Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

tint2 VS DockGroups

Compare tint2 VS DockGroups and see what are their differences

tint2 logo tint2

git clone https://gitlab. com/o9000/tint2. git cd tint2 git checkout 16. 1 mkdir build cd build cmake ..

DockGroups logo DockGroups

The app-grouping feature the Mac Dock never shipped.
  • tint2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-27
  • DockGroups Main window
    Main window //
    2026-07-30
  • DockGroups Settings
    Settings //
    2026-07-30
  • DockGroups Tray icon
    Tray icon //
    2026-07-30

App Groups

  • Organize apps into named groups, each with a custom emoji icon, stored by bundle ID.

  • Pin important groups to the top of the sidebar.

  • Create and delete groups directly from the main panel โ€” no detour into Settings.

  • Default starter groups (Work, Creative, Utilities) appear on first launch.

  • Group data is saved atomically with owner-only file permissions, and the app tolerates missing fields so updates never wipe your groups.

The Floating Panel

  • A panel anchored next to your Dock that positions itself correctly whether your Dock sits at the bottom, left, or right of the screen.

  • Opens from the Dock icon or the menu bar; closes automatically when it loses focus.

  • A collapsible sidebar toggles between full labels (with shortcut badges) and a compact icon-only rail.

  • Frosted-glass or solid panel style, plus System / Light / Dark themes.

Open All / Close All โ€” the signature feature

  • Open All launches every app in a group with a small stagger (so macOS doesn't choke on simultaneous launches).

  • Close All does the reverse, and this is something no competing dock app offers:

  • Plain click โ†’ hides every app in the group

    • โŒฅ-click โ†’ quits them gracefully
    • โŒ˜-click โ†’ force-quits them
  • Live indicators show which apps in a group are currently running, and clicking a running app restores its windows โ€” including minimized ones.

In-Panel App Management

  • Add and remove apps right in the panel grid.

  • Drag to reorder apps within a group.

  • Right-click any app for Quit, Force Quit, or Show in Finder.

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • โŒ˜1โ€“9 switches groups inside the panel.

  • โŒฅโ‡ง1โ€“9 are true system-wide hotkeys that work even in full-screen apps โ€” with no Accessibility or Input Monitoring permissions needed.

Menu Bar Mode

  • An optional menu bar icon for quick access without using the Dock.

tint2

Website
gitlab.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Release Date
-

DockGroups

$ Details
freemium $9.99 / One-off (Pro)
Release Date
2026 May

tint2 features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Tint2 is designed to be a lightweight panel and taskbar for Linux systems. It consumes minimal system resources, making it an excellent choice for older hardware or systems where resource efficiency is a priority.
  • Highly Customizable
    The panel's configuration is versatile, allowing users to adjust its appearance and behavior extensively through a configuration file. Users can customize elements like colors, fonts, clock settings, and more.
  • Minimalistic Design
    Tint2 offers a clean and minimalistic design, providing just enough features without being overly complex. This simplicity caters to users who prefer a straightforward and distraction-free interface.
  • Multi-desktop Support
    It supports multiple desktops, allowing users to efficiently manage tasks across different virtual desktops, which is particularly beneficial for productivity and organization.
  • Systray Support
    Tint2 includes support for a system tray, enabling users to view and manage system notifications and background applications conveniently.

Possible disadvantages of tint2

  • Basic Feature Set
    While its minimalism is advantageous, it also means that Tint2 lacks some of the more advanced features and integrations found in heavier or more complex desktop environments.
  • Manual Configuration
    Customization primarily involves editing configuration files manually, which could be intimidating or inconvenient for users who are not comfortable with text-based configuration or desire a graphical settings manager.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Experience
    New users might find the default setup too basic and may need to spend time configuring it to meet their specific needs and preferences, which could be a barrier for those seeking a ready-to-use solution.
  • No Built-in Widget System
    While Tint2 supports system trays and basic applets, it lacks a built-in widget system for enhanced desktop interactivity or information display, which some users may find limiting.

DockGroups features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to tint2 and DockGroups)
Productivity
82 82%
18% 18
Mac Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0
App Launcher
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing tint2 and DockGroups.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

DockGroups's answer:

SwiftUI & AppKit

User comments

Share your experience with using tint2 and DockGroups. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, tint2 seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. 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.

tint2 mentions (7)

  • How to make Openbox look good with ease?
    At its Arch wiki article you can find that tint2 is described as a simple, unobtrusive and light panel for Xorg. It can be configured to include a system tray, a task list, a battery monitor and more. Its look is configurable and it only has few dependencies, making it ideal for window managers like Openbox that donโ€™t come with panels to show action icons and/or tasks. It is open source as well and you can find... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Im planning to switch to polybar and have some questions
    From what I understand u'r not rly looking for polybar , it just doesn't suit u (as a person who switched from KDE recently) , I think u'r looking for something like `tint2` , it looks horrible but u can customize it , check this and this. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Complete rewrite of the netwmicon-patch: Enables to set _NET_WM\_ICON with a png-image and display an icon for st
    Generally the icon of an application is defined by its desktop-entry. The patch Desktopentry serves this purpose. Unfortunately, some programs like tint2 or Alttab can't make use of the desktop-entry and Rely instead on a hardcoded icon which has to be defined by the application Itself with the window-propery _NET_WM_ICON. Since st doesn't define _NET_WM_ICON this programs can't display the correct icon for st... Source: about 4 years ago
  • tint2 panel doesn't re-appear after reconfiguring+restarting or quitting+re-running
    The intersection of people using both StumpWM and the tint2 panel/taskbar is probably pretty small, so I've not a lot of hope, but here's the issue: for whatever reason tint2 will run fine the first time it's started on StumpWM, but restarting it or quitting and running it again doesn't work. If I run it from the commandline I can see that it seems to be starting normally, but it won't actually appear. Any ideas... Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Alternatives to polybar
    I know about candybar, lemonbar and tint2, I don't know if they have features like this. But can't you just not launch it on the bspwmrc, and then launch it, and kill it when you want with a keybind? Source: about 5 years ago
View more

DockGroups mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DockGroups yet. Tracking of DockGroups recommendations started around Jul 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing tint2 and DockGroups, you can also consider the following products

Cairo-Dock - Cairo-Dock / GLX-Dock 3. 4 is now available. Cairo-Dock 3. 4 is finally released! One year after the 3.

DockFlow - Switch between dock presets on MacOS instantly

RocketDock - RocketDock is a Mac OS X dock clone.

DockIt Space - Organize your Mac Dock like never before with custom profiles for different workflow, manual profiles and automatic dock ordering!.

Fences - Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.

Winstep Nexus - The Winstep Nexus Dock is a FREE* professional dock for Windows. With Nexus, your most frequently used applications are only a mouse click away - and Nexus turns working with your computer into a fun and exciting experience.