AI · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to Drive any macOS app in the background without stealing the cursor
Hi HN, Francesco from Cua here. I hacked this project together last weekend, inspired by the Codex Computer-Use release and lessons learned from deploying GUI-operating agents for our customers. The main problem: when a UI automation process controls a desktop app today, it usually takes over the human’s session. Your cursor moves, keyboard focus gets stolen, windows jump to the front, and you have to stop working until the agent is done. That is why we have historically avoided encouraging users to run these processes directly on their host machine, instead relying on VMs or GUI containers…
This macOS tool enables background automation of desktop applications without interrupting the user's current session. Unlike traditional UI automation that steals cursor control and keyboard focus, it allows processes… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Prices are shown for the 1 we have checked on their own sites, 1 of them free or with a free tier.
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Cursor for iOS▲611Build with coding agents from anywhere
Jun 2026 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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Beam.winfree tier, from $7/mo▲379Run AI agents on one Mac and use its windows on another
5d ago · beam.win · its alternatives →
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Noise-cancelling for your screen now with cursor shake
Dec 2025 · monocle.heyiam.dk · its alternatives →
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Moves for macOS▲180Position macOS windows like a goddamn wizard ✨
2020 · github.com · its alternatives →
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OpenOwl▲261Automate what APIs can't in one prompt done locally
Apr 2026 · openowl.dev · its alternatives →
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Switch for macOS▲174Keyboard-driven commands to navigate your mac apps faster.
2021 · get-switch.app · its alternatives →
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2017 · javier.xyz · its alternatives →
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Automate 750+ apps from your Mac's keyboard
2017 · github.com · its alternatives →
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Lock-in▲132Hey HN, you may have seen me post about Lock In recently—it's a minimalist task management HUD that sits silently on your desktop. It gained some traction for its Mac version, and as of today, it's finally available for Windows. The idea remains the same: productivity apps are often click-heavy databases that feel like administrative work. Lock In is designed as an "execution engine"—a small, transparent window that forces you to focus on doing. It works entirely via slash commands. E.g., /d 100 pushups, /lockin 1h. What's new in this release: Windows Support: Fully native builds…
2025 · lock-in.ai · its alternatives →
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Fader▲90Minimize windows when you switch apps automatically
Apr 2026 · eythor.com · its alternatives →
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Got tired of reaching for the terminal to caffeinate my mac and tweaking system settings Now got a new friend in my menubar Enjoy!
Aug 2026 · agentsneversleep.app · its alternatives →
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Cursor Crane▲84Control your Mac at the pace of your keyboard
Jul 2026 · cursorcrane.expressionloss.com · its alternatives →
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SpacePigeon▲93I switch between a few different “modes” on my Mac every day (work, coding, meetings, personal stuff). Each time I’d end up reopening the same apps and dragging all the windows back into the right Spaces. Super repetitive and honestly kind of annoying. So over the past few weeks I hacked together a small open-source tool called SpacePigeon that basically remembers your whole workspace and puts everything back where it was. Things it can do: Save your current layout (apps + windows + Spaces) Restore it with one click or a hotkey Keep separate presets (like “Work”, “Coding”, “Meetings” etc.)…
Nov 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →
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Switch▲135Keyboard-driven commands to navigate your apps faster
2019 · get-switch.app · its alternatives →
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I've been building computer-use tools for a while, and I quietly launched this about a month ago (122 Stars on GH). I figured it was worth sharing here. Over the last few months, a lot of computer-use agents have come out: Codex, Claude Code, CUA, and others. Most of them seem to work roughly like this: 1. Take a screenshot 2. Have the model predict pixel coordinates 3. Click x,y 4. Take another screenshot 5. Repeat That works, but it's slow, expensive in tokens, and fragile. If the UI shifts a few pixels, things break. And the model still doesn't know what any element actually is. But the…
May 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →
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EasySwitch▲98One mouse, keyboard and second screen for all your computers
Aug 2026 · easyswitch.realbrain.cc · its alternatives →
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Turn CapsLock into a Super Key & Boost Productivity
Feb 2026 · hypercaps.auramark-studio.com · its alternatives →
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Hello HN, This is a macOS app that allows you to see all your open windows on each monitor and select the one you want. It also lets you view the current state of things like email or chat windows, terminal processes, and more. You can use "cmd" and the key above the tab key for alt-tab like behaviour. You can also toggle the UI by resting a finger on the corner of your trackpad. I also wrote some dev details here: https://madebyenzo.com/#robata
2024 · robata.app · its alternatives →
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DashPane▲97Built this for macOS because I wanted app switching to feel faster and more flexible than the default Command-Tab flow. DashPane combines app switching and launching in one flow, with: • customizable app shortcuts • fuzzy search for apps and windows • sidebar access • edge gestures • more consistent Command-Tab behavior • appearance, menu bar, and haptics settings This is the v2 update, shipped about a month after launch. A lot of the changes came from early user feedback. Site: https://www.dashpane.pro/
Mar 2026 · dashpane.pro · its alternatives →
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Hi HN I recently got married, promptly had a bit of a meltdown, and decided to lock myself in a room and build for a while. At the same time, I was trying to outbound sell for my startup and kept running into the same problem: I wanted an automation tool that could actually use my computer like a person. Click through UIs, copy/paste between apps, handle messy workflows — not just APIs and webhooks. I couldn’t find anything that felt: - consumer-friendly (non-technical) - local-first - flexible enough for real-world, UI-driven tasks So I challenged myself to see how far I could get…
Jan 2026 · automatewithtasker.com · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →