Comparison
How Doorplate compares
A few Mac apps put a name on your desktops. Here is Doorplate beside the three people ask about most, row by row, without spin.
Updated 7 September 2026
Checked on 7 September 2026: Doorplate 1.6.2 on macOS 15.6, the others from their public sites and read-me files. We make Doorplate, so read the table as our best honest reading, and tell us if a row is out of date.
| Feature | Doorplate | SpaceJump | Spaceman | Spaces Renamer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Names inside Mission Control | Yes, Apple Silicon and Intel, SIP on | Yes, Apple Silicon | No | Yes, SIP off, Intel only |
| Menu bar name, icon, color | Yes | Yes | Name up to 3 characters | No |
| Quick Switcher | Yes, by name, number or app | Yes | No | No |
| Jump back to the previous desktop | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Shortcut per desktop | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Top-edge hover strip | Yes | Not listed | No | No |
| Switch tag when you land | Yes | Not listed | No | No |
| Move a window to another desktop | No | Shift-drag | No | No |
| Your own pictures as desktop icons | Yes | Icons and colors | No | No |
| Time per desktop, CSV export | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Shortcuts, Raycast, Alfred, Stream Deck | Yes, any launcher | Raycast extension | No | No |
| Notes and checklists per desktop | No | Yes | No | No |
| Open apps automatically when you switch | No | Yes | No | No |
| Name on the camera notch | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Dock badges shown on other desktops | Yes, on the app icons and the current tile | Not listed | No | No |
| Presentation mode for recordings | Yes, one shortcut hides every name | Not listed | No | No |
| Idle cost published | ≈0.1 % of one core, 22 MB | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Network access | License check and a daily version file, nothing sent | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Requires | macOS 14+, Accessibility | macOS 13+, Accessibility | macOS 15+ | SIP off, Intel Mac, macOS 14.3 or earlier |
| Price | $7.99 once, 3 Macs, 14-day trial | $9.99 once, 3 Macs, 14-day trial | Free, MIT license | Free, open source |
Why Doorplate
- The smallest footprint, with the numbers published before you buy: about 0.1 % of one core idle, 22 MB, and both of its network calls named up front.
- Any launcher, not one. Shortcuts, Alfred, Raycast, a Stream Deck or a macro can switch desktops, jump back and open the Quick Switcher.
- One license for three Macs, and a key moves to a new Mac from Settings › License, no email needed.
- A hover strip at the top edge, a tag when you land, and your own pictures as desktop icons.
- Names inside Mission Control on Intel Macs too, with System Integrity Protection left on.
What the table leaves out
None of these apps is in the Mac App Store, because the window-server calls that make desktop switching work are not allowed there. Doorplate ships as a signed and notarized disk image from the download page.
If you are choosing today, try Doorplate for two weeks; nothing is locked during the trial.
Version 1.6.2 · 4.0 MB · macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple Silicon and Intel