Mac Dock Replacement Apps Compared: Which One Is Actually Worth It?
The Mac dock replacements of 2026 compared feature by feature: Dockish, DockDoor Pro, uBar and ActiveDock, on price, trial, macOS, docks on every monitor, folders, previews and permissions.
For a dock on every monitor, the choice is between Dockish ($9.99 once) and DockDoor Pro ($20 once): both replace the macOS Dock, Dockish costs less, and DockDoor Pro adds widgets, a file tray and a taskbar mode. If you'd rather have a taskbar with a button for every window, uBar ($30 once) does that, and if you only want window previews, the free DockDoor is enough.
Dockish is ours. Every fact about another app here comes from its maker's own site.
Why replace the macOS Dock at all?
You get one Dock, on one display at a time. You can't group apps into folders, hovering an icon doesn't show its windows, and its look follows your Light or Dark appearance with nothing more to set. With two or three monitors, the trip to the Dock on the other screen adds up over a day. Third-party docks close those gaps, each in its own way.
The replacements, feature by feature
| Dockish | DockDoor Pro | uBar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once | $20 once | $30 once |
| One licence covers | Up to 3 of your own Macs | 3 Macs | Up to two Macs you use |
| Trial | 7 days, no card | 48 hours, no key or card | 14 days |
| macOS | 14 (Sonoma) or later | 14.6 (Sonoma) or later | 10.13 (High Sierra) or later |
| Apple silicon and Intel | Both | Both | Both |
| On every display | A dock on each, the same or different | Each display its own Dock | A bar on each screen, or the same bar everywhere |
| Window previews | Yes, once you turn them on | Yes | Yes |
| Folders | App folders like your iPhone, and Finder folders as stacks | Folders that fan out | Favourites: apps, folders and files |
| Profiles | Yes, switching with your displays | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Extras | The Trash, unread badges, five themes | Nearly 50 widgets, a file tray, a taskbar mode | A clock and a menu of your applications |
| Permissions | Device Control and Data Access (Accessibility before macOS 27); Screen & System Audio Recording for previews | Accessibility and Screen Recording | Accessibility; Screen Recording for previews |
Checked on 13 October 2026, on each maker's own site: DockDoor Pro, uBar, ActiveDock and DockDoor.
Each one, briefly
Dockish: a better dock
Dockish replaces the macOS Dock with docks of its own, one on every display: the same everywhere, or different apps, folders and icon size on each. Drag one pinned app onto another, and hold it there, to make a folder with Open All and Quit All. Hover an app for pictures of its windows, minimised ones included, once you've turned previews on. Pin Finder folders as stacks, add the Trash, choose from five themes, and let profiles switch your dock when your displays change.
What it doesn't do: show each open window as its own button, as a taskbar does, or show minimised windows as their own tiles in the dock. Its right-click menus list an app's windows instead, and its previews show them.
$9.99 once after a 7-day free trial, on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. Start the trial: it asks for no card.
DockDoor Pro: a dock with widgets
DockDoor Pro swaps the macOS Dock for its own, with a Dock on every display, folders that fan out, profiles, a file tray and nearly 50 widgets. It can stretch edge to edge like a taskbar, on any side of any screen. It's $20 once for 3 Macs, with a 48-hour trial and 14 days to ask for a refund. It's a separate app from the free DockDoor.
uBar: a taskbar, or a dock
uBar can be set up as a taskbar or a dock. Turn its grouping off and every open window gets its own button. Each screen gets its own bar with only its own apps and windows, or the same bar everywhere. It's $30 once for up to two Macs, with a 14-day trial, and it runs on macOS 10.13 or later, the widest range here. A licence covers the major version you buy. See Dockish vs uBar.
ActiveDock 2: the Dock and Launchpad in one
ActiveDock 2 replaces both the Dock and Launchpad. Its site lists window previews, folder stacks, custom themes, grouping of apps and documents, and multiple-monitor support. It needs macOS 14.6 or later, has a 14-day trial, and is a one-time purchase.
DockDoor: previews for the macOS Dock, free
The free DockDoor doesn't replace the Dock. It adds window previews, a window switcher on Option-Tab, gestures and keyboard controls to the macOS Dock, so there's still one dock, on one display at a time. If previews are all you're missing, it's the one to try first. See Dockish vs DockDoor.
How to choose
- Do you want a dock or a taskbar? A taskbar, with a button for every window: uBar. A dock: Dockish or DockDoor Pro.
- How much are you replacing? Window previews only: the free DockDoor. A dock on every monitor, folders and themes: Dockish, at $9.99. Widgets and a file tray too: DockDoor Pro, at $20.
- Which macOS do you run? Before Sonoma, uBar (macOS 10.13 or later) or the free DockDoor (macOS 13 or later).
Want more than one of our apps? The Appish Suite has all four for $28.99.
If your frustration is the dock not showing on your external monitor, the guide to the Mac dock on both monitors covers every approach. If you'd rather tune the macOS Dock than replace it, start with its settings and Terminal tweaks. Every dock app worth knowing, launchers included, is in the roundup of dock apps.
Common questions
Is there a free Mac dock replacement?
Not among the apps here. DockDoor is free and adds window previews to the macOS Dock, but it keeps the macOS Dock, so there's no dock on your other monitors. Dockish is $9.99 once, with a 7-day trial and no card.
Does Dockish work on macOS Ventura?
No. Dockish needs macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. On Ventura, uBar runs on macOS 10.13 or later, and the free DockDoor on macOS 13.
Can I use a dock replacement alongside the macOS Dock?
Yes, but most people hide the macOS Dock once their new dock is set up. Dockish has Hide macOS Dock in its settings, and Restore macOS Dock to bring it back. Quitting Dockish brings it back too, as you had it.
Does Dockish bring over my macOS Dock's apps?
Yes. It starts with the apps pinned in your macOS Dock, and Import macOS Dock Apps in its settings adds any it doesn't have yet.
“Dockish has everything I need and more and at a competitive price.”