ExtraDock is a Mac utility that lets you place one or more additional Docks anywhere on your screen, each independently configured with its own apps, folders, and shortcuts.
What is ExtraDock?
ExtraDock is a macOS application that breaks the single-Dock constraint Apple imposes by letting you create multiple secondary Docks that live alongside — or completely separate from — the built-in one. Each extra Dock is its own entity: you choose what goes in it, where it sits on screen, how large the icons are, and whether it auto-hides or stays visible. Think of it as a way to carve your workflow into spatial zones without cluttering the one Dock that macOS gives you.
I started using ExtraDock after my main Dock grew to an embarrassing 40-plus icons across three monitors. Within an afternoon I had a dedicated creative Dock pinned to the left edge of my secondary display and a developer Dock anchored to the bottom of my ultrawide — two focused tool palettes instead of one sprawling mess.
What does ExtraDock do best?
ExtraDock's strongest suit is spatial organisation: it lets you move context off your primary Dock and closer to where you actually do the work. Rather than hunting through a long row of icons, each secondary Dock can represent a role — design, coding, communication — and live near the window group that matches it.
- Unlimited extra Docks — create as many as your screen real estate allows.
- Any screen edge or free-floating — pin to top, bottom, left, or right of any connected display.
- Independent auto-hide — set each Dock to show only on hover so it stays out of the way until needed.
- App, folder, and URL shortcuts — populate Docks with anything you'd drag into the native Dock, plus web links.
- Per-Dock icon sizing — keep a compact dev Dock at 32 px and a touch-friendly media Dock at 64 px side by side.
Where ExtraDock differs from simply cramming more apps into Apple's Dock is the ability to scope each panel to a single context. Close the creative Dock when you're in a sprint; hide the communication one during deep work. It's lightweight workflow management without a full window-manager subscription.
Who should use ExtraDock?
Power users who juggle distinct workflows across multiple displays will get the most out of ExtraDock. If you routinely switch between, say, video editing and Xcode, having two purpose-built Docks — one per role — beats tab-switching through a single overcrowded bar. Multi-monitor setups where the built-in Dock stubbornly sticks to one screen are a natural fit.
It's less compelling for users who keep only a handful of apps open and rarely touch their Dock anyway. If Alfred, Raycast, or Spotlight launchers handle most of your app-opening, ExtraDock adds very little. But if you're a mouse-and-visual-Dock person who keeps bumping into macOS's rigid one-Dock limit, this fills an obvious gap.
Is ExtraDock free?
ExtraDock is free to download from the developer's site, with a trial period that lets you explore the core feature set before purchasing. A one-time purchase unlocks the full app with no ongoing subscription. Pricing details are shown at checkout on the official site — I won't speculate on exact figures since they can change, but it sits in the approachable "impulse buy" tier typical of indie Mac utilities.
How does ExtraDock compare to alternatives?
The closest direct competitor is HiDock, which similarly extends macOS's Dock with additional panels and has been around longer. HiDock leans toward a single enhanced Dock experience; ExtraDock leans toward truly independent, arbitrarily positioned secondary panels. uBar takes a different approach — replacing the system Dock entirely with a taskbar-style switcher — which is more disruptive than ExtraDock's additive philosophy.
For launcher-minded users, Raycast and Alfred render the Dock almost irrelevant by surfacing apps through keystrokes. Those tools and ExtraDock aren't really in competition: ExtraDock is for people who stay in the visual, mouse-driven paradigm and simply need more Dock real estate.
What are the best ExtraDock alternatives?
If ExtraDock doesn't click with your workflow, the most credible alternatives are:
- HiDock — a mature, well-supported extra-Dock utility with a slightly different visual approach.
- uBar — replaces the macOS Dock entirely with a Windows-taskbar-style panel; better if you want to ditch Apple's Dock altogether.
- DockStation — project-based Dock that groups apps by task; worthwhile if your need is project switching rather than spatial separation.
- Raycast / Alfred — keyboard-first launchers that make the Dock optional; not a visual replacement but often a more efficient one for keyboard users.
