Alternatives to Raycast
Extensible launcher with an app store
Raycast ranks #1 of 8 in App launchers, with an Alt Score of 73. It is freemium from $8/mo and available on macOS, Windows, iOS and Browser extension. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Raycast is for Mac (and now Windows, in beta) power users — developers, designers, and other professionals — who want to control their computer and tools from the keyboard instead of clicking through apps.
A fast, keyboard-driven launcher that replaces Spotlight for opening apps, files, and system actions. An extension store with thousands of integrations (Linear, Notion, Slack, Jira, and more) lets you act on other tools without switching windows. Built-in features cover clipboard history, snippets, window management, quicklinks, and calendar access. It also bundles AI features like Quick AI, an AI chat, and an Automation Assistant for building custom commands.
You trigger Raycast with a keyboard shortcut (default Cmd+Space), type to search for an app, file, extension command, or AI query, then press Enter to run it — all without touching the mouse.
Where Raycast stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Raycast
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 | Raycast | LaunchBar | Alfred | Albert | 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 Raycast is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Starts at $8/mo verified 2026-07-09
$8 / month
https://raycast.com/pricing -
Pricing model Freemium verified 2026-07-09
Free, Forever.
https://raycast.com/pricing -
Platforms macOS, Windows, iOS, Browser extension verified 2026-07-09
iOS confirmed on raycast.com/ios; the browser extension on raycast.com/browser-extension. Linux is explicitly not offered.
We're hard at work bringing all the features from macOS to Windows.
https://raycast.com/windows -
Status active verified 2026-07-09
December 16, 2025
https://raycast.com/changelog -
Extensions / plugins Yes verified 2026-07-09
Browse and install extensions built by the community
https://raycast.com/store -
Clipboard history Yes verified 2026-07-09
The Clipboard History extension lets you find and use content that you copied earlier.
https://raycast.com/core-features/clipboard-history -
Snippets Yes verified 2026-07-09
Create, manage, and use custom snippets for faster typing, email responses, and coding.
https://raycast.com/core-features/snippets -
Calculator & conversions Yes verified 2026-07-09
Currencies, Conversions, Time Zones, and Math Expressions
https://raycast.com/core-features/calculator -
File search Yes verified 2026-07-09
Raycast's File Search extension is a powerful tool that allows you to easily find, manage, and open documents and files on your Mac.
https://raycast.com/core-features/file-search -
Window management Yes verified 2026-07-09
Move and resize application windows with Raycast's Window Management for Mac.
https://raycast.com/core-features/window-management -
Themes Yes verified 2026-07-09
Craft your own custom theme or choose one of hundreds from the community.
https://raycast.com/pro -
One-time purchase option No verified 2026-07-09
Only Free plus recurring monthly/annual Pro and Teams subscriptions; no perpetual licence tier.
$8 / month
https://raycast.com/pricing -
Cross-platform No verified 2026-07-09
macOS and Windows only (2 desktop OSes); Linux explicitly ruled out.
We currently don't have plans to bring Raycast to Linux.
https://raycast.com/faq
FAQ
Yes. Albert, 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.