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ExtraDock alternatives in 2026

Updated 24 September 2026 · About 9 min read

Ordin publishes this page, and Ordin is one of the apps listed. Prices and features for the other apps come from their public sites on 24 September 2026. Confirm them at checkout.

People look for an ExtraDock alternative when they want more than one dock on a Mac, or when ExtraDock’s price, macOS split, or “hide the system Dock” model is the wrong shape. The apps below are not interchangeable. Some add docks beside Apple’s. Some replace the Dock. One of them only adds window previews.

What to decide first

Three questions sort this category faster than a feature grid.

• Should Apple’s Dock stay? If yes, you want an extra-dock app or a preview add-on. If you want the system Dock gone, you want a replacement.
• Do you need a different set of apps on each monitor? Extra docks and per-display bars answer that. A single replacement dock on one edge does not, even if it supports multiple monitors.
• How many Macs, and which macOS? License math and the Tahoe-versus-earlier split matter as much as the icon size slider.

Comparison

On a narrow window, scroll the table sideways. Every column is a different app.

DockDoor, the free app, is omitted from the grid because it does not add or replace a dock. It is covered below. ActiveDock’s prices are from the MacPlus store listing checked the same day: $19.99 for one Mac with one year of updates, and $59.99 Pro lifetime for three Macs.

Ordin

Ordin adds extra docks on macOS 13 and later and leaves Apple’s Dock where it is. Hover an icon on either dock and you get live thumbnails of that app’s windows. Docks can sit on any edge, float, or run vertical. Widgets include a clock, a file shelf, a live mirror of the system Dock, a space indicator, and TamaDocky. Backgrounds include Liquid Glass. Presets store which docks are visible and bring that set back with a hotkey.

The license is $12.99 once for one Mac, and the terms include updates Ordin publishes for this app. The trial is 2 days and does not ask for an account. Ordin does not hide the system Dock, and it does not sell a multi-Mac key. A closer feature-by-feature writeup is on Ordin vs ExtraDock.

Best for: one Mac, Apple’s Dock stays, extra docks plus previews in the same app, a stack of task-specific docks switched with presets, and a price under ExtraDock’s one-year plan. See specialized docks for each task.

ExtraDock

ExtraDock is the app this page is an alternative to, and it is still the closest match if you want many docks and you also want the choice to hide Apple’s Dock. Documentation describes per-dock apps, widgets (including Live Dock and Dock Awareness), screen assignment, hide-on-disconnect, custom icons, and window previews on ExtraDock’s docks. A setting can keep resized windows from covering those docks.

Pricing on 24 September 2026, from ExtraDock’s pricing page, in US dollars, tax possibly extra:

• $14.99 for one year on one Mac
• $37.20 lifetime access per device, with one year of updates (optional renewal listed at $9.99 a year)
• $116.50 Forever Edition for up to five Macs, with future versions included

ExtraDock 5 is for macOS 26 and later. ExtraDock 4 remains the supported app for macOS 12 through 15. There is a 14-day money-back guarantee. The pricing page does not list a separate unpaid trial length.

Best for: extra docks plus the option to retire Apple’s Dock, especially on Tahoe, or when one purchase should cover up to five Macs.

DockDoor Pro

DockDoor Pro replaces the Mac dock. The Pro site describes live thumbnails, window actions from the preview (close, minimize, tile, full screen, quit), Liquid Glass, folder fan-out, a file shelf, a widget marketplace, and profiles so each display can have its own dock. It is a native SwiftUI and AppKit app. Twenty dollars covers up to three Macs, with later updates included, and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

That is a different product from ExtraDock’s “add docks” default, even though both can end up with something dock-like on more than one screen. DockDoor Pro is the replacement, and its page says you can hide the native Dock. You usually would not also run DockDoor Free once Pro is the dock.

Best for: people who want the system Dock replaced, previews with real window actions, and up to three Macs on a $20 license.

DockDoor (free)

DockDoor is free and open source. It adds live previews, Alt+Tab-style switching, and keyboard window controls to the dock macOS already has. It does not add a second dock and it does not replace the Dock. The project says the free app stays free. It requires macOS 13 or later and runs on Apple silicon and Intel.

ExtraDock’s own DockDoor page describes the two as a pair: ExtraDock for docks on every screen, DockDoor for previews on Apple’s Dock. If previews are the only missing piece, this is the alternative that costs nothing. If the missing piece is a dock on the other monitor, DockDoor Free will not provide it.

Best for: hover previews on the system Dock, with no budget and no interest in extra docks.

uBar

uBar is a dock replacement that can also behave as a taskbar. Each monitor can have its own bar showing that screen’s apps and windows, or a mirror of the same bar. Hover previews, favorites, badges, a clock, themes, and up to five rows are on the current feature list. Version 4.2.5 is dated 15 September 2026 on the site, which lists macOS 10.13 or later and Tahoe support.

Personal use is $30 for up to two Macs. Commercial use is $50 per employee, again for up to two Macs. There is a 14-day trial. An upgrade from uBar 3 is listed at $15. This is the alternative when the thing you miss is a Windows taskbar, not a second macOS-style dock floating beside Apple’s.

Best for: a taskbar on every monitor, with a 14-day trial and a license that already covers two Macs.

ActiveDock 2

ActiveDock 2 from MacPlus Software is a customizable replacement for Apple’s Dock: window previews, groups and folders, a start menu, themes, custom icons, any screen edge, and multiple-monitor support. The product page says it does not replace system files and does not require turning off System Integrity Protection. It requires macOS 14.6 or later and lists Tahoe support. The what’s-new note on that page is version 2.881, 27 July 2026.

The same FAQ answers “can it create several docks?” with no, and points at a separate MacPlus app, MultiDock. Treat ActiveDock as one replacement dock, not as an ExtraDock-style stack of panels. The MacPlus store listing checked for this page shows a single-Mac license at $19.99 with one year of updates, and a Pro lifetime license at $59.99 for three Macs. A trial length was not on the product page.

Best for: one polished replacement dock with previews and groups, on macOS 14.6 or later, when you do not need many docks.

Which one, by situation

• Keep Apple’s Dock and add more docks on one Mac. Ordin. Head-to-head notes are on Ordin vs ExtraDock.
• Add docks and be able to hide Apple’s Dock, or license up to five Macs. Stay with ExtraDock.
• Replace the Dock, with profiles per display, for up to three Macs. DockDoor Pro.
• Previews only, free. DockDoor.
• A taskbar, including on every monitor. uBar.
• One replacement dock with groups and a start menu. ActiveDock 2.

Window managers such as Rectangle and Magnet move and snap windows. They do not give you another dock, so they are omitted here on purpose.

Sources

• ExtraDock pricing and introduction
• DockDoor Pro and DockDoor
• uBar
• ActiveDock 2 and the MacPlus store listing for ActiveDock 2 Single ($19.99) and Pro Lifetime ($59.99)
• Ordin terms