Cairo-Dock Alternatives
Cairo-Dock is described as 'animated application launch bar for the desktop, comparable to the dock in Mac OS X or Rocket Dock (for Windows)' and is a popular application launcher in the os & utilities category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Cairo-Dock for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, GNOME and BSD. The best alternative is RocketDock, which is free. Other great apps like Cairo-Dock are Docky, Winstep Nexus, Plank and ObjectDock.
Cairo-Dock alternatives are mainly Application Launchers but may also be Desktop Customization Tools. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Cairo-Dock.
RocketDock is a Mac OS X dock clone. It provides a nice clean interface to drop shortcuts on for easy access and organization. With each item completely customizable there is no end to what you can add and launch from the dock.
Discontinued
The program is no longer updated, but last version, 1.3.5, released in September 2008, can be still downloaded from the official website. "It is true, RocketDock has been discontinued. [...] The app remains available on https://rocketdock.com, but is unsupported."
RocketDock vs Cairo-Dock opinions
- Free • Open Source
- Linux
Docky is a full fledged dock application that makes opening common applications and managing windows easier and quicker. Docky is fully integrated into the GNOME Desktop and features a no non-sense approach to configuration and usage. It just works.
Discontinued
Last commit and last available version from 2015-09-02
Docky vs Cairo-Dock opinions
it's just simple and the best
- Freemium • Proprietary
- Windows
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.
- Free • Open Source
- Linux
Plank is meant to be the simplest dock on the planet. The goal is to provide just what a dock needs and absolutely nothing more. It is, however, a library which can be extended to create other dock programs with more advanced features.
ObjectDock is an animated dock for Windows that enables you to quickly access and launch your favorite applications, files and shortcuts.
Discontinued
The program is no longer updated. Last version, 2.20, released in 2016, can be still bought from the official website
ObjectDock vs Cairo-Dock opinions
Latte is a dock based on plasma frameworks that provides an elegant and intuitive experience for your tasks and plasmoids. It animates its contents by using parabolic zoom effect and trys to be there only when it is needed.
MaxLauncher is a simple tabbed launcher that was designed to reduce the amount of time to find and run a program. It is capable of creating multiple data files, each of which can have a maximum of 10 tabs. Each tab and button is assigned a key(eg. F1-F10, 0-9, A-Z, etc.
⚫︎ Portable
tint2 is a simple panel/taskbar unintrusive and light (memory / cpu / aestetic). We try to get virtual desktop and multi-monitor easier to use. We follow freedesktop specifications.
XLaunchpad gives you instant access to all your shortcuts. Arrange apps in XLaunchpad any way you like by dragging icons to different locations or by grouping apps in folders. Simply drag one icon over another to create a folder.
⚫︎ PortableWarning
XLaunchPad setup installs adware extensions for browsers. VirusTotal result: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/2a8eca9357cfae211564426dc461832ca2de70a9318ecba0468c4586fc4f4ffc/analysis/1426619620/ WOT comments: https://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/xwidget.com
A dock for the Gnome Shell. This extension moves the dash out of the overview transforming it in a dock for an easier launching of applications and a faster switching between windows and workspaces.
