Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) alternative: Peekaboo vs Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X)
By Vishva Variya · Updated
Lingon Pro, the new name for Lingon X, is a full launchd editor: you write your own background tasks that launch apps, run scripts, commands or Shortcuts on a schedule, and Pro can run them as root. A free Lingon on the Mac App Store does the basics. Peekaboo’s Startup Items answers the opposite question. Not “how do I make something run?” but “what’s already running on its own, whose is it, and can I stop it?”
Looking for Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) itself? It’s at www.peterborgapps.com.
- Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) price
- $23.99 one-time (Lingon Pro); free Lingon on the Mac App Store
- Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) requires
- macOS 14 or later
- Peekaboo
- $24.99 one-time (launch price $9.99 until Nov 13), 14-day trial, macOS 14+
Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) figures from peterborgapps.com/lingon, verified 2026-11-07.
Why pick Peekaboo over Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X)?
Every startup item, named
Startup Items in Mac Health lists every launch agent, daemon and background helper that starts on its own, the app it belongs to, and leftovers from apps you’ve already deleted.
Turn Off, not edit
Peekaboo turns items off and back on; it doesn’t create or edit tasks. If you want to write your own launchd jobs, Lingon is the tool and Peekaboo isn’t.
The rest of the health check
The same page has a 0–100 health score, live readings and a week of history, and leftovers point to the App Uninstaller, which removes what an app left behind.
Peekaboo vs Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X), job by job
| Job | Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) | Peekaboo |
|---|---|---|
| See what starts on its own | Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X): Lists tasks and background items | Peekaboo: Every agent, daemon and helper, with the app it belongs to |
| Turn something off | Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X): Disable tasks; login items can only be deleted | Peekaboo: Turn Off and back on |
| Create your own tasks | Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X): Full launchd editor, as root in Pro | Peekaboo: Not offered; Routines run file tasks inside the app |
| Leftovers from deleted apps | Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X): Shown as tasks | Peekaboo: Flagged, with the App Uninstaller to remove them |
| Price and macOS | Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X): $23.99 one-time, free Lingon on the App Store; macOS 14 or later | Peekaboo: One-time per Mac after a 14-day trial; macOS 14 or later |
The honest verdict
If you write your own background jobs, schedule scripts or need root tasks, Lingon Pro is the better choice, and free Lingon may be all you need. If you just want to know what keeps starting with your Mac, which app it came from and switch it off, Peekaboo does that in Mac Health, next to the cleanup that removes what deleted apps left behind.
Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) vs Peekaboo: questions
What happened to Lingon X?
- Its developer says Lingon Pro is the new name for Lingon X. Lingon X owners who bought after January 1, 2020 can upgrade for $16.99.
How much is Lingon Pro?
- $23.99 one-time from the developer’s site, or $99.99 for a site licence, as of November 7, 2026. Free Lingon is on the Mac App Store. Both need macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Can Peekaboo create launch agents?
- No. Peekaboo shows and turns off what already starts on its own. To write your own launchd tasks, use Lingon.