# Alternatives to LaunchBar The original keyboard launcher. LaunchBar ranks #2 of 8 in App launchers, with an Alt Score of 73. It is sold as a one-time purchase and available on macOS. 8 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/launchbar/ Category: App launchers ## Where LaunchBar stands out - **One-time purchase option** — 2 of 8 apps with a verified answer have this - **Clipboard history** — 4 of 8 apps with a verified answer have this - **Snippets** — 4 of 8 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Mac users who want to control their computer primarily from the keyboard rather than the mouse and Dock/Finder, ranging from productivity-focused beginners to power users and scripters. - **What you get**: LaunchBar is a keyboard-driven launcher for macOS that lets you open apps, files, and folders by typing short abbreviations. It also does system-wide search, clipboard history, text snippets, a calculator, and quick access to contacts, calendar events, and reminders. It indexes the Mac's filesystem and various app data (bookmarks, Finder tags, etc.) so results appear instantly as you type. Custom actions can be built with AppleScript, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, or Python to trigger workflows beyond the built-in features. - **How it works**: Press a global keyboard shortcut to summon LaunchBar's input bar, then type an abbreviation of an app, file, contact, or search term; LaunchBar shows matching results live as you type. Press Return to open the top result, or use arrow keys/Tab to refine the selection or chain it into a further action (e.g., send a file to an app). ## Profile - **License**: ? - **Pricing model**: One-time (verified 2026-07-09) - **Starts at**: ? - **Platforms**: macOS - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-09) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Raycast](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/raycast.md) | 73 | ? | macOS, Windows, iOS, Browser extension | | 2 | [Alfred](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/alfred.md) | 68 | Proprietary | macOS | | 3 | [Albert](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/albert.md) | 64 | ? | macOS, Linux | | 4 | [Flow Launcher](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/flow-launcher.md) | 64 | MIT | Windows | | 5 | [ueli](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ueli.md) | 60 | MIT | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 6 | [PowerToys Run](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/powertoys-run.md) | 55 | MIT | Windows | | 7 | [Ulauncher](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ulauncher.md) | 55 | GPL-3.0 | Linux | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | App launchers checklist | LaunchBar | Raycast | Alfred | Albert | Flow Launcher | ueli | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | One-time | Freemium | One-time | Free | Free | Free | | Starts at | ? | $8/mo | £34 | Free | Free | Free | | License | ? | ? | Proprietary | ? | MIT | MIT | | Platforms | macOS | macOS, Windows, iOS, Browser extension | macOS | macOS, Linux | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux | | Extensions / plugins | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Clipboard history | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | | Snippets | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | | Calculator & conversions | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | | File search | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Window management | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | No | | Themes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | | Open source | ? | ? | No | No | Yes | Yes | | One-time purchase option | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | | Cross-platform | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ## Sources Sources for LaunchBar. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Pricing model**: One-time — (verified 2026-07-09) - Note: Perpetual Single/Family licences with paid version upgrades; no subscription is offered. Prices render via JavaScript and could not be read. - Quote: “The Single license permits either a single user to use the software on multiple computers or multiple users to use the software on a single computer.” - **Platforms**: macOS — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Runs on macOS Tahoe. Also compatible with macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura and Monterey” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-09) - Note: Current build supports the latest macOS release. - Quote: “Runs on macOS Tahoe. Also compatible with macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura and Monterey” - **Extensions / plugins**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Create custom .lbaction bundles that can contain scripts of different types (JavaScript, AppleScript, Shell script, Python, Ruby, …).” - **Clipboard history**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Seamless integration in LaunchBar's standard interface. Unique features such as stack operation (last-in/first-out), ClipMerge™, etc.” - **Snippets**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “a snippet manager, a jukebox, a calculator, a script runner” - **Calculator & conversions**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius” - **File search**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Powerful indexing engine, performs index updates in background” - **Themes**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Choice between several themes to customize the look of LaunchBar's search window” - **One-time purchase option**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “The Single license permits either a single user to use the software on multiple computers or multiple users to use the software on a single computer.” - **Cross-platform**: No — (verified 2026-07-09) - Quote: “Runs on macOS Tahoe. Also compatible with macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura and Monterey” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/