Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DockLock Pro VS Xcode

Compare DockLock Pro VS Xcode and see what are their differences

DockLock Pro logo DockLock Pro

The worlds first app that stops your Mac Dock from jumping between screens without system hacks and gives you unmatched automation control over where and how your Dock appears

Xcode logo Xcode

Xcode is Appleโ€™s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.
  • DockLock Pro
    Image date //
    2025-12-11
  • DockLock Pro
    Image date //
    2025-12-11
  • DockLock Pro
    Image date //
    2025-12-11

DockLock Lite is the core app that finally stops the Mac Dock from jumping between screens. It locks the Dock to the display you choose, prevents accidental moves in multi display setups, and can hide the Dock on shared screens during meetings to avoid distractions and leaks. Lite automatically relocates the Dock after wake or screen changes and remembers your preferred screen for each display combination, for example built in display at home and external monitor at work. It runs as a lightweight, fully sandboxed menu bar app with a 7 day free trial and subscription model.

DockLock Plus includes everything in Lite and adds an automation layer for power users. On top of stable locking, Plus can make the Dock follow your mouse, your active window, or specific apps you select. Every action is scriptable through Apple Shortcuts, URL scheme, CLI, Raycast extension, menu bar controls and hotkeys, so you can tie Dock behavior to focus changes, workspaces, meeting apps or custom scripts. It also uses auto relocation and per setup memory, but is sold as a one time lifetime license instead of a subscription.

DockLock Pro builds on Lite and Plus and is designed to remove the remaining limits of Dock placement. Pro will let you put a horizontal Dock on any edge of any screen, move a vertical Dock to any display, center it, create partial docks and tune how much space the Dock reserves so windows can use more of the screen. Pro is still under active development and is distributed directly from the website instead of the Mac App Store. Customers who purchase DockLock Lite or DockLock Plus on the Mac App Store will receive a discount when upgrading to DockLock Pro once it is released.

In short, Lite fixes the jumping, Plus adds deep automation and scripting, Pro adds complete freedom of Dock positioning and layout.

  • Xcode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-04

DockLock Pro

$ Details
paid Free Trial $2.0 / Monthly
Platforms
Mac Mac OSX MacOS
Release Date
2025 February
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Ihor July
Employees
1 - 9

DockLock Pro features and specs

  • Stop Mac Dock jumping screens
    Prevents the Dock from randomly moving to other monitors when the cursor touches their edges by continuously relocking it to your preferred layout and correcting unwanted jumps after wake or screen changes
  • Lock Mac Dock to selected displays
    Lets you choose exactly which displays are allowed to host the Dock using the Allow Dock on Display controls so the Dock can appear only on those screens and never on the others
  • Hide Dock during screen sharing or meetings
    For multi monitor setups you can exclude the shared screen from the allowed displays so the Dock automatically relocates to another monitor and stays off the presentation. For single screen setups DockLock Plus adds helper apps and automations that fully hide or restore the Dock when meetings start or end
  • Dock follows mouse
    Enables a dynamic mode where the Dock jumps and locks to whichever display the cursor enters giving a fluid multi display workflow while still preventing accidental jumps
  • Dock follows active window
    Moves the Dock to the display that currently holds the focused window so your primary apps always have the Dock on the same screen as their main window
  • Dock follows selected apps
    Adds a Follow Apps When Active mode where you define a list of apps and whenever one of them becomes active the Dock relocates to the display that contains that app window
  • Control Dock via Shortcuts URL scheme CLI Raycast menu bar and hotkeys
    Provides full automation and external control including App Intents for Apple Shortcuts and Siri a DockLockPlus URL scheme for scripting and launchers a command line interface an official Raycast extension rich menu bar commands and the ability to trigger actions from macOS hotkey based automations
  • Auto relocate Dock on wake and screen changes
    Monitors display configuration changes and Mac wake events and automatically relocates and relocks the Dock to your chosen display so it stays where you want it after sleep lid open reconnecting external monitors or resolution changes
  • Per location display profiles for Dock placement
    Remembers Dock placement for each unique display combination so you can keep the Dock on the internal screen in a home setup and have it automatically move to a specific external display at work or in other multi display configurations

