John’s Background Switcher vs Plash
John’s Background Switcher
johnsad.venturesPlash
sindresorhus.comSide by side
| Figure | John’s Background Switcher | Plash |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Desktop Wallpaper Software | 8.1 (#9) | 7.4 (#22) |
| Maker | The maker identifies himself as John Conners, a software developer who lives in Yorkshire and originally lived in Fife, Scotland. | The maker describes himself as a full-time open-sourcerer and app maker. |
| Purpose | The app periodically changes a Windows or Mac desktop background to photos or photo montages. | Plash lets users make a website their desktop wallpaper, including animated GIFs. |
| Support | The maker offers a support request form and directs Windows users to check the FAQ first; replies may take a while because the maker receives many emails. | Users can submit feedback or bug reports through the app or the maker’s feedback form; the form says replies may take longer and suggests checking spam if no reply arrives within two weeks. |
Plans
John’s Background Switcher
- WindowsFree
- Mac direct$7.99, paid once
- Mac App Store$8.99, paid once
In their own words
John’s Background Switcher
John’s Background Switcher changes a Windows or Mac desktop background on a schedule, using individual photos or assembled montages and collages. Its image sources include local photos and services such as Flickr, SmugMug, Unsplash, Pixabay, Dropbox, OneDrive, Vladstudio, Immich, and Media RSS feeds, though availability varies by platform. Windows also lists Pexels, Last.fm, and Wallhaven. On Mac, it can manage multiple monitors, showing the same or different images on each, or using a single monitor. Mac switching intervals range from every 10 seconds to 7 days, with grayscale, sepia, and desaturation effects. Windows support starts at Windows 10 and requires Microsoft.NET 4.8; the setup wizard can install that dependency. The maker says settings and authentication tokens are stored locally, photo services are contacted directly, and cached photo results are kept for no more than two days. Windows is free at free. Mac direct costs 7.99 USD once, and Mac App Store costs 8.99 USD once.