Otterdock Free vs Pro: What You Get and When to Upgrade
Otterdock free tier gives you 2 groups. Pro unlocks unlimited groups and premium skins. Here is what each tier includes and who should upgrade.
Otterdock runs on macOS 14 and later, sits on top of Apple's Dock (it does not replace it), and keeps your data locally in ~/Library/Application Support/Otterdock/. You can organize apps, files, folders, and links into groups, use click-to-expand without extra permissions, or hover-to-expand with Accessibility enabled. This page compares the free download with Pro—no inflated claims, just what each tier actually includes.
Free tier: two groups, eight items each
The free version gives you two Dock groups with up to eight items per group. That is enough for many people: one group for daily apps and another for project folders, or work vs personal stacks. You still get the core workflow—mixed item types, Dock integration, and the preset icon skins (Shelf, Glass, Gradient, Minimal, Otter), with custom skin import for your own artwork.
If you only need a cleaner Dock and a couple of compartments, staying on free is a legitimate long-term choice, not a demo that expires in a week.
Pro: unlimited groups, unlimited items, and premium skins
Pro removes the two-group cap and the eight-item-per-group limit so you can mirror more contexts: per-client clusters, separate communication vs deep-work bundles, or hobby vs job toolsets. Pro also unlocks premium skins like Sunset Warm beyond what the free tier exposes—you can preview every skin before purchasing. In-group sorting lets you reorder items by name, kind, or custom drag order within each group.
| Topic | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Groups | Up to 2 | Unlimited |
| Items per group | Up to 8 | Unlimited |
| Skins | Core experience + standard built-ins; premium skins require Pro | Premium skins included (e.g. Sunset Warm) |
| In-group sorting | Sort items by name, kind, or custom drag order | |
| Data | Local on disk; no cloud requirement stated for basic operation | |
Global keyboard shortcuts (Direct edition)
The direct download edition supports global keyboard shortcuts—press Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+6 to open any of your first six groups instantly, without clicking or hovering. Combined with keyboard navigation inside popups, you can launch apps entirely from the keyboard. These shortcuts require system-level access and are not available in the sandboxed Mac App Store edition.
Pricing
Direct download from SaveTimeForFun is $6.99, a one-time purchase with no subscription. The Mac App Store build is planned at $2.99 (coming soon). Pick the channel you prefer; feature parity should match aside from storefront policies.
When to upgrade
- You regularly hit the two-group or eight-item limit with real workflows, not hypothetical ones.
- You want premium skins for stronger visual separation between many stacks.
- You would rather pay once than juggle half-measures in Launchpad.
Bottom line
Free Otterdock is genuinely useful for trying the product and for light Dock organization. Pro is for people who know they need more compartments or premium presentation. Start free, add groups in the app until you feel the friction, then upgrade if the limit—not marketing—tells you to.