Alternatives to Albert
Plugin-based Linux launcher
Albert ranks #4 of 8 in App launchers, with an Alt Score of 64. It is free from Free and available on macOS and Linux. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Linux (and macOS) power users and developers who want to launch apps and run commands entirely from the keyboard rather than a mouse-driven menu or dock.
Albert is a fast, plugin-based keyboard launcher that indexes applications, files, and system actions for near-instant search. Its plugin architecture lets you extend it with things like web search, calculator functions, window switching, and custom scripts. It's open source, lightweight, and configurable through a simple settings UI and Python/C++ plugin APIs.
You trigger Albert with a global hotkey, type a query, and it shows matching apps, files, or plugin-provided actions ranked by relevance; pressing Enter runs the selected action.
Where Albert stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Albert
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the App launchers checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| App launchers checklist | Albert | LaunchBar | Raycast | Alfred | Flow Launcher | ueli |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Extensions / plugins | ||||||
| Clipboard history | ||||||
| Snippets | ||||||
| Calculator & conversions | ||||||
| File search | ||||||
| Window management | ||||||
| Themes | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| One-time purchase option | ||||||
| Cross-platform |
Every fact and feature listed for Albert is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-09
One of the main goals is to make Albert available to everyone, that's why it's free.
https://albertlauncher.github.io/donation/ -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-09
One of the main goals is to make Albert available to everyone, that's why it's free.
https://albertlauncher.github.io/donation/ -
Platforms macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-09
Prebuilt packages are available for Linux and macOS. Windows is not supported yet.
https://albertlauncher.github.io/installation/ -
Status active verified 2026-07-09
v34.0.10
https://github.com/albertlauncher/albert/releases -
Extensions / plugins Yes verified 2026-07-09
Albert is a plugin-based, desktop-agnostic C++/Qt keyboard launcher.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert/main/README.md -
Clipboard history Yes verified 2026-07-09
description": "Clipboard history""
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert-plugin-clipboard/main/metadata.json -
Snippets Yes verified 2026-07-09
description": "Copy text snippets to the clipboard""
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert-plugin-snippets/main/metadata.json -
Calculator & conversions Yes verified 2026-07-09
description": "Evaluate math expressions""
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert-plugin-calculator-qalculate/main/metadata.json -
File search Yes verified 2026-07-09
description": "File search""
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert-plugin-files/main/metadata.json -
Themes Yes verified 2026-07-09
A theme is an INI-style plain-text file containing grouped key–value pairs.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert-plugin-widgetsboxmodel/main/README.md -
Open source No verified 2026-07-09
Custom 'Albert license v1.1' — not OSI-approved (GitHub reports spdx_id NOASSERTION). It permits personal use and unmodified redistribution only.
Redistributions in binary form must not target Microsoft or Apple platforms
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/albertlauncher/albert/main/LICENSE.md -
One-time purchase option No verified 2026-07-09
One of the main goals is to make Albert available to everyone, that's why it's free.
https://albertlauncher.github.io/donation/ -
Cross-platform No verified 2026-07-09
Prebuilt packages are available for Linux and macOS. Windows is not supported yet.
https://albertlauncher.github.io/installation/
FAQ
Yes. Raycast, Flow Launcher and ueli have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Flow Launcher, ueli and PowerToys Run — every license claim links its source.