Raycast
A blazingly fast productivity launcher for macOS power users
About Raycast
Raycast is a blazingly fast, totally extendable launcher for macOS that replaces Spotlight and then some. At its core, it lets you search apps, files, and system commands instantly, but its real power lies in its extension ecosystem. With hundreds of community-built extensions, you can manage GitHub PRs, control Spotify, search npm packages, translate text, manage clipboard history, and run custom scripts without ever leaving your keyboard. Raycast includes a built-in window manager, snippet expander, and floating notes. Its AI integration lets you chat with AI models, generate code, and summarize text right from the launcher bar. The Pro plan adds AI features, cloud sync for settings and snippets across devices, and custom themes. Built with native Swift for macOS, it feels snappier than any Electron-based alternative. The extension API uses React and TypeScript, making it approachable for web developers who want to build their own tools.
Key Features
- Extensible command palette with thousands of extensions
- Built-in clipboard history and snippet manager
- Window management and app switching
- AI-powered chat and commands
- Script commands for custom workflows
- Floating notes and quicklinks
- Confetti celebration for completed tasks
Pros & Cons
What we like
- Incredibly fast and responsive native Mac app
- Huge extension ecosystem built by the community
- Replaces multiple utilities in one tool
- Beautiful UI with dark and light themes
- Free tier is extremely generous
Room for improvement
- macOS only, no Windows or Linux support
- Pro plan required for AI features
- Can be overwhelming with too many extensions installed
- Some extensions are community-maintained and vary in quality
