Chrome Profile Switcher or Okie Dockie: which is right for your Chrome profiles?
by ZwayStudiosupdated
Okie Dockie and Chrome Profile Switcher both add a Dock icon for each Chrome profile that brings that profile’s existing window forward, without a second copy of Chrome. Okie Dockie is the better fit if you only use Google Chrome and also want snap layouts and other window tools. Chrome Profile Switcher is the better fit if you use Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Arc or Firefox, or want profile icons free during its beta.
Everything below is as of 29 September 2026, from each product’s own website.
At a glance
| Chrome Profile Switcher | Okie Dockie | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Menu bar app; small launcher per profile (about 2 MB) in Apple’s Dock | Menu bar app; Pro adds a launcher per profile (under 1 MB) |
| Price | Free during the beta | Free app; Pro with profile icons $19 one time (up to 3 Macs), 7 day trial with no card |
| Browsers with profile icons | Chrome (and Beta, Dev, Canary), Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, Opera GX, Arc, Dia, Chromium, Yandex, Firefox, Zen, LibreWolf, Waterfox | Google Chrome only (plus Beta, Dev, Canary) |
| Second copy of browser | No | No |
| Dock | Apple’s Dock stays | Apple’s Dock stays |
| Extra features | Live window previews on hover, right-click window list, New Incognito Window, optional Focus Window Under Pointer | Snap layouts, focus follows mouse with click-through, drag a file to the top of the screen to share it, Option-Tab switcher, hover list of windows, keep the Dock on one screen, turn off a monitor |
| Permissions | Accessibility; Screen Recording optional, for previews only | Accessibility only |
| macOS | 14 Sonoma or later | 13 or later |
| Notarized | Not yet (beta, one “Open Anyway” step) | Yes, Developer ID signed and notarized |
Both apps raise the profile’s existing window and cycle through its windows on repeat clicks. Neither has analytics built in. You download both from their makers’ websites.
Where Okie Dockie is the better choice
Okie Dockie packs a lot of window tools into one app, and many of them are free.
- Snap layouts. Arrange windows in 2, 3, 4-up and more. Chrome Profile Switcher does not tile windows.
- More window tools. An Option-Tab switcher with icons and titles, file sharing by dragging to the top of the screen, keeping the Dock on one screen and turning off a monitor.
- Notarized today. It is Developer ID signed and notarized, so it opens without the extra step our beta needs.
- Older macOS. It runs on macOS 13, while Chrome Profile Switcher needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- Never asks for Screen Recording. If you prefer the smallest set of permissions, that is a plus. (Ours only asks when you choose to see previews.)
- Smaller launchers. Each profile launcher is under 1 MB.
If you live in Google Chrome and want a broader window manager, Okie Dockie is an easy recommendation.
Where Chrome Profile Switcher is the better choice
- Other browsers. Chrome Profile Switcher gives profile icons to Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Chromium and Yandex, and to Firefox, Zen, LibreWolf and Waterfox. Opera, Opera GX, Arc and Dia work when the browser has one profile. See the browsers page and the Brave and Edge pages.
- Free profile icons. Okie Dockie charges for the profile icons in Pro. Chrome Profile Switcher is free during the beta, with no trial timer.
- Live previews. Hover a profile icon to see pictures of that profile’s windows, including windows on other desktops, and click one to jump there. See live window previews.
- Icons that come and go. A profile’s icon appears when it has an open window and leaves the Dock when the last window closes, like a normal app. You can keep any icon in the Dock if you prefer.
- Incognito from the Dock. Right-click a profile icon for New Window or New Incognito Window.
Can you use both?
You can, but do not use both for Chrome profile icons, or you will get two icons for every profile. A sensible split is to let one app handle profile icons. Both also offer a way to focus the window under the pointer, so turn that on in one app only. Our Focus Window Under Pointer setting is off by default, which makes this easy.
How to switch from Okie Dockie
- If you keep Okie Dockie for its other tools, remove its profile launchers from the Dock. If not, quit it.
- Download Chrome Profile Switcher and move it to Applications.
- Open it. If macOS says it cannot check the app, go to System Settings, Privacy and Security, and click Open Anyway, once.
- Grant Accessibility.
- Open a window in each profile. The icons appear by themselves. Right-click, Options, Keep in Dock to pin the ones you use most.
For help with profiles that open in the wrong place, read Chrome opens the wrong profile on Mac. The full comparison covers the other tools.
Ready to try it? Download Chrome Profile Switcher.