Summary: AltTab remains free and open source for core window switching. A new AltTab Pro ($9.99, one-time purchase) will unlock advanced features for power users. The source code remains on GitHub for anyone to use, tweak, etc. Contributors, translators, and donors receive free Pro licenses.

Four years ago, I opened #1179, looking for someone to take over this project. No one took up on the offer. I kept doing my best: fixing bugs, adding features, keeping up with new macOS releases. In that time, AltTab has grown from a small utility to something that hundreds of thousands of people use every day.

After more than 8 years of building AltTab in my evenings and weekends, I want to give it the time and attention it deserves. To do that, I'm introducing a Pro tier, following the same path as Rectangle Pro, Alfred Powerpack, and BetterTouchTool, apps that kept their core free while building a sustainable future.

What stays free

Everything that makes the core experience:

• Reliable, fast, window switching with high-quality thumbnails
• Lots of customization options and settings
• Open source under GPL-3.0

The free version is not a limited trial. It is the complete window-switching experience AltTab is known for.

What Pro adds ($9.99, one-time)

Pro is for power users who want more from their workflow:

• App Icons and Window Titles appearance styles
• Search — find windows by typing
• Auto Size — the switcher adapts to your content
• Multiple shortcuts — with per-shortcut Appearance (Handle most settings as either global or per-shortcut #5313)
• New complex features for power-users (e.g. I've wanted to tackle Select window by direct shortcut #210 Add a preference: Group/sort windows by app/space/screen then drill-down #337 Reintroduce some options removed with v7 #3882 Pinning of used programs #4684 for a long time)

Every new user will have a 14-day trial of all Pro features.

For those who helped build AltTab

If you contributed code (merged PR), contributed a localization, or donated via GitHub Sponsors, PayPal, or Stripe, you will receive a free Pro Lifetime license by email when the Pro version launches.

You'll receive your license within a few days of launch. If you don't, please email me at support@alt-tab.app, and I'll swifly send you the license.

Nothing disappears

• The source code continues to be developed entirely in the open
• You can always build from source

Why this, and why now

Working on AltTab on my free time does not allow me to dedicate the time this project needs. The kind of time that would mean faster macOS compatibility updates, more thorough testing, and the polish that a tool you use hundreds of times a day deserves.

This model has worked well for other apps in this space. Rectangle kept its free version excellent and launched Rectangle Pro alongside it. Alfred has sustained a small team for over fifteen years with its Powerpack. BetterTouchTool transitioned from donations to paid and came out stronger. I hope AltTab can follow in their footsteps.

Timeline

• Now: sharing this plan and hearing your thoughts
• Coming weeks: beta builds with the Core/Pro split, and first official release

Nothing changes today.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this

I would like to hear what you think about the feature split, the pricing, or anything else. There are many ways to go about it. I've made the above plan, which seems the best to me. If you see improvements, or a better path forwards, I'd like to hear your suggestions.

Thank you for six years of support, bug reports, translations, and kind words. I'm looking forward to what comes next.