In short
BrowserFairy lives in the menu bar and opens each link in the browser your rules say, or the one you choose from its launcher. Rules match what the link contains, begins or ends with, and the app it was clicked in. It's free for up to three rules; Pro, a subscription, adds unlimited rules and browser profiles.
Profile Porter picks the profile where you're signed in to the site and use it, and asks when two profiles are about even. Profiles are in the one price.
Side by side
| Profile Porter | BrowserFairy | |
|---|---|---|
| Picks a profile without rules | Yes: from sign-ins, saved passwords and history | No: rules, or a fallback browser |
| Rules | Optional: a site, or every link from an app, to one profile | Yes: what the link contains, begins or ends with, and the app; 3 free, more with Pro |
| Asks you | When two profiles are about even, or when you hold Shift | When you press ⌥⌘B or hold a key as you click |
| Learns from your picks | Yes, from each pick and each Undo | No |
| Chrome, Edge, Brave profiles | Yes | With Pro: Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera, Helium (needs a helper you install in Terminal) |
| Firefox profiles | Yes, old and new style | With Pro |
| Firefox containers | Yes, with the Open external links in a container add-on | Not mentioned |
| Safari profiles | Yes, on a Mac (Safari 17 or later) | No |
| Opens links in apps | Yes, when the site says its app opens the link (Zoom, Figma) | No: browsers only |
| Removes tracking from links | Yes, built in | Not mentioned |
| Expands short links | Yes, if you turn it on | Yes, and it unwraps Outlook, Slack and Google redirects |
| Undo a wrong pick | Yes | No |
| Private window | Yes: hold Shift as you pick (not Safari) | Not mentioned |
| Price | €12 once for 1.x, on up to 3 computers; 14-day refund | Free for 3 rules; Pro $0.99 a month or $8.99 a year |
| Platforms | macOS 14 or later; Windows 10 or 11 | macOS 13 or later |
| Open source | No | No |
Where BrowserFairy is better
- A free tier. Up to three rules, the launcher and the extensions cost nothing.
- A quick launcher. ⌥⌘B, then a number or a browser's first letter. It can also copy the link, share it or show a QR code.
- Move the tab you're on to another browser in one click, from its extension.
- The Mac App Store, and macOS 13. Profile Porter is a direct download and needs macOS 14.
- It reads none of your browsing data to decide; for profiles it reads only the browsers' profile lists.
Where Profile Porter is better
- No rules to write. It decides from where you're signed in, so a site you already use works on the first click.
- Profiles in the one price. BrowserFairy opens profiles only with Pro, a subscription, after you install a helper from Terminal.
- Safari profiles and Firefox containers. BrowserFairy's docs say Safari "does not support profiles", so a Safari rule opens Safari as it is.
- It asks on a close call, learns, and undoes.
- Links go straight to Zoom or Figma when the site says its app opens them.
- Windows too.
Price and platforms
BrowserFairy is free with up to three active rules. Pro is $0.99 a month or $8.99 a year, through the Mac App Store, with a free week or month to start. If Pro lapses, the first three rules keep working. It needs macOS 13 or later; the latest version is 2.3.5, from 14 October 2026.
Profile Porter is €12 once for every 1.x update, on up to 3 computers, Mac or Windows, with a full refund within 14 days if it isn't for you. It needs macOS 14 or later, or Windows 10 or 11.
Which to choose
Choose BrowserFairy if…
- you mostly switch between browsers, not profiles, and three rules are enough;
- you want a fast launcher and an App Store app;
- you're on macOS 13.
Choose Profile Porter if…
- you have several profiles and don't want to keep rules for them;
- you'd rather pay once than subscribe;
- you use Safari profiles, Firefox containers, or Windows.
Get Profile Porter for €12, once.
Everything included, no account, and a full refund within 14 days if it isn't for you. macOS 14 or later, or Windows 10 or 11.
Checked on 21 October 2026 on their official pages: BrowserFairy; pricing; changelog; browser profiles; Mac App Store. Something out of date? Tell us at support@profileporter.com.