Developer App Launcher for Mac: Terminal, Xcode, VS Code on One Bar

Every coding session starts with the same apps: an editor such as VS Code or Xcode, a terminal, a browser for localhost, maybe a Git client or database tool, and the folder of the project itself. Pinning them all to the Dock works until the Dock also holds mail, chat and everything else.

Short answer: the best app for a developer launch bar, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: it puts extra docks on your screen edges with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

What macOS gives you

The Dock, Spotlight and Launchpad (on macOS 15 and earlier) treat VS Code the same way as Calendar. None of them knows that some apps belong together. You can type a name in Spotlight, which is quick if you remember it and do not mind the keyboard. If you want a visual set that is always there, you need something more.

Note that macOS 26 Tahoe replaced Launchpad with the Apps view; see why Launchpad was removed in Tahoe.

The same setup for design tools is in quick-launch your design apps on Mac.

A bar for your dev stack

In Jetty, create a bar and give a tab the name "Dev". Then:

1. Drag Xcode or VS Code, Terminal, your browser and your Git client from Finder onto the bar.
2. Drag the project repository folder onto the bar. A folder tile opens a popup that lists the folder's contents, and you click an item to open it.
3. Add a website tile for localhost, your issue tracker or the docs you read most.
4. Add a second tab, such as "Ops", for tools you use less often.

Each tile opens one item with one click. That is the whole model: your tools sit in one visible row, and you do not search for them.

Folder tiles next to app tiles are covered in more detail in open folders and files in one click, and a tab per client or codebase in how to organize Mac apps by project.

Separate tabs for separate stacks

If you work on a frontend stack and a backend stack, or on several client codebases, keep one tab per context. The tab strip shows when a bar has more than one tab, and a right-click lets you rename or remove a tab. You can also use a second bar, up to four in total, placed on a different edge.

Tidy and out of the way

You choose the tile size (Small, Medium or Large), the number of rows or columns, and whether labels show. Bars float above normal windows, so they stay reachable over an editor full of panes. If that is too much on screen, turn on auto-hide: the bar fades when the pointer leaves, and you bring it back from Jetty's menu-bar item. The menu-bar item lists your bars; the launching happens from the bars.

Opening several apps at once

A tile opens one thing. If you want one click to start a whole stack, make a Shortcut in Apple's Shortcuts app that opens the apps, then add a Shortcut tile to your bar that runs it. You build that shortcut yourself; Jetty runs it for you.

What it does not do

Jetty is not a keyboard launcher, so there is no search and no key to open a bar. It does not show running windows or previews. Bars sit on the main screen. If you live in the keyboard, a launcher built for typing may suit you better; see our comparison with Raycast and Alfred.

How we checked

Jetty's details on this page were checked against the app's source code and its App Store listing on 2026-10-10 and are collected on the facts page; I build Jetty. For built-in macOS steps, Apple's Mac User Guide is the reference for your version of macOS.

FAQ

What is a good app launcher for developers on Mac?

In my opinion as its developer, Jetty is the best pick if you prefer clicking a fixed set of tools: it keeps your editor, terminal, project folders and localhost on a bar. If you prefer typing, a keyboard launcher or Spotlight fits better.

Can I put project folders next to my apps?

Yes. Drag a folder onto a Jetty bar and it becomes a tile that opens a popup of its contents.

Can I open a website like localhost from the bar?

Yes. Website tiles open a URL, so you can keep localhost or your docs one click away.

Can one click start Terminal, the editor and the browser together?

Not by itself. Build a shortcut in the Shortcuts app that opens them and add a Shortcut tile that runs it.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.