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Raycast

by Raycast Technologies Ltd · Application

Extensible launcher for macOS (with Windows and iOS versions) combining app search, clipboard history, snippets, window management and a store of community extensions

MixedFreemiumPaidEnterpriseLocalCloud
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Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

Raycast is a keyboard-driven launcher for macOS from Raycast Technologies, with newer Windows and iOS clients. A single hotkey opens a command bar for launching apps, searching files, running calculations, managing windows, expanding snippets and recalling clipboard history. Its distinguishing feature is the extension platform: thousands of community extensions, written in TypeScript and React against a documented API and published through a public GitHub repository, add integrations for developer tools, project trackers, notes, music and web services.

The core app is free. A paid Pro tier adds Raycast AI (chat and inline commands with a choice of hosted models or your own API keys), cloud sync of settings, unlimited clipboard history, custom themes and other extras; Teams and Enterprise plans add shared commands, a private extension store and administrative controls.

Raycast is proprietary, although the extension catalog is open source. Its AI features depend on cloud providers, and the Windows client is younger than the macOS one.

Capabilities

  • App, file and command launcher
  • Clipboard history and text snippets
  • Window management commands
  • Community extension store with a TypeScript/React API
  • Optional AI chat and commands (Pro)
  • Team sharing of commands and quicklinks

Typical workflows

  1. Replace Spotlight for launching and searching
  2. Build a private extension for an internal API
  3. Share team snippets and quicklinks

Strengths

  • Large open-source extension ecosystem
  • Free core with a predictable upgrade path
  • Modern developer API for extensions

Limitations

  • Proprietary core application
  • AI and sync require a paid plan
  • Windows version is newer and less complete

Prerequisites

  • macOS (or Windows/iOS client)
  • Node.js for extension development

Who it is for

  • Developers and power users
  • Teams standardizing shortcuts and snippets

Alternatives & comparison

  • Alfred

    macOS launcher and productivity app whose paid Powerpack adds workflows, clipboard history, snippets and custom searches

    ProprietaryFreemium
  • Hammerspoon

    Open-source macOS automation app that exposes system APIs to a Lua configuration file for hotkeys, window management and event-driven scripts

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Keyboard Maestro

    Commercial macOS macro application that runs sequences of actions from hotkeys, typed strings, application, time, device and system triggers

    ProprietaryPaid
Compare Raycast with its alternatives →

Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

  • Official documentation
    Raycast Developer Documentation

    https://developers.raycast.com/

    Supports: capabilities, languages

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Official site
    Raycast

    https://www.raycast.com/

    Supports: name, summary, capabilities

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Pricing page
    Raycast Pricing

    https://www.raycast.com/pricing

    Supports: pricing_model

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Repository
    raycast/extensions

    https://github.com/raycast/extensions

    Supports: source_model

    checked Nov 1, 2026
Confidence
High
Reviewed
Nov 1, 2026
Links
Broken · Nov 2, 2026

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