Being a Windows user means that you get access to some of the best utility tools as well as customization ones. You can completely change the way your windows computer or laptop looks. While most people only care to change their desktop and lock screen wallpapers, there are many other things that third-party apps can do within Windows to spruce up your experience ten folds.
One of the most accessed areas in any computer or laptop is the dock that usually sits at the bottom of your screen. The app dock is home to some of your pinned and most used programs and applications. People oftentimes pin the apps that they use on a daily basis in their dock so that it’s only one click away. While the default dock within Windows does a good job at balancing looks and features, it is far from being perfect.
Firstly, it doesn’t look nearly as good as the app dock present in macOS. To add to that, the dock also lacks any animations or power user controls that you can use to your advantage. If you indeed find the stock Windows app dock lackluster, you’re in luck since Windows is very kind to third-party apps. We have taken the liberty to try out some of the best Windows 10 app docks around the internet and have come up with a list of the top 5. Read on to discover some of the best Windows 10 app docks that you can download and install to make the most out of your Windows 10 machine!
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Best Windows 10 App Docks
1. RocketDock
It would be illegal for us to talk about Windows 10 app docks without mentioning RocketDock which happens to be one of the most popular services out there. It was first developed all the way back in 2005 with the intention of bringing a Mac-like feel too sloppy old Windows but has soon evolved into a highly customizable dock for your apps. You can customize the animations when you hover over the apps and even when you click them. Adding shortcuts is as easy as dragging a file or a folder to the dock.
It doesn’t work well with a few apps and it also doesn’t display the apps that you launch from the Start Menu in the dock. However, with powerful features such as being able to change the icons, text, animations, and create sophisticated shortcuts is what makes RocketDock one of the best Windows 10 app docks of all time. We highly recommend you give it a shot. You can learn more about RocketDock by following the link given below:
2. ObjectDock
Up next on our list of the best Windows 10 app docks is ObjectDock. It is best suited for all the multitaskers out there who believe in organizing their workspaces up and keeping folders within folders. With ObjectDock, you get not one but two docks. Your main app dock is always accessible at the bottom of your screen but you also get access to a tabbed dock to which you can add shortcuts and other files that you access a little less frequently.
ObjectDock also has the nifty ability to show folders within a folder that you’ve pinned to the dock when you hover your mouse over it. This is extremely time-saving and is also very convenient. There are plenty of other features that make ObjectDock one of the best Windows 10 app docks available out there. That said, the app isn’t free although you can try it for 30 days on a trial basis and choose to buy it if you really end up liking it for just $4.99. You can learn more about ObjectDock by following the link given below:
3. NexusDock
Next up is an app dock that has personally been my favorite one to use. NexusDock brings to the board more features than most other app docks that you can download and use. It also does this while maintaining a very sleek user interface, almost reminiscent of macOS. You can obviously still go Frankenstein and modify the living hell out of your dock to make it look exactly like you want to. NexusDock also has some tricks up its sleeve. It features a fully functional recycle bin that you can physically drop files and folder into.
You can also enable a tiny CPU, GPU, and RAM monitoring indicator in the dock which eliminates the need for you to ever launch Task Manager again. There are various other features that you can use for free in NexusDock. There is indeed a premium variant that you can purchase and that will give you access to a couple more features as well as the privilege of creating unlimited docks. You can learn more about NexusDock by following the link given below:
4. CircleDock
In case you just aren’t attracted to rectangular docks that take up unnecessary space on your desktop, this one is for you. CircleDock like its name implies is an app dock that is circular in shape. The advantage of having a circular app dock instead of a traditional one is speed and minimalism. You can add more apps in a smaller area and will also have to do less mouse maneuvering to get to the app that you need to launch.
You can add as many apps and folders as you wish to the dock using its sub-dock functionality. It is an incredibly simple and no BS app that just works as it is advertised. Unfortunately, CircleDock has been out of development for over a decade and the only official version you can get your hands on is one from 2008. Luckily, some developers were able to update the app to work better with 64-bit systems. You can learn more about CircleDock by following the link given below:
5. Appetizer
Next on our list of some of the best Windows 10 app docks to try out in 2021, we have Appetizer. Keeping the clever name aside, Appetizer is an incredibly simple app dock that just works. It hasn’t been updated since the days of Windows Vista but it, fortunately, works without any issues on the latest Windows 10 machines. You can customize it to look a bit more modern and we recommend you do that since the default skin that comes with the app is too 2000-like.
The great thing about Appetizer is the fact that it allows you to automatically import all of your files and folders from your Start Menu and Taskbar when you first set the app up. This saves a whole bunch of time and we genuinely think is a feature that all app docks should adopt. You can change things like the icon shape, text, resize the dock, add custom icons, minimize the dock to tray, and much more. You can learn more about Appetizer by following the link given below:
6. RK Launcher
Yet another way to add custom icons to your desktop in a fancy way is by using RK Launcher. It is a free app dock application that is quite a bit customizable for everyone’s liking. You can add apps as well as folders to the dock. You can choose any edge of your screen to stick the app dock at. Just like most other app docks on this list, RK Launcher allows for a fair bit of customization when it comes to app icons and effects, just don’t expect too much out of it.
7. Sliderdock
Ending our list of some of the best Windows 10 app docks to use in 2021, we have a slightly unconventional means of launching apps. Instead of being a traditional app dock that takes the form of a rectangle at a specific corner of your screen, Sliderdock extends its usability by instead acting as an app carousel. It is quite similar in functionality to CircleDock. You can add several pages of apps and folders and can switch between them using intuitive gestures.
You can customize just about everything in Sliderdock, including the app and folder icons, as well as the general theme. It is quite outdated when compared to some of the other app dock applications on this list, but nonetheless a really solid option for those looking for a different way to sort their apps and folders. You can learn more about Sliderdock by following the link given below:
Conclusion
That’s all folks! We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the best Windows 10 app docks to download and use in 2021! Which one among the list is your favorite, and how many of these Windows 10 app docks have you already known or have been using? Know other good app docks for Windows that you feel people might find interesting and useful? Do let us know in the comments section below, we’d be delighted to hear from you guys!