is also available, but it's one of four choices, not the only mode.
App-level vs window-level
Witch is famous for letting you switch directly to a specific window of a specific app, which is faster than "app first, then Cmd+`" if you live in many windows per app.
Tesserac focuses on app-level switching with optional pinned favourites. Window-level switching within an app is delegated to macOS native shortcuts.
Pick the right one
Which should you choose?
Choose Witch if you have many windows per app (think a developer with 6 Chrome windows + 4 Terminal tabs + multiple Xcode projects), you want deep configuration, and you value direct distribution + decade-plus track record.
Choose Tesserac if you mostly switch app-to-app, you want a visual spatial layout, and you prefer Mac App Store distribution with sandboxing and a 7-day trial. Tesserac is the simpler tool by design — less to learn, less to tune.
FAQ
Is Witch still being developed?
Yes — Witch has had ongoing updates and remains a respected option for power users who want fine-grained control over how the switcher behaves.
Does Tesserac switch between windows of the same app?
No — Tesserac is app-level. Witch's window-level switching is one of its core differentiators. macOS's native Cmd+` covers same-app window switching after Tesserac brings the app to front.
Pricing?
Tesserac is $9.99 once on the Mac App Store with a 7-day trial. Witch is paid (one-time license) with a free trial.
Apple Silicon native?
Both are native arm64.
Sandboxed?
Tesserac ships sandboxed through the Mac App Store. Witch ships direct.
A simpler take on the same job
If Witch's configurability feels heavy and you want something more visual and opinionated by default, Tesserac is $9.99 once with a 7-day trial.