Raycast vs sideOS
Raycast and sideOS are both personal productivity tools. Raycast is aimed at developers and freelancers, while sideOS is aimed at freelancers and developers. Only Raycast has a free plan.
Extensible launcher for macOS and Windows
Voice-driven Mac agent in the notch with local dictation and meetings
| Pricing | Freemium · $10 | Paid |
| Starting price | $10/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Freelancers | Freelancers, Developers, Small businesses |
| Platforms | macos, windows, ios | macos |
| Country | GB · 2020 | — |
| Rating | — | — |
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.
Choose sideOS if
Mac professionals who want a private voice agent, dictation and meeting notes in one app they pay for once.
- One-time licence with all future updates and no subscription
- No account and no sideOS server between you and the model
- Dictation and meeting transcription stay on the Mac
Look elsewhere if: Windows or mobile users and teams that need shared meeting notes or admin controls (Granola, Raycast).
Raycast vs sideOS pricing
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
sideOS
- Lifetime licence$89.90One-time; one Mac at a time, every future update included
- AI model usageVariesPaid to your own provider, about 2 to 5 cents per command
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
sideOS · Key features
- Hold-to-talk agent that reads the screen, clicks, types and runs AppleScript
- On-device dictation into any app in 62 languages at no extra cost
- Meeting recording for Zoom, Meet and Teams with on-device Whisper and speakers
- Background tasks with web search, file access and approved shell commands
- Reminders that can complete a task before they fire
- One-click MCP connections for Gmail, Calendar, Notion, Slack and GitHub
Cons
- Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later only
- Agent use adds API costs unless you run a local model
- No free trial or refund window stated on the site
Raycast vs sideOS: FAQ
Do Raycast and sideOS have a free plan?
Raycast has a free plan. sideOS has no free plan.
Which is better for small businesses, Raycast or sideOS?
sideOS lists small businesses as a core audience, while Raycast is aimed more at developers and freelancers.