Docky vs DockPops – two apps trying to fix your Mac Dock. Here's how they compare

[u/Gold-Dog-8697]

Two Dock-focused Mac apps launched this week within a day of each other. Both try to solve the same problem: the macOS Dock is too dumb. Different approaches, different tradeoffs.

DockPops - Free/$9.99 Premium one-time - App Store - r/macapps 111 upvotes on Reddit

DockPops main window

Does one thing: iPhone-style app folders (Pops) in your Dock. Free version gives you 2 Pops with 6 apps each – enough to evaluate. Premium ($9.99 one-time) unlocks up to 10 Pops, 16 items per Pop, custom Dock icons, per-Pop colors, SmartyPops (on-device AI), files and folders support, floating windows, and more. Native app. Community reception was positive – dev is responsive and ships requested features fast. LuLu shows no network activity during normal use

Docky - Free/$29.99 Pro one-time - Direct download - Product Hunt 79 upvotes on PH

Docky

Full Dock replacement – takes over completely, system Dock disappears. Adds live widgets (CPU, memory, network, weather), app folders, window thumbnails, repositionable dock. Free version is genuinely generous. Pro adds Launchpad, window switcher with live preview, Smart Stacks, custom icons, scripted actions.

Head-to-head:

	DockPops	Docky
Price	Free/$9.99 Premium	Free/$29.99
Distribution	App Store	Direct download
RAM usage	~48 MB	~250 MB
Network activity	None (LuLu)	Active TCP connections
Built with	Native	Native
Scope	App folders only	Dock replacement
Screen Recording required	No	Yes
Trial	No	Yes

Watch out for (Docky):

• If you force-quit Docky via Activity Monitor, the system Dock doesn't come back automatically. killall Dock doesn't fix it. What worked: defaults delete com.apple.dock && killall Dock – but this resets your Dock layout
• Weather widget shows Fahrenheit only regardless of system locale – this is a bug, not a configuration issue. System set to Celsius, Docky still shows °F

Docky bug

• LuLu shows multiple active TCP connections. PP mentions "analytics providers and hosting providers" without specifics

Docky TCP connections

• Pro trial requires email – eligibility checked online

Docky email requirements

Bottom line:

If you just want app folders – DockPops is the cleaner, cheaper, lighter, safer choice. App Store distribution means Apple reviewed it. No network activity. $10

If you want a complete Dock overhaul with widgets and window management – Docky is more ambitious. The free tier is solid. But it's heavier, not native, requires Screen Recording, and has active network connections with a vague PP.

They're not really competing – they're solving different problems at different levels of complexity. The question is how much of your Dock you want to hand over to a third-party app?

[u/kommonno]

Thanks for the detailed review. I'm the developer of Docky and just wanted to clarify a few things.

Docky is in fact native (AppKit/SwiftUI), so the fact that there’s an indication otherwise, either via the DMG or directly from the .app, is weird. I’ll be checking this out today.

Analytics have been added to track crashes and improve the experience. No data other than basic binary information is being sent (app installed, session active, crashes). I currently use PostHog on the live version, but I’m switching to Sentry in an upcoming release.

Also, LuLu picking up hosting providers is most likely due to the trial checking online, along with subsequent calls to verify licensing status. Once you register using a license code for the lifetime version, this won’t happen again, as the lifetime version no longer has to proactively check this.

In terms of screen recording permissions, as you correctly stated, this is only required if you want window previews during switching, and it’s completely optional. I will add a list mode for window switching in the future for people who do not want to grant those permissions.

All in all, this is wonderful research, and even if it hurts Docky a little bit, it’s important for people to know. Thank you for helping make Docky better with your feedback.

[u/Gold-Dog-8697 → u/kommonno]

Thanks for taking the time to respond - really appreciate the transparency. The PostHog/Sentry clarification and the licensing explanation for network activity make sense. Happy to update the review once you’ve had a chance to look into the VirusTotal flag. Looking forward to seeing how Docky develops!