Xcode features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Xcode offers a fully integrated development environment for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This integration includes code editing, project management, compilers, and debugging tools all in one application.
  • Interface Builder
    Interface Builder is a graphical tool included with Xcode that allows developers to design user interfaces visually. This can speed up the development process and allow for easier customization of user interfaces.
  • Swift and Objective-C Support
    Xcode provides robust support for both the Swift and Objective-C programming languages, which are essential for Apple's ecosystem.
  • Simulator
    Xcode includes simulators for all Apple devices, allowing for rapid testing and debugging of applications without the need for physical hardware.
  • In-depth Debugging Tools
    Xcode provides a comprehensive suite of debugging tools like breakpoints, stack trace analysis, and memory management tools, helping developers identify and resolve issues efficiently.
  • Performance and Profiling Tools
    Xcode includes Instruments, a powerful performance analysis and profiling toolset. This helps developers optimize the performance and memory usage of their applications.
  • Documentation and Resources
    Xcode has built-in access to extensive Apple Developer Documentation and resources, making it easier to find information and solutions related to Apple's APIs and frameworks.

Possible disadvantages of Xcode

  • macOS Exclusive
    Xcode is only available for macOS, meaning that developers must use an Apple computer to build applications for Apple's platforms.
  • Resource Intensive
    Xcode can be demanding on system resources, particularly RAM and CPU, which can affect performance on older or less powerful machines.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new developers, Xcode can be overwhelming due to its complexity and the vast array of features and options available.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates to Xcode can sometimes introduce new bugs or require developers to update their project settings and code to maintain compatibility.
  • Limited Cross-Platform Capabilities
    Xcode is designed specifically for Apple's ecosystems and provides limited support for cross-platform development, restricting its use for developers targeting multiple platforms.
  • Build Times
    Build times for larger projects can become lengthy, potentially slowing down the development cycle and time to market.

Analysis of Xcode

Overall verdict

  • Xcode is excellent for developing applications for the Apple ecosystem, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Its comprehensive set of tools caters well to both novice and experienced developers looking to develop high-quality applications with optimal performance on Apple devices.

Why this product is good

  • Xcode is a robust integrated development environment (IDE) designed specifically for macOS, providing developers with a suite of tools for building applications for Apple's platforms. It includes a source editor, a UI design interface, debugging tools, and performance testers, which are tightly integrated to offer a seamless development experience. The frequent updates and integration with Apple's latest technologies make it an attractive choice for Apple platform developers.

Recommended for

  • Developers creating applications for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS
  • Teams looking for strong integration with Apple's technologies and devices
  • Developers who prefer working within a unified development environment optimized for Apple platforms
  • Novice programmers interested in learning Swift and app development for Apple products

DockLock Pro videos

DockLock Lite in action

Xcode videos

Getting Started: An Overview of Xcode

More videos:

  • Review - Xcode 15 - What's New

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DockLock Pro and Xcode)
Mac
100 100%
0% 0
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
Utilities
100 100%
0% 0
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing DockLock Pro and Xcode.

What makes your product unique?

DockLock Pro's answer

DockLock Pro is the first project ever created specifically to control the Mac Dock location across multiple displays. Before it there simply was no tool focused on making the Dock stay exactly where you want it.

It is also the only app in the Mac App Store that can both stop the Dock from jumping between screens and automatically relocate it according to your preferences such as a fixed display or rules based movement.

Apple does not provide any public API or system setting to control the Dock in this way. DockLock Pro is built on deep reverse engineering and low level understanding of how the Dock works which allows it to achieve behavior that is normally impossible with standard system tools or regular apps.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

DockLock Pro's answer

DockLock Pro is built around the original Mac Dock instead of trying to replace it. Competing tools create their own custom docks and then push you to hide or disable the real Dock by patching its configuration. That can interfere with normal system behavior and still cannot deliver exactly the same feel and integration that the native Dock has.

With DockLock Pro the Apple Dock keeps working exactly as Apple designed it. You get precise control over which display it uses and how it behaves without giving up native animations, context menus, stacks, drag and drop or Mission Control integration. You are not trading the real Dock for an imitation just to stop it from jumping.

