Hurl is a free, open-source browser picker for Windows, with a native WinUI 3 look, regex rules, and a Quick View window that previews a page without opening a browser.
Switchbar finds your browser profiles automatically, cleans up links by default, and works on both Windows and Mac. It's free and needs no account.
At a glance
| Switchbar | Hurl | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free picker that opens every link in the right browser, profile, or app | An open-source browser picker for Windows |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows | Windows 11 |
| Picker | Your favorite browsers, profiles, and apps in one row, centered or under your pointer, with keyboard shortcuts | A WinUI 3 window with an editable link and keyboard shortcuts; can open under the pointer |
| Browser profiles | Detected automatically, plus Incognito and InPrivate windows | Launch profiles you set up with custom arguments |
| Rules | URL, domain, or email address with wildcards, set in a few clicks or from the picker | Exact text, domain, or regex rules grouped into rulesets; off by default |
| Link cleanup | Removes tracking parameters and expands short links, on by default | Edit the link in the picker before opening it |
| Updates | Updated regularly, with automatic updates | Pre-1.0; the README asks you to uninstall before installing a new version |
What is Switchbar?
Switchbar is a free browser picker for Windows and Mac. Make it your default browser, and every link you click shows a row of your favorite browsers, profiles, and apps. The full link sits at the top of the picker, so you can check where it goes before choosing. Check "Remember this choice" to turn a decision into a rule.
What is Hurl?
Hurl is an MIT-licensed browser picker for Windows 11, with a native WinUI 3 window, regex rules with a built-in tester, and a Quick View preview. Its developer describes it as pre-1.0, with breaking changes possible. This comparison is based on Hurl 0.10.
1. Browser profiles without setup
In Hurl, a profile is a launch entry you add for each browser, with custom arguments such as a profile folder or an incognito flag.
Switchbar finds the profiles in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, and other browsers on its own, including Incognito and InPrivate windows, and lists them next to your browsers. Your work and personal profiles are one click away from the first link.
2. Clean links by default
Switchbar removes tracking parameters, unwraps Outlook Safe Links, and expands common short links before a link opens, with nothing to set up.
3. Email links and desktop apps
Switchbar also handles email links, so you can choose a mail app or webmail account each time. When a link belongs to a desktop app like Zoom or Figma, Switchbar suggests that app first.
4. Windows and Mac, kept up to date
Hurl is a Windows app, and installing a new version means uninstalling the old one first. Switchbar works the same way on Windows and Mac, and updates itself in the background.
Moving from Hurl
- Download Switchbar and make it your default browser.
- Pick your favorite browsers, profiles, and apps from the ones it finds.
- Add rules as you go by checking "Remember this choice" in the picker.
Which one should you choose?
Hurl is still a good fit if you:
- Want free, open-source software you can inspect and modify
- Want regex rules with a built-in tester, or to edit your settings as JSON
- Want to preview links in a Quick View window before opening a browser
Switchbar is the better fit if you:
- Want your browser profiles found for you
- Want clean links without any setup
- Want to choose where email links open too
- Use a Mac, or both Windows and Mac
Open every link in the right browser and profile, with nothing to configure: try Switchbar for free.
