Alfred vs Raycast
Alfred
alfredapp.com
Raycast
raycast.comSide by side
| Figure | Alfred | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 20 |
| Spec score · App Launcher Software | 9.2 (#1) | 8.9 (#3) |
| Spec score · Menu Bar Apps | 9.3 (#1) | 8.8 (#2) |
| Spec score · App Launchers | 9.2 (#2) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Spec score · App launchers | 9.2 (#2) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Clipboard history | Powerpack clipboard history stores copied text, images and file links in a searchable viewer, with retention choices of 24 hours, 7 days, 1 month or 3 months. | Clipboard History lets users retrieve previously copied content, with three months included on Free and unlimited history on paid plans. |
| Integrations | Official documentation covers 1Password bookmarks; URLs remain accessible to Alfred while passwords stay protected in 1Password. | Official examples include Linear, Google Translate, Spotify, Arc, TinyPNG, 1Password, Jira, Slack, Zoom, Notion, Todoist, Google Chrome, Obsidian and CleanShot X. |
| Licence | The core software is proprietary freeware: users may use it personally, educationally or commercially but may not redistribute or modify it without permission. | The Raycast application is proprietary and closed source, while its extensions are open source. |
| Limit: learning curve | G2 reviewers say workflows and the large feature set can feel complex or overwhelming to learn. | A G2 reviewer reports that mastering the many keyboard shortcuts creates a steep learning curve. |
| Praise: extensibility | G2 users praise customizable workflows, plugins and integrations such as Chrome bookmarks and 1Password-related tools. | G2 reviewers praise the large extension library and the ability to build custom React-based extensions. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings | 4.5 out of 5 from 250 ratings |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 34 reviews | 4.7 out of 5 from 16 reviews |
| Security | Alfred runs as a user-level process, and lower-level access such as Accessibility for text expansion is isolated in a separate process; workflows may contact servers or APIs. | Enterprise features include SOC 2 compliance, annual penetration testing, GDPR alignment and CCPA readiness. |
| Snippets | Powerpack snippets provide reusable text clips and automatic keyword-based text expansion. | Snippets expand reusable text from keywords to reduce repetitive typing. |
| What it does | Alfred is a macOS productivity launcher using hotkeys, keywords and text expansion to search the Mac and web and run custom actions. | Raycast is a keyboard-first launcher combining apps, files, commands, workflows and productivity tools in one interface. |
Plans
Alfred
- Alfred coreFree
- Single License$34, paid once
- Single License£34, paid once
- Mega Supporter$59, paid once
- Mega Supporter£59, paid once
Raycast
- FreeFree
- Raycast FreeFree
- Raycast Teams FreeFree
- Teams FreeFree
- Pro$10 a month
- Raycast Pro$10 a month
- Raycast Teams Pro$15 a month
- Teams Pro$15 a month
- Pro+$20 a month
- Raycast Pro+$20 a month
In their own words
Alfred
Alfred is a macOS productivity app for launching apps, finding files and web results, and controlling a Mac with hotkeys, keywords, and custom actions. Its search adapts to how someone uses the Mac and prioritizes results. The free core app covers app launching and file searching. Powerpack adds Clipboard History for copied text, images, and file paths, plus Snippets that expand short keywords into saved text. It also provides workflows for connecting objects and automating tasks, and file actions such as previewing, moving, copying, emailing, or revealing files in Finder. Workflows can connect to apps and services, including through APIs, and can be started by hotkey, keyword, or Alfred Remote button. Preferences can sