Ghostty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 9.0. Ghostty wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Raycast on 2.
Developers on Mac or Linux who live in the terminal
Mac power users and developers who live on the keyboard
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Ghostty | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Category rank | #2 of 10 | #6 of 10 |
| Developer | Mitchell Hashimoto and contributors | Raycast Technologies |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Ghostty better than Raycast?
Ghostty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 9.0. Ghostty wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Raycast on 2.
Which is cheaper, Ghostty or Raycast?
Ghostty: Free and open source; optional donations go through the non-profit Hack Club. Raycast: Free core features; Pro $10/month or $96/year adds AI and Cloud Sync. On value for money, Ghostty scores higher.
Do Ghostty and Raycast work on the same devices?
Only Ghostty runs on Linux. Only Raycast runs on iPhone & iPad, Windows.
Which is more private, Ghostty or Raycast?
Ghostty scores higher on privacy (9.8/10). No account needed. Crash reports are saved locally and never sent anywhere automatically; you can share them yourself if you choose.
Strengths and weaknesses
Ghostty
- Fast GPU rendering with a native look
- Free, open source and run as a non-profit
- Hundreds of themes that follow light and dark mode
- No Windows app planned
- SSH hosts may need its terminfo installed
- AppleScript support is still a preview
Ghostty is a terminal emulator that refuses to choose between speed and polish. It renders on the GPU, uses real native tabs and splits on Mac and Linux, ships hundreds of themes that follow light and dark mode, and supports the Kitty graphics protocol and ligatures. Version 1.3 added scrollback search. It's free, MIT-licensed and run as a non-profit project. There's no Windows version, and remote SSH hosts may need its terminfo installed.
Full Ghostty review
Raycast
- Much faster and more capable than Spotlight
- Generous free tier covers most daily use
- Extension store connects many developer tools
- AI and Cloud Sync require a paid plan
- Top-tier AI models need the $20 Plus plan
- Windows version still lacks some Mac features
Raycast replaces Spotlight with a launcher that does far more: clipboard history, window management, snippets, quick math and a big store of community extensions. Version 2.0 added an AI core that runs multi-step tasks and lets you bring your own models, even local ones. Most of the launcher is free, while AI and Cloud Sync need Pro. The Windows and iPhone apps are useful but still behind the Mac.
Full Raycast review
