Raycast review
Fast, extensible launcher that replaces Spotlight
- Raycast Technologies
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone & iPad, Mac, Windows
Does it deserve #4?
The verdict
Raycast replaces Spotlight with a launcher that does far more: clipboard history, window management, snippets, quick calculations and a large store of community extensions for tools like GitHub, Linear and Jira. It is fast and keyboard-driven, and most of it is free. Raycast Pro adds AI chat with models from several labs, cloud sync and more. It is built for the Mac first, and other platforms are less mature.
- Clipboard history and snippets
- Built-in window management
- Large extension store
- AI chat with Pro
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What we like
- Much faster and more capable than Spotlight
- Generous free tier covers most daily use
- Extension store connects many developer tools
What could be better
- AI and cloud sync require a Pro plan
- Mac version is well ahead of other platforms
Mac power users and developers who live on the keyboard
you rarely use keyboard shortcuts or want a plain app launcher
Questions about Raycast
Is Raycast free?
Yes, the core launcher, extensions, clipboard history, snippets and window management are free for personal use. Raycast Pro adds AI features, cloud sync, unlimited clipboard history and custom themes.
Can Raycast replace Spotlight?
Yes, you can set Raycast to open with Command-Space, and it handles app launching, file search and calculations while adding much more on top.
What are the best alternatives to Raycast?
The closest alternatives are Warp, Visual Studio Code and GitHub. See all of them ranked on our Raycast alternatives page.
Where does Raycast rank?
Raycast ranks #4 of 8 in our Developer Tools ranking, with an overall score of 8.8 out of 10.