Chrome Profile Switcher or Superdock: which one should you use for Chrome profile icons?
by ZwayStudiosupdated
Superdock and Chrome Profile Switcher both give each Chrome profile its own icon, but they take opposite routes. Superdock replaces Apple’s Dock with its own dock full of extras, and its profile tiles cover Google Chrome only. Chrome Profile Switcher keeps Apple’s Dock, adds a small icon per profile next to your browser, and works with Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Arc, Firefox and more.
Everything below is as of 29 September 2026, from each product’s own website.
At a glance
| Chrome Profile Switcher | Superdock | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Adds a small launcher app per profile to Apple’s Dock | Replaces and hides Apple’s Dock with its own dock |
| Price | Free during the beta | Dock free; Chrome profile icons $7.99 once after a 14 day trial (launch price, listed as reduced from $13.99), up to 5 Macs |
| 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; Brave, Edge, Arc, Chrome Beta and Canary get no profile tiles |
| Second copy of browser | No, one browser keeps running | No |
| Dock | Apple’s Dock stays | Apple’s Dock hidden while Superdock runs |
| Extra features | Live window previews on hover, right-click window list, New Incognito Window, optional Focus Window Under Pointer | Hover previews for every app, Option-Tab or Command-Tab switcher with thumbnails, a dock on every display, clickable dock ends, folder stacks |
| Permissions | Accessibility; Screen Recording only if you turn on live previews | Accessibility; Screen Recording optional, for live thumbnails |
| macOS | 14 Sonoma or later | 14 or later |
| Notarized | Not yet (beta, one “Open Anyway” step) | Yes, signed and notarized |
Both apps match Chrome windows to profiles by window title, so both share one limit: two profiles with exactly the same name cannot be told apart. Rename one and the problem goes away. Neither app has analytics built in.
Where Superdock is the better choice
Superdock is a strong pick if you want more than profile icons.
- Previews for every app. Hover any app in the dock and you see its windows, not only browser windows.
- A switcher with thumbnails. Option-Tab or Command-Tab shows pictures of your windows. Chrome Profile Switcher has no window switcher.
- A dock on every display. Useful on multi-monitor desks.
- Folder stacks and clickable dock ends for Mission Control, Show Desktop or Stage Manager.
- Notarized today. Superdock is signed and notarized, so macOS opens it without the extra “Open Anyway” step our beta still needs.
- Low price. The dock is free, and the profile icons are a one-time $7.99 at its current launch price.
If you already wanted a dock replacement and you only use Google Chrome, Superdock covers both needs in one app.
Where Chrome Profile Switcher is the better choice
- You use a browser other than Chrome. Chrome Profile Switcher gives profile icons to Brave, Edge, Vivaldi and Chromium, plus Firefox, Zen, LibreWolf and Waterfox, where each profile runs as its own process. See the browsers page for each one. Chrome Beta, Dev and Canary are covered too.
- You want to keep Apple’s Dock. Nothing is replaced or hidden. Profile icons sit next to the browser’s normal icon, and you can keep them in the Dock with right-click, Options, Keep in Dock.
- You want the existing window back. Click a profile icon and that profile’s open windows come forward, even on another desktop or display. Click again to cycle to the next window.
- You want previews only where you need them. Hover a profile icon to see live window previews of that profile, with a “+” button for a new window. Screen Recording is asked only if you choose to show previews.
- You want it free. There is no payment and no trial timer during the beta.
Can you use both?
Technically they can both be installed, but running them together is not a good idea. Both apps watch your windows, and Superdock itself advises running one window-watching app at a time, warning that two at once can freeze the desktop. Pick one. If you try Superdock after Chrome Profile Switcher, or the other way round, quit the first app before you start the second.
How to switch from Superdock
- Quit Superdock. Apple’s Dock comes back on its own.
- Download Chrome Profile Switcher and move it to Applications.
- Open it. If macOS says it cannot check the app, open System Settings, Privacy and Security, and click Open Anyway. You do this once.
- Grant Accessibility when asked.
- Open a window in each browser profile. Its icon appears in the Dock by itself. Right-click, Options, Keep in Dock for the ones you want to stay.
If a window lands under the wrong icon, check that your profiles have different names. Our guide on switching Chrome profiles on Mac covers the basics, and the full comparison lists the other options.
Ready to try it? Download Chrome Profile Switcher.