Raycast
Keyboard-first launcher turning your Mac into an AI-native OS with 2,000+ extensions.
Raycast is the launcher for anyone who wants an AI-native OS experience. The free tier is outstanding, Pro is fairly priced at $8/mo annual, and Glaze could be a killer feature now that it's generally available. Windows users should wait for feature parity, and if you're strictly mouse-oriented, this isn't for you. Compare against Alfred (less extensible, no AI) and Spotlight (basic, no extensions).
Verified 8d ago · liveness 97/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/raycast
- Developers who want to search code, manage repos, and run scripts without leaving the keyboard
- Designers using Figma, Notion, and CleanShot X who want a unified launcher
- Project managers tracking tasks in Linear/Jira/Todoist from a central command bar
- Power users automating workflows with snippets, quicklinks, and AI commands
- Users who prefer traditional GUI and mouse-based workflows
- Those who only need a basic app launcher and don't use extensions
- Organizations requiring strict on-premise AI with no cloud API
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Skip Raycast if you prefer mouse-driven workflows, need on-premise AI strictly, or are a Windows user who requires full feature parity today.
Going past 50 free AI messages requires a Pro subscription at $8/mo annual or $10/mo monthly.
Raycast's pricing fits individuals and small teams best: the Free tier is genuinely useful, Pro is justified for AI power users, and Teams Pro scales per-seat. It's cheaper than a full automation stack, though strictly AI-focused tools like ChatGPT Plus may offer more models per dollar.
In short
Raycast — Keyboard-first launcher turning your Mac into an AI-native OS with 2,000+ extensions. Best for Developers who want to search code, manage repos, and run scripts without leaving the keyboard, Designers using Figma, Notion, and CleanShot X who want a unified launcher, Project managers tracking tasks in Linear/Jira/Todoist from a central command bar. Free to start; paid plans from $88/mo.
What's new in Raycast
Checked 8 days agoAcross the latest 5 updates: 1 feature update, 3 launches and 1 changelog entry.
Meet Glaze: AI-powered desktop app builder now open to everyone
Glaze is now generally available, letting users create desktop apps via AI chat conversations.
The New Raycast: Cross-platform rewrite and next-gen macOS app
Raycast announces a major cross-platform rewrite and next-generation macOS app with performance and design updates.
Raycast Wrapped 2025 and File Search parity with Windows
Raycast ships annual Wrapped stats and updates File Search to match Windows feature set.
Raycast for Windows now in public beta
Raycast's Windows app is now available in public beta, extending its launcher to Windows users.
Raycast v1.103.0: macOS Tahoe compatibility and fixes
Adds macOS Tahoe support, including Liquid Glass controls in AI Chat, and fixes focus and auto-quit bugs.
Viability Score
How well maintained and how widely used is Raycast? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: August 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Keyboard-first launcher for apps, files, and web
- Extension Store with 2,000+ community integrations
- AI Chat with auto model selection
- Quick AI answers with web search
- Custom AI Commands for automation
- Bring your own AI model (Pro/Enterprise)
- Snippets for frequently used text
- Quicklinks to launch web URLs with shortcuts
- Clipboard history (3 months free, unlimited Pro)
- Window management (tiling, resizing)
- Native calculator, unit conversion, emoji picker
- Raycast Notes for quick capture
- Raycast Focus for Pomodoro timer
- Glaze app builder (AI chat creates desktop apps)
- Auto Transcribe meetings with Granola
About Raycast
Raycast is a fast, keyboard-first launcher for macOS (with a Windows public beta) that replaces Spotlight and a stack of utility apps with one unified command bar. Built for developers, designers, and power users, it blends ergonomic shortcuts with an extension store of thousands of tools for services like Linear, Notion, Spotify, and Slack. You can search files, manage windows, run scripts, and control apps like Spotify and Chrome without ever leaving the keyboard. The free tier alone covers clipboard history (3 months), snippets, quicklinks, calculator, window management, and access to all community extensions—a genuinely generous starting point. Raycast Pro adds AI where it's most useful: AI Chat with auto model selection, Quick AI answers with web search, and custom AI Commands to automate repetitive tasks. A 14-day free trial lets you test Pro features, and an Advanced AI add-on ($8/mo extra) unlocks top-tier models. Teams plans layer on shared snippets, quicklinks, and commands, plus admin controls like SAML and SCIM for larger organizations. Enterprise offers custom security features including AI allow-lists and IP restrictions. Recent updates have pushed Raycast further: Glaze, now generally available, lets anyone describe a desktop app and have it built via AI chat, and the macOS Tahoe update brings Liquid Glass controls to AI Chat. Auto meeting transcription via Granola, plus bring-your-own-model support, round out a tool that keeps evolving. Raycast positions itself as a modern alternative to Alfred and Spotlight—more extensible, with a richer extension library and integrated AI. If you live in a keyboard-first workflow, it's hard to beat.
