A PowerToys alternative for Mac and Linux
Microsoft PowerToys is great, but it only runs on Windows and most of its tools are for power users. toolswitch is in the same spirit — small tools you open with a shortcut — and works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux, focused on everyday tasks.
PowerToys vs toolswitch
| PowerToys | toolswitch | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | No | Yes |
| Linux | No | Yes |
| Clipboard history | No (Windows has Win+V) | Yes, with images and search |
| Text from screen (OCR) | Yes (Text Extractor) | Yes, offline |
| Image resizer / compressor | Resizer | Compressor for images, PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel |
| Remove background | No | Yes, AI on your computer |
| Sign PDF | No | Yes |
| Audio to text | No | Yes, Whisper offline |
| Reminders and breaks | Awake only | Yes |
| Works offline, no account | Yes | Yes — even the AI tools |
| Developer tools (FancyZones, Keyboard Manager…) | Yes | No |
| Size | Hundreds of MB | About 15 MB |
| Price | Free | Free |
Questions
Is there PowerToys for Mac?
No, PowerToys is Windows-only. toolswitch offers similar everyday tools on macOS: clipboard history, OCR, file compressor, background remover and more.
Is there PowerToys for Linux?
No. On Linux you can use toolswitch, which runs on Ubuntu and other distributions with the same shortcuts.
Can I use toolswitch together with PowerToys?
Yes. On Windows they can run side by side; you can turn off the toolswitch tools you already have in PowerToys.
The 9 tools
Clipboard history
Everything you copy, text and images, one shortcut away. Search it and pin favorites.
Text from screen
Select part of the screen and copy the text in it (OCR). Accents, ñ and tables included.
Wallpapers
Pick your wallpapers and switch them with a shortcut or every few minutes.
Reminders
Write “in 20 min call Juan” and get a notification then. No calendar, no account.
Breaks
Rest your eyes every 20 minutes (20-20-20), or work with a Pomodoro timer.
Compress files
Smaller JPG, PNG, PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel files. Your originals stay untouched.
Remove background
Transparent PNG of any photo, with an AI model that runs on your computer.
Sign PDF
Draw your signature once, drag it to its place on the page and sign PDFs without printing.
Audio to text
Voice notes, WhatsApp audios, recordings and videos into text, offline, in ~100 languages.