RocketDock AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Application Launchers

The best Application Launcher alternative to RocketDock is Winstep Nexus, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to RocketDock and many of them are Application Launchers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Application Launcher alternatives to RocketDock are Docky, ObjectDock, Cairo-Dock and Plank.

filter to find the best alternatives

RocketDock alternatives are mainly Application Launchers, but if you're looking for Desktop Customization Tools or Dock Utilities you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Windows, Windows + Open Source and Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to RocketDock.
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Alternatives list

  1. Winstep Nexus icon

    Winstep Nexus

     45 likes
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    Enjoy a free, simple docking solution for Windows with Winstep Nexus. Create docks, sub-docks, organize apps in groups, and enjoy fun interactions with animations. Nexus Ultimate offers Shelves, Tabbed Docks, and Grid Stacks for better organization and access.

    35 Winstep Nexus alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Winstep Nexus screenshot 1
     
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    4
    23
    Comments about Winstep Nexus as an Alternative to RocketDock
    Guest
    Positive
    3

    i like to customize my desktop and Nexus Dock has special effect that i'm loving and it doesn't use a lot of resources

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    karlbu
    Positive
    0

    Winstep Nexus is, by far, the best app in the 3rd-party docking category. Superb. More options. More stable. And updated more recently than anything else. Highly recommend.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It has everything you need from 3rd party dock. Fast working, customizable, no bloat.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    RocketDock Icon
    Winstep Nexus icon

    • Most users think Winstep Nexus is a great RocketDock alternative.

    • Winstep Nexus is the most popular Windows alternative to RocketDock.

    • Winstep Nexus is the most popular free alternative to RocketDock.

    • Winstep Nexus is Freemium and ProprietaryRocketDock is Free and Proprietary
  2. Docky icon

    Docky

     131 likes
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    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.

    50 Docky alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Banshee Application Controls
     
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    19

    • Most users think Docky is a great RocketDock alternative.

    • Docky is the most popular Linux alternative to RocketDock.

    • Docky is the most popular Open Source alternative to RocketDock.

    • Docky is Free and Open SourceRocketDock is Free and Proprietary
  4. ObjectDock icon

    ObjectDock

     64 likes
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    Animated Windows dock for fast access to apps, shortcuts and files, featuring auto-hide, drag and drop launching, fully customizable color, size and position, support for multiple docks, shortcut management, enhanced desktop organization and visual effects.

    53 ObjectDock alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    ObjectDock screenshot 1
     
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    1
    15
    Comments about ObjectDock as an Alternative to RocketDock
    AlmightyHeretic
    Positive
    -2

    If you're looking for a good replacement to RocketDock then this fits the bill. It's able to launch shortcuts to 64-bit programs and it has a built-in docklet called Flyout menu, which you'll find very similar to Stacks. It's not quite as user-friendly but I'm still finding options for customization.

    RocketDock Icon
    ObjectDock icon

    • Most users think ObjectDock is a great RocketDock alternative.

    • ObjectDock is the most popular commercial alternative to RocketDock.

    • ObjectDock is Paid and ProprietaryRocketDock is Free and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    ObjectDock icon
    ObjectDock

    Animated Windows dock for fast access to apps, shortcuts and files, featuring auto-hide, drag and drop launching, fully customizable color, size and position, support for multiple docks, shortcut management, enhanced desktop orga...

    https://www.stardock.com
    Learn More
  6. Cairo-Dock icon

    Cairo-Dock

     83 likes
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    Animated dock for Linux desktops with hardware acceleration, multi-dock support, taskbar and launcher tools, and an array of applets that can act as detachable widgets. Features a macOS-like interface, multiple themes, low CPU usage, and community-driven customization.

    46 Cairo-Dock alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Wayland
    Cairo-Dock screenshot 1
     
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    6
  7. Plank icon

    Plank

     34 likes
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    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.

    18 Plank alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Plank screenshot 1
     
  8. Kando icon

    Kando

     11 likes
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    Kando offers an unconventional, fast, highly efficient, and fun way of interacting with your computer! You can use it to run commands, execute macros, open files, and much more.

    13 Kando alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Kando screenshot 1
     

    • Kando is the most popular Mac alternative to RocketDock.

    • Kando is Free and Open SourceRocketDock is Free and Proprietary
    • Kando is Customizable and Privacy focusedRocketDock is not according to our users
  10. Latte Dock icon

    Latte Dock

     11 likes
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    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.

    21 Latte Dock alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE
    Latte Dock screenshot 1
     
  11. MaxLauncher icon

    MaxLauncher

     14 likes
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    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.

    42 MaxLauncher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    MaxLauncher screenshot 1
     
  12. MyDockFinder icon

    MyDockFinder

     5 likes
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    MyDockFinder is a Dock software similar to macOs that helps you quickly start up your apps, make your desktop clean looking, and easily access your favorite programs or files through drag-and-drop features.

    5 MyDockFinder alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    MyDockFinder screenshot 1
     
  13. Dock icon

    Dock

     11 likes
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    In macOS, the Dock is used as a repository for any program or file in the operating system. It can hold any number of items and resizes them dynamically to fit while using magnification to clarify smaller resized items.

    49 Dock alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Dock screenshot 1
     
  14. Sideslide icon

    Sideslide

     17 likes
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    SideSlide is an advanced, portable, unobtrusive, dockable, skinnable, instantly accessible, highly configurable Desktop Extension on Steroids! Clean desktop clutter and make your computer friendlier and faster than ever before.

    23 Sideslide alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Sideslide screenshot 1
     
  15. WinExt Free icon

    WinExt Free

     10 likes
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    Powerful Win utilities: fix registry, clean junk, protect privacy, optimize system, quick launch, find duplicates, folder size, see more recent resources, activity monitor, batch operation, synchronization, disable context menus, skip UAC, trace file.

    251 WinExt Free alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    WinExt Free screenshot 1
     
12 of 41 RocketDock alternatives