Behind the Verdict
Raycast's core strength is how it fuses a launcher with an extension platform and AI. The free tier is unusually generous—clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks, window management, and all community extensions at no cost—making it a low-risk try. The extension store (2,000+ community integrations) means you can replace a dozen apps with one command bar, and the API lets anyone build new extensions. Pro pricing is reasonable for what you get: AI Chat, Quick AI with web search, AI Commands, and unlimited clipboard history. The Advanced AI add-on for top-tier models is a bit of a squeeze, but optional. Teams plans add shared snippets/commands and admin controls; Enterprise covers SAML/SCIM and IP restrictions. The Glaze app builder—now generally available—is the most exciting recent addition. You can describe a desktop app in plain language and have it built via AI, which could lower the barrier to custom tools dramatically. Auto Transcribe with Granola integrates meeting notes, and Bring Your Own Models / OpenRouter support gives advanced users control over which AI models they use. Weaknesses: it's strictly keyboard-first, so mouse-oriented users will fight it. AI features require Pro, and Windows is still in public beta without full parity. Those who need on-premise AI won't find it here. Setup is fast, but mastering commands takes time.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Raycast actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Managing GitHub issues and Linear tasks
Outcome: Search code, create issues, and update Linear from the command bar without leaving the editor
Compressing images and translating text
Outcome: Trigger TinyPNG on Finder selections and translate via Google Translate instantly
Tracking tasks in Notion and Todoist
Outcome: Search and create Notion pages, check Todoist tasks, and use AI Commands to summarize status updates
Use Cases
- Search and create Notion pages without leaving the keyboard
- Manage Jira issues and sprints entirely from Raycast
- Translate text via Google Translate without switching apps
- Start a Pomodoro timer and track intervals from the menu bar
- Compress images with TinyPNG directly from Finder
- Use AI to draft emails, code snippets, or summarize documents
- Auto-transcribe meetings and get summaries with Granola
- Quickly open and organize browser tabs via Arc or Chrome extensions
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-08-14
Limitations
- Raycast is a keyboard-first launcher, which may require a learning curve for mouse-oriented users.
- AI features require a Pro subscription, though a limited number of free messages are available to all users.
- The Free plan also has limitations on shared Snippets, Quicklinks, and Commands for teams.
- Windows support is currently in public beta and may lack full feature parity.
as of 2026-08-15
Verification history
We have re-verified Raycast 15 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
Showing the 6 most recent of 15 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Raycast tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/mo
Ideal for
Individuals exploring a launcher who need core utilities and community extensions without cost.
What this tier adds
Starting tier: includes clipboard history (3 months), snippets, quicklinks, and 50 AI messages.
Pro
$8/mo (annual) / $10/mo (monthly)
Ideal for
Power users or professionals who want AI features like Quick AI and AI Commands for daily productivity.
What this tier adds
Adds unlimited clipboard history, all AI features, custom themes, and Raycast Notes (5).
Teams Free
$0/user/mo
Ideal for
Small teams starting to share basic utilities without per-user costs.
What this tier adds
Free entry for teams: includes up to 5 shared commands, 30 quicklinks, and 30 snippets.
Teams Pro
$12/user/mo (annual) / $15/user/mo (monthly)
Ideal for
Growing teams needing shared commands, admin controls, and AI management across the org.
What this tier adds
Unlimited shared commands/quicklinks/snippets plus admin controls and AI Control Center.
Enterprise
Custom
Ideal for
Organizations with strict security, compliance, and SSO requirements.
What this tier adds
Adds SAML/SCIM, domain capture, 2FA enforcement, and allow-lists for extensions and IPs.
Advanced AI Add-on (for Pro and Teams Pro)
$8/mo (Pro) / $8/user/mo (Teams Pro)
Ideal for
Users who need access to the most capable AI models for complex tasks.
What this tier adds
$8/mo add-on unlocks top-tier models, unavailable during trial.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Raycast's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Raycast's pricing fits individuals and small teams best: the Free tier is genuinely useful, Pro is justified for AI power users, and Teams Pro scales per-seat. It's cheaper than a full automation stack, though strictly AI-focused tools like ChatGPT Plus may offer more models per dollar.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Raycast — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
Basic launcher setup is minutes—download, grant permissions, start launching apps. Pro features like AI and custom commands take a bit longer to configure, and Glaze app building can take a few hours to explore.
Switching to or from Raycast
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From Alfred: Install Raycast and import your workflows—community extensions cover most Alfred workflows.
- →From Spotlight: Start using Raycast for app launching and file search; add extensions gradually.
- ↗To Alfred: Export your snippets and quicklinks—similar concepts exist in Alfred workflows.
- ↗To a custom setup: Use Raycast's API to access your data, and export snippets/quicklinks as plain text.
Integrations
Resources & Guides
- Resourceraycast.com
Raycast Manual
The Raycast Manual – your shortcut to everything. From first launch to pro-level workflows, explore comprehensive guides to stay in flow across Mac, Windows, and iOS.
- Resourceraycast.com
Your shortcut to everything
A collection of powerful productivity tools all within an extendable launcher.
Tutorials & Learning
Official links
Tools that pair well with Raycast
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Raycast, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Alternatives to Raycast
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