Raycast is a personal productivity tool for Developers and Freelancers, offered as freemium ($10/mo). Based in United Kingdom, founded in 2020. Popular alternatives include ShogunAI, sideOS, Obsidian.
About Raycast
Raycast is an extensible launcher and productivity tool built by Raycast Technologies, a London-based company. On the Mac it replaces Spotlight with a keyboard-driven command bar that launches apps and files, and it bundles many small utilities that power users usually install separately: clipboard history, text snippets, window management, a calculator and unit converter, calendar, quicklinks, emoji search and system commands. An iOS app arrived in 2025, and a Windows version entered public beta in November 2025.
Its store offers thousands of community extensions built with React and TypeScript, covering tools such as GitHub, Linear, Jira, Slack, Notion, Spotify and cloud consoles, so many tasks can be done without opening the app itself. The free plan covers the launcher, extensions, clipboard history, snippets and window management. Pro adds Raycast AI with monthly AI credits, chat, AI commands, cloud sync, custom themes and unlimited notes, Pro+ and Max add advanced frontier models and more credits, and team plans let companies share extensions, snippets and quicklinks.
Raycast fits developers and Mac power users who live on the keyboard and want to remove friction from dozens of daily actions. It is Mac-first, with the Windows version still catching up, AI features require a subscription, some extensions depend on third-party APIs, and getting the most out of it takes setup. Alfred is the long-standing paid alternative, Spotlight has improved in recent macOS versions, and PowerToys Run covers basic launching on Windows.
Key features of Raycast
- 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)
Pros and cons
Pros
- Replaces several utilities in one hotkey
- Huge extension ecosystem
- Free tier covers most features
- Polished, fast and well designed
Cons
- Mac-first; Windows still maturing
- AI features require Pro
- Some extensions depend on third-party APIs
- Power features need setup time
Raycast pricing
Raycast uses a freemium model.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Launcher, 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 |
Source: www.raycast.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
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How Raycast compares in Personal productivity
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 49
- Starting price
- $10
- Free alternatives
- 6
0 votes from members
1% above the category median ($10/mo)
Free or open-source tools in Personal productivity
Raycast ranks #1 of 49 personal productivity tools by community votes and is priced in line with the category.
Common use cases
- 1Developer jumping between Linear, GitHub and Slack from the keyboard
- 2Clipboard and snippet management for writing
- 3Quick AI queries without opening a browser
- 4Window tiling and system control
Best for
Mac power users and developers who live on the keyboard.
Not ideal for
Users content with Spotlight or who rarely use shortcuts.
Integrations
- GitHub
- Linear
- Jira
- Notion
- Slack
- Google Workspace
- Spotify
- 1Password
- 2,000+ extensions
Our take
Raycast is the best launcher on Mac and the free tier is enough to transform your workflow. Pro is worth it if you want AI at a hotkey.
FAQ
- What is Raycast?
- Raycast is a Personal productivity tool: Extensible launcher for macOS and Windows.
- How much does Raycast cost?
- Raycast uses a Freemium model; paid plans start at $10 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to Raycast?
- Community-listed alternatives to Raycast include ShogunAI, sideOS, Obsidian, Beam.
- What does Raycast integrate with?
- Raycast integrates with GitHub, Linear, Jira, Notion, Slack, Google Workspace and more.
- Which platforms does Raycast support?
- Raycast is available on macos, windows, ios.
- Who is Raycast for?
- Mac power users and developers who live on the keyboard.
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