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 1.2.0 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 We make Doorplate, so read the table as our best honest reading, and tell us if a row is out of date.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 | Shortcut or popover, optionally follow it | 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 |
| Idle cost published | ≈0.1 % of one core, 22 MB | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Network access | None | 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, every Mac you own, 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, no network code.
- 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 every Mac you own, with nothing to count.
- 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.
Coming soon for macOS 14 Sonoma and later · Apple Silicon and Intel · 14-day trial