Many replacement docks are not sandboxed and modify system files or settings to achieve their behavior. DockLock Lite and DockLock Plus are fully sandboxed Mac App Store apps that do not inject code or patch the system. DockLock Pro uses knowledge gained from deep reverse engineering of the Dock process yet still focuses narrowly on one task. Control where the real Dock appears across your displays with the smallest possible impact on the rest of the system.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

DockLock Pro's answer

DockLock Pro is aimed at Mac users who rely on multi display setups and need precise, predictable Dock behavior every day. This includes developers, designers, editors, traders, IT and security professionals, and people who present or screen share regularly. They often use external monitors at home and at work, move between different display configurations, and are sensitive to workflow interruptions when the Dock jumps to the wrong screen. DockLock Pro targets those who want to keep the native Dock experience while gaining low level control, automation and stable placement that the system itself does not provide.

What's the story behind your product?

DockLock Pro's answer

A DockLock Pro began on Feb 4 2025 when I discovered a way to control the Mac Dock without modifying the system and built a small internal prototype that stopped the Dock from jumping between screens. That proof of concept was never released, but it proved the idea was real and led to a public promise on r/MacOS to ship an app that stops the Dock from jumping anywhere. Since then the project has grown into DockLock Lite and Plus on the Mac App Store and DockLock Pro as the advanced version that fulfills the original vision. The entire product line is created and maintained by a completely independent solo developer with no team and no investors.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

DockLock Pro's answer

DockLock Lite started as an internal prototype built with Qt SDK. After proving the idea worked I rewrote the entire project in pure Objective-C using native macOS frameworks. This removed the cross platform layer, significantly reduced CPU usage and allowed DockLock apps to support macOS versions starting from 10.10

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

DockLock Pro's answer

A DockLock Pro does not publish a list of logo customers. The app is sold directly to individual professionals and small teams rather than through enterprise contracts, and I deliberately avoid tracking or profiling users. Based on support requests and feedback, most customers are power users with multi display setups such as developers, designers, video editors, engineers, traders and IT or security professionals, but I do not name or promote specific companies to keep customer privacy and independence of the project.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DockLock Pro and Xcode

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Xcode Reviews

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Source: eclipsewin.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Xcode seems to be a lot more popular than DockLock Pro. While we know about 147 links to Xcode, we've tracked only 1 mention of DockLock Pro. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DockLock Pro mentions (1)

  • Show HN: A tiny macOS app that stops your Dock from jumping between monitors
    I need to ask you to rename your project. "DockLock" is the name of my existing product, and using the same name for a similar macOS app creates clear confusion. https://docklockpro.com DockLock Lite was created in February 2025, and I have public evidence of prior use and release history. Your current presentation also implies invention of a solution that I had already created and shipped earlier. I am not... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago

Xcode mentions (147)

  • First Time Using GitHub CoPilot to Create a ReactNative LoginPage app. What Could Go Wrong?
    Install XCode, Appleโ€™s integrated development environment (IDE), which includes much needed debugging tools and iPhone simulators. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Unleashing the Future: Mastering iOS Mobile App Development with Swift
    Download and install Xcode, Apple's integrated development environment (IDE). - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • An Animated Introduction to Programming in C++ [Full Course]
    There are practice problems in each section so that you can practice while learning from the content. These are in the 'Hands-On Practice' section in each section. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are tools that allow you to write your own programs. There are some great, free C++ IDEs out there like Visual Studio, Xcode, and CLion. The simplest way to get started is to use a web-based IDE. Replit works... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Which App Debugging Tools are the Best?
    2. Xcode Debugger Xcode remains the standard iOS app debugging tool. Its debugger is exceptional at identifying memory leaks, helping to discover thread races, and even focusing on the cause of crashes. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Must-Use Mobile Accessibility Testing Tools in 2025
    XCode inspector offers VoiceOver Simulation to read out app elements for identifying if descriptions mentioned for the UI are meaningful and informative. It helps to make your app accessible to users with disabilities. Apart from that the Accessibility Inspector offers a complete audit of the appโ€™s UI elements. Also as you make changes to your app the tool offers immediate feedback on accessibility issues. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing DockLock Pro and Xcode, you can also consider the following products

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Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

ActiveDock - Application Launcher, improved Dock for macOS, alternative to Apple Dock, uBar, HyperDock

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

DockFix - Customize Your macOS Dock Like Never Before

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA