The 5 Best Dock Apps to Replace Your Taskbar in Windows 10

So, you recently made the switch from a Mac to a Windows 10 PC, and you can’t get used to the Windows Taskbar. Maybe you miss how clean the dock looked on your Mac, or you’re just looking for a better way to access your apps, files, and folders. Either way, there are lots of Windows apps that can mimic the look and feel of Mac’s dock. Here is our list of the best dock apps to make your Windows 10 PC feel a little more like a Mac.

WinLaunch: Best Windows 10 Alternative to Launchpad

While this isn’t technically a dock app, WinLaunch is the best Windows app that gives you the look and feel of the Mac’s Launchpad.

This full-screen app is really simple to use. All you have to do to open it is hit the Shift + Tab keys on your keyboard or set up a hot corner. Then you can add apps, files, folders, and even shortcuts to websites you want to access quickly. It’s also easy to customize the name, placement, and icon of any shortcuts you add. Similarly, you can organize your files and apps into folders by dragging and dropping them on top of each other.

To delete an item, just click and hold an app for at least three seconds until the icons start to jiggle. Then you can click on the “X” that appears in the top-left corner. WinLaunch also supports dual monitors, so you can choose which display to open the app with.

Circle Dock: Best Unique Dock App for Windows 10

Circle Dock is one of the most unique dock apps for Windows 10 users. As its name suggests, you can arrange your frequently used apps, files, and folders on a circular dock. To open this app, hit the Windows + Ctrl keys on your keyboard or create your own custom hotkey for this function.

Like most dock apps, you can drag and drop items to this dock. However, adding and removing apps is somewhat difficult. Using the arrow keys on your keyboard or your mouse’s scroll wheel allows you to rotate through items. This will cause icons to spin on the dock, which is one of the best aspects of this dock app. In addition, you can customize the background and center buttons with any image you want.

RocketDock: Best Dock App for Folder Shortcuts

RocketDock was developed by Apple enthusiasts at Punk Software in 2005, and it still holds up today. This dock comes with shortcuts to several commonly-used folders on your system, as well as a fully-functioning Recycle Bin. You can even add your own folder shortcuts and personalize them with icons. There are also 30 themes that you let you customize the appearance of your dock.

However, adding apps to this dock can be difficult. You have to create a shortcut for an app and then drag it to the dock to add it. Also, it doesn’t work in tandem with the Windows Taskbar. So, if you open an app from your Start menu, it won’t show up in the dock.

While this dock app comes with an auto-hide feature, you do have to be careful when choosing where to place this dock on your screen. If your dock and Taskbar are both at the bottom of your screen, you can accidentally open apps from your Taskbar when you are trying to click on the dock. However, you can always move this dock up or hide your Taskbar.

If you want to know how to hide your Taskbar and more, check out our guide on how to customize your Taskbar.

ObjectDock: Best Dock App for Multitaskers

Unlike most dock apps, ObjectDock gives you access to a main dock, or what they call a Quicklaunch Dock, as well as a Tabbed Dock. The Quicklaunch Dock works just like the dock on your Mac, while the Tabbed Docks gives you another location to add shortcuts for your programs, documents, links, and other files and folders.

You can set the Quicklaunch Dock to show all your open applications, all your running windows, minimized windows, and even show system tray icons. You can also customize the position, size, style, color, and animation effects of the dock. For example, you can use a zoom effect like the Mac dock has, or you can make your icons glow when you hover your mouse over them.

Plus, when you hover over an app, you can see a preview of all the windows you have open for that app. You can’t get this feature on a Mac without downloading third-party software, such as HyperDock. There’s also a great feature called a Flyout menu, which lets you see all the subfolders of any folder on your dock.

Both the Quicklaunch Dock and Tabbed Docks comes with a shortcut that opens the Windows Start Menu, so you won’t have to unhide your Taskbar to access any of your apps or features. However, unlike the previous apps on this list, ObjectDock is not free. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to test the features or purchase the app for $4.99.

Best Dock App for Windows 10 Overall: NexusDock

NexusDock is by far the best dock app you can download to make your Windows 10 computer feel more like a Mac. This app combines the sleek, easy-to-use look of a Mac dock with the functionality you get with the Windows Taskbar.

Like the previous app, NexusDock shows you a preview of your windows when you hover over an app, and it has a shortcut for the Windows Start menu. But this app also comes with shortcuts for the Windows Search Bar, your System Tray, and more. This makes NexusDock a viable option if you’re looking to completely replace your Windows Taskbar with a dock.

In fact, NexusDock offers you more options than you would get with the Mac dock or Windows Taskbar put together. There are dozens of effects that you can choose for when you launch an app, mouse over a shortcut, or delete an item from the dock.

Plus, there are new shortcut icons you won’t find on a Mac or Windows computer. These include a fully-functioning recycle bin, a real-time weather icon, and a live CPU and RAM meter. These meter icons show you real-time graphs from your Task Manager, so you won’t have to open it to see these stats again.

In addition to the programs, files, and folders that you can add to your dock with this app, you can also add shortcuts for Internal Commands. These include shortcuts that let you show or hide your Windows Taskbar, minimize all your open windows, skip the audio track you’re listening to, and much more.

All these features are available in the free version of NexusDock. There’s also a paid version that lets you create unlimited docks, personalize system tray icons, and more.

Now that you know the best dock app for Windows 10, check out our list of the best Windows 10 apps you can install on your computer.

Best 7 Free Dock Apps For Windows : Download Now

Mac OS has a fascinating dock called Mac OS X. So, in Windows too we have more powerful dock applications. These dock apps are customizable, easy to access, attractive and what not. So, let us have a look on powerful dock apps for Windows.

1. Rocket Dock

Rocket Dock is a high quality dock for Windows and is available for free. This application supports real-time Windows preview in Vista and above. It supports auto-pop up and auto-hide on mouse hover. It provides a lot of customization options like – custom skins, beautiful animations and effects, launching icons etc.

Main features of Rocket Dock are: its simple drag-n-drop interface, multi-monitor support, running application indicators, positioning and layering options, portability, Unicode compliant, multi-language support, runs great on slower computers also, etc.

2. XWindows Dock

XWindows Dock gives you feel of Mac OS X dock. It has transparency and that too you can manage the level of transparency on the dock display. It also offers customizable degrees of reflections, shadows and blur.

Main features of XWindows Dock are : size and zoom of icons, icons and their reflections, customizable stack, configure number of icons in the stack, advanced minimization of Windows option in the dock, etc.

3. Object Dock

Also called Star Object Dock. It’s an excellent Windows dock, easily customizable, can fit to the theme and layout of your screen, a variety of skins and alternative icons available. It supports Docklets to enhance functionalities. You can even customize it to run smoothly on slow machines.

You can even create a backup of your current customizations for the dock and you can share them with others also.

4. Nexus

Nexus is a multilevel dock system. Hence, it provides fast access to any app or software. Nexus has multiple effects that makes it look amazing. It has live icons reflections, transparency, in-dock modules, reserve screen space, auto hide, auto collapse, documents thumbnails, keyboard navigation, complete customization, full multi-monitor support, virtual file system object support, etc.

5. Slider Dock

Slider dock is a beautiful dock where you can easily access any of the items. Easily drag and drop items to the dock and later access them by double-click. You just need to rotate your mouse about the dock to access files.

Main features of slider dock are – quickly launch any application, fully customizable, possibility to rotate icons, hide/show options, rotate your mouse to come icons to you for access, highlight effect around the selected icon, etc.

6. Circle Dock

Circle dock is a very beautiful dock where the icons are arranged in circular form. It is an open source. The dock is fully customizable. Change the icons or change the skin. Circle dock is multi-language capable.

Main features of circle dock are : reorder the dock items by dragging and dropping them over each other, easily upgradable to new versions, dock folders are provided to organize the dock items, toggle the visibility of the dock by moving mouse to any edge of the screen, etc.

7. RK Launcher

RK launcher is a free application and is similar to AquaGUI or Mac OS X dock. It supports many themes and also uses docklets made for object dock. It provides smooth zooming and scrolling effects. As like other docks here, it also provides customization options.

10 Amazing Docks for Windows 10 (Beautiful and Functional)

It may not seem like it, but there are a wealth of docks available for Windows, that not only help with cleaning up the clutter of the desktop, but also make life easier if you deal with a lot of software.

These floating docks are basically graphical application launchers, that neatly organize your desktop and then run the installed programs on your system. All of them are highly customizable, allowing you to extend their usage according to your needs.

Apple may have made the dock popular, but these programs have taken the concept to the next level.

Organize Windows 10 Desktop with Docks

S No.	App Name	Best for	Pros	Cons	Rating
1	ObjectDock	Tons of features, plays nicely with other Stardock software	Premium product, only available as a trial	★★★★★
2	RocketDock	Users on older hardware	Snappy, high level of customizability	Limited display options, lacks support for 64-bit versions	★★★★★
3	RK Launcher	Novices, general use	Lightening fast, portable	Not updated for a while now	★★★★★
4	XWindows Dock	Experienced users	Minimal, fast and stylish, support for plugins	Needs extra modules	★★★★☆
5	Circle Dock	Touch enable devices	Open source, intuitive circular design	Takes a little setup to get going	★★★★☆
6	Nexus Dock	Regular and power users alike	Expert feature set, unmated tools, regular updates	Pricy premium version, free version lacks certain features	★★★★☆
7	Sliderdock	General use	Intuitive design, flexible and customizable	No longer updated	★★★★☆
8	Multibar	Power users	Several unique features, addons	Large footprint, rarely updated	★★★☆☆
9	Appetizer	General use, older hardware	Open source, lightweight, works with portable apps	Lacks some advanced features	★★★☆☆
10	Aqua Dock	General use	Simple, easy setup, low system requirements	No longer updated	★★★☆☆

Here are 10 absolutely amazing docks that you can install on Windows 10.

1. ObjectDock

Stardock is one of the biggest names in customization on Windows, the company behind popular software products like WindowBlinds, Start10 and, well, ObjectDock. This dock sets up an animated launcher on your desktop, with app icons placed on a table.

You can neatly organize your shortcuts, programs, and running tasks on this dock, on any edge of the screen. Plus, it is also possible to add additional functionality to it, like widgets for weather, a clock or a calendar, and a handy little battery status.

Multiple docks can easily be set up, and initial set up is as easy as importing your Quick Launch shortcuts and pinned Taskbar items. Dockets can be configured that fly out and display folders and files.

A number of additional abilities are also available like creating as many docks as you want, adding tabs to them, and functionality like Aero Peek.

ObjectDock comes as a free 30-day trial, with the paid version priced at a very affordable $4.99. Well worth the price of admission.

2. RocketDock

RocketDock is simple, it’s popular, and it’s been around forever. This free application has been a fan favorite for ages, and people have been using it in several versions of Windows.

It is modeled after the launch toolbar on macOS and takes most of its cues from it. It sits along the edge of your desktop and allows you to pin shortcuts to your most accessed apps, files, and folders, with smooth zoom animations, and other transitions.

Although not as high in terms of unique features as ObjectDock, RocketDock still has all the basics covered like multi-monitor support, running application indicators, as well as a range of positioning and layering options.

You can also extend its functionality with add-ons, and it even has support for ObjectDock dockets, to go with some really nice skins.

If you’re going the free route, RocketDock is perhaps your best destination.

3. RK Launcher

Although not actively developed now, RK Launcher still remains is an excellent free dock utility for Windows that provides a way for you to add shortcuts to your most commonly used programs, files and folders.

And just like the other two docks listed above, this one comes with a simple and pleasing design. Along with the handy ability to minimize programs to the dock, making this a neat Taskbar replacement.

The dock can be placed in any corner of the screen, or on any edge, and a bunch of handy customization features allows you to change the appearance of RK Launcher with themes and custom icons. Additional functionality via dockets is also a possibility.

Ultimately, the fact that the developer has abandoned this superb program weighs against it. What works now may not, with the next update that Microsoft releases for Windows 10. Until then, RK Launcher has well and truly earned its podium finish.

4. XWindows Dock

Another in the line of excellent docks for Windows that is no longer supported, this free program emulates the stylish macOS launcher to the tee. You get a complete rack of icons, placed in a simple and neat design that blends quite nicely with your working environment.

Although built for previous versions of the operating system, XWindows Dock is fully compatible with the latest versions of Windows 10, even as its name comes with a giveaway hint in its name that it has been designed for Windows XP.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this dock is the level of customization it offers.

You get the ability to completely change its appearance, making it as fancy as you want. Your favorite apps and programs can be added, even links to certain Windows features look nice here.

XWindows Dock also comes with a plugin manager that although is a little complicated at first, can be used to add custom plugins. This is what is used to make most of the changes in this dock, which can make the program feel a little too basic and inflexible on the outside.

Yet, XWindows Dock is very customizable and richly filled with effects like reflections, transparency, shadow, and blur. It nevertheless remains one of the most stable and fast docks for the Windows platform, even if you will need to go looking for those additional modules to complete it.

5. Circle Dock

There are times when a name gives it all away, and this is one of those instances. Circle Dock does exactly what it says on the tin — and that is offering a unique and interesting look, circle-shaped obviously, for this fairly powerful dock.

But the visual look is not the only thing that’s different. For starters, it works in quite a unique way than regular docks.

That’s because it is not on the screen at all times, and you are required to initiate it first to use it.

This can be done by in a simple fashion with the mouse, which immediately makes Circle Dock appear next to your mouse cursor, wherever it is.

You will see all your pinned items as soon as the dock opens, with shortcuts to your apps and programs placed in a circular order. These can be accessed with a single click.

Not much customization options are part of what is, at the end of the day, a unique dock application, though the basic ones are here. The app also supports virtual desktops and plays nicely with multiple monitor configurations.

This free program is also available as a portable application, in case you don’t want to install it. But either way, Circle Dock is sure to add some new dimensions to your computer usage.

6. Nexus Dock

Why is that most products with the word Nexus in their name are usually all shiny and futuristic looking. Nexus Dock is no different and seems to have been designed to impress users with its stunning and stylish look.

Of course, it also helps that not only is this application one of the best designed in the, shall we say, docking business, but also very customizable.

It comes with 80 special commands, weather forecast, CPU and RAM usage monitoring, email notifications, and more. You can set custom icons for the items you place in your dock, which can go a long way to give your desktop a personal feel.

Speaking of the desktop, Nexus Dock can also double up as a replacement for the Taskbar, as it can show the minimized and running programs, as well as the System Tray right on the dock.

Other than that, you can expect top notch usability with this tidily designed application, ranging from the ability to pin your favorite apps and programs by moving them to the dock with your mouse, as well as support for files and folders.

Getting the hang of this program is easy, and performance, snappy.

Just like Stardock, Winstep is one of the more recognizable names in Windows customization. And while they have made Nexus Dock available for free, they also sell the pro version with more features for a somewhat substantial $24.95.

But you do get features like multiple docks, sub-docks, tabbed docks and more in the appropriately named Winstep Nexus Ultimate.

7. Sliderdock

Just like Circle Dock, Sliderdock has a few neat tricks up its proverbial sleeves. It is different in that it allows you to easily add shortcuts to programs, files and folders to each circular dock by dragging and dropping them onto the rings.

Multiple rings of icons can be used, and it is possible to completely customize the appearance of the rings and icons, as well as the dock itself, in how it behaves.

Usage is simple enough — you can rotate the icons in each ring by using your mouse wheel, and you will have quick and easy access to all your icons this way.

The performance was smooth, and animations silky, in a dock that does bring something new to the ring. Pun and all.

8. Multibar

Quick possibly the most stylish dock in this list, Multibar has been designed with one goal in mind. And that is to get you to your files, folders, applications, and tools as fast as possible. Which is a noble enough quest, as far as goals go.

It helps that the developers have baked in the whole array of other features into this program, making it one packed solution for power users.

At first launch, Multibar will index your files and folders for use with the instant search feature. You can open the program with the simple press of a key on your keyboard (the default being the Windows key), and you will then be provided with a selection of quick launch commands.

Type in the name of the program or folder you want to open, and hovering over the icons to show the recently used files.

An important consideration for professionals and power users.

The settings panel comes with an ample set of options to customize the usage and look of Multibar, and it also houses the selection of skins to give the program a new themed look.

A weather forecast add-on is one of those that are available by default, and it shows a forecast for your location for the next 5 days.

With its souped-up feature set, tons of customizability, and support for added tools and add-on, Multibar is a sleek, intuitive, and more importantly, unobtrusive dock application for Windows 10. Take it for a spin to see if it’s for you.

9. Appetizer

If you’re in the mood for a starter, then this free dock program is on the menu. Nothing fancy, just a simple and lightweight solution to organizing your shortcuts and folders into a convenient little dock.

You don’t get the flash and pizzazz of similar programs. Instead, Appetizer offers you elegance and grace in a frothy little package — pardon the puns.

What sets this program apart from some of the others is that it is open source.

It’s free and will remain so.

Of course, open-source does not mean much if the program is not capable enough, and Appetizer checks all the right boxes when it comes to the basic features one would expect from a dock application for Windows 10.

Including things like the ability to resize it, support for custom icons, plugins and skins, and a convenient little wizard to automatically import shortcuts.

The organization of the icons is also simple, via dragging and dropping, and you can hide and show the dock with the press of a hotkey. It does miss out on some of the more elaborate features that are part of other docks, but that is to be expected.

Appetizer keeps things elegant and easy, and sometimes that is all you need.

10. Aqua Dock

Now, here’s an application that took macOS inspiration to heart. This docking bar is almost a carbon copy of the one available on computers that a certain fruity company makes. It even has the Aqua art style in its name, something that was popularized by Apple a decade or so back.

Regardless, this tiny program delivers in both looks and functionality.

You can hide the standard Windows 10 Taskbar, and rely on Aqua Dock completely if you want. It is even possible to make the actual dock transparent, in order to make the icons appear as if they are floating on the desktop.

Changing the dimensions of the dock is as easy as dragging the window margins to the desired size, and the program can also be configured to enlarge the icons when the mouse pointer hovers over them to bring some attractive animation to the mix.

Aqua Dock also offers an abundance of flexibility. You can drag and drop the executable file of any program, and its icon will be displayed instantly. And speaking of icons, any icon on the dock can be replaced with a custom one to keep things fresh and airy.

Shawn is a WindowsChimp Staff writer, who is a fan of making lists and does the same on this site. He has a Contemporary Writing degree and been in technology niche since last 3 years.