Stop fighting /etc/hosts
Named profiles, one-click switching, a menu-bar shortcut, syntax highlighting and a real CLI. Cast a spell on your hosts file — on macOS and Windows.
What it does
Everything GasMask did, then a lot more — polished, cross-platform, and actually maintained.
Profiles & grimoires
Save as many host configs as you want, group them into named folders, switch with one click.
Menu-bar switching
Change environment from the menu bar or a global shortcut — it shows the active profile so you never forget.
Highlighted editor
IP addresses in colour, invalid lines flagged in red, find & replace built in.
Themes & magic
Dark, light or system — or “dark magic / white magic” when you flip on the playful wording.
Multilingual
English and Italian out of the box, more coming — plus an Elvish easter egg. 🧝
Backups & import
Automatic backups with one-click restore, and a GasMask importer to bring your old files over.
Love your terminal?
Others tell developers to leave the terminal. We bring you in. The CLI shares the same profiles as the app — switch, script, automate.
Pricing
Free for everyone. If it saves you time, leave what you feel it's worth.
- Unlimited profiles & grimoires
- Menu-bar switching & shortcuts
- Highlighted editor, backups, CLI
- macOS & Windows
- Auto-updating remote blocklists
- Combine multiple profiles at once
- Sync & team sharing
The modern hosts file editor for macOS & Windows
Hostwitcher is a free hosts file editor that lets you manage /etc/hosts without the terminal. Instead of typing sudo nano /etc/hosts, you create named profiles, edit them in a highlighted editor, and switch between them with one click or a keyboard shortcut.
It's built for developers who juggle local, staging and production environments: point a domain to a different IP, activate the profile, and Hostwitcher writes the hosts file and flushes the DNS cache for you. You can also use it to block websites, ads and trackers by routing domains to 0.0.0.0.
If you used GasMask and miss it, or find SwitchHosts too bare, Hostwitcher is the modern, maintained alternative — cross-platform (macOS and Windows), with a built-in GasMask importer, automatic backups, a menu-bar shortcut and a command-line tool that shares the same profiles as the app.
FAQ
How do I edit the hosts file on Mac without the terminal?
Install Hostwitcher, create a profile, edit your entries and click Activate. It writes /etc/hosts for you and flushes the DNS cache — no sudo nano required.
Is Hostwitcher free?
Yes — free and pay-what-you-want, with no ads and no tracking.
Is it a GasMask or SwitchHosts alternative?
Yes. It covers what they do — multiple hosts profiles, quick switching, remote lists — in a polished, maintained, cross-platform app, and it can import your old GasMask files.
Can I block websites or ads with it?
Yes. Point unwanted domains to 0.0.0.0 in a profile and activate it to block them system-wide.
Which systems does it support?
macOS today, Windows coming soon — from a single codebase, plus a cross-platform CLI.
First launch
Because Hostwitcher is distributed independently (no paid Apple account), your system asks for one confirmation the first time.
- Open the .dmg and drag Hostwitcher into Applications.
- Open it; on the warning click Done.
- Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway, confirm with password / Touch ID.
Windows
- Run the installer. If SmartScreen appears: More info → Run anyway. That's it.