Beam vs Raycast
Beam and Raycast are both personal productivity tools. Beam is aimed at developers and creators, while Raycast is aimed at developers and freelancers. Raycast costs less, from $10/mo versus $12/mo for Beam. Both have a free plan.
Open individual windows from one Mac as native windows on another
Extensible launcher for macOS and Windows
| Pricing | Freemium · $12 | Freemium · $10 |
| Starting price | $12/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Creators, Freelancers, Small businesses | Developers, Freelancers |
| Platforms | macos | macos, windows, ios |
| Country | — | GB · 2020 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Beam if
Developers and creators with two Apple silicon Macs who want a remote app to behave like a local window instead of a full screen share.
- Uses one remote app without taking over the whole desktop
- Window traffic goes directly between your Macs, not through Beam's servers
- Free plan has no card requirement and no limit on host Macs
Look elsewhere if: People who need to reach Windows or Intel machines or control a whole remote desktop across platforms (Jump Desktop, Parsec).
Choose Raycast if
Mac power users and developers who live on the keyboard.
- Replaces several utilities in one hotkey
- Huge extension ecosystem
- Free tier covers most features
Look elsewhere if: Users content with Spotlight or who rarely use shortcuts.
Beam vs Raycast pricing
Beam
- Free$0Host unlimited Macs, join share links, 20 minutes a day of use
- Monthly$12/moUnlimited use on every Mac you own, send share links
- Yearly$84/yrSame as Monthly; works out to $7/mo billed annually
- Lifetime$199One-time payment, all future updates, direct connections
- Team$12/seat/moOr $84/seat/yr; 20% off from 10 seats, one invoice
Raycast
- Free$0Launcher, extensions, clipboard history, snippets; no AI
- Pro$10/mo$96/yr; 500 AI credits/mo; team seat $15/user/mo
- Pro+$20/mo$192/yr; 3,000 AI credits/mo, advanced models
- Max$50/mo$480/yr; 7,500 AI credits/mo, advanced models
Beam · Key features
- Single windows from another Mac open as native windows with Dock and Command-Tab entries
- Beam several windows at once or share an entire display
- Direct typing, shortcuts, two-way resizing, app audio and clipboard sync
- Works with headless Mac minis and Mac Studios that have no display
- Encrypted Mac-to-Mac connection on local Wi-Fi or over Tailscale
- Guest share links open one window in any browser, view-only by default
Cons
- macOS only, with Apple silicon and Sonoma or later required on both Macs
- Free use is capped at 20 minutes a day
- Devices without the Mac app, such as phones, only get browser links
Raycast · Key features
- Launcher with fuzzy search and aliases
- Clipboard history, snippets and quicklinks
- Window management and system commands
- Extension store with 2,000+ integrations
- Raycast AI chat, commands and model selection
- Notes, focus sessions and cloud sync (Pro)
Cons
- Mac-first; Windows still maturing
- AI features require Pro
- Some extensions depend on third-party APIs
Beam vs Raycast: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Beam or Raycast?
Raycast starts at $10/mo and Beam at $12/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Beam and Raycast have a free plan?
Yes, both Beam and Raycast have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Beam or Raycast?
Beam lists small businesses as a core audience, while Raycast is aimed more at developers and freelancers.