sxitch

Switch macOS apps at the speed of thought

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Category
Utility
WM Type
—
License
freemium
Open Source
No
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
No
Last Update
—

Features

  • Tree-based app navigation
  • Switch, Quit, and Hide modes
  • Key-to-app overrides
  • App blacklists
  • Native speed, no Electron
  • Privacy-first, no telemetry
  • GUI setup, no config files
  • Customizable themes

About

sxitch replaces ⌘Tab with a tree-based key-mapped app switcher. Assign a leader key and letter sequences to each app, then switch, quit, or hide them without touching the mouse. No config files — everything is configured through a GUI.

Who It's For

sxitch is for keyboard-driven Mac users who find ⌘Tab too slow or unpredictable — pressing it and cycling through apps until you land on the right one. With sxitch, every app gets a dedicated key sequence: press your leader key, then one or two letters, and you arrive instantly. If you've built muscle memory with Vim's leader key or tools like LeaderKey, sxitch applies that same mnemonic approach specifically to app switching, backed by a polished GUI that needs no config files.

How It Works

sxitch intercepts at the system level using macOS Accessibility permissions and shows a compact launcher window when you press your trigger key (right Command by default). The launcher displays your configured app tree, which you organize however your brain works — by project, task, or tool type. Navigation is instantaneous: press f to expand a Firefox/Finder branch, then a for Firefox or b for Finder. Beyond switching, sxitch has three modes — Normal (switch to app), Quit (quit app via same key sequence), and Hide/Minimise (hide app) — each accessible with a chord: Ctrl+N for Normal, Ctrl+Q for Quit, Ctrl+H or Ctrl+M for Hide. Overrides let you skip the tree entirely by mapping a shorthand like fir directly to Firefox. Blacklists keep the launcher clean by filtering apps you don't want to appear.

Compared to Alternatives

Compared to LeaderKey (free, open-source), sxitch is focused exclusively on app switching and adds Quit/Hide modes that LeaderKey's general-purpose key-binding system doesn't provide; LeaderKey can trigger any shell command, while sxitch is app-switching only. Compared to the default macOS ⌘Tab, sxitch replaces cycling with direct key mapping — no hunting through a row of icons. Compared to rcmd (which the sxitch FAQ explicitly references), sxitch adds tree navigation, Quit/Hide modes, blacklists, and themes on top of the same key-mapped foundation.

Requirements

  • macOS 13 Ventura or later
  • Accessibility permission required
  • No SIP disabling required
  • Not open source; distributed from sxitch.app
  • Free trial available (resets every 36 hours, no Quit/Hide mode, no overrides or blacklists); full features with $15 one-time purchase

Getting Started

Download the free trial from sxitch.app, launch, and grant Accessibility permission. Open sxitch Preferences to map your first app to a key sequence. Press right Command to open the launcher and type your sequence. Upgrade to the full version from the sxitch.app pricing page — $15 single license, $20 for two devices, $30 for three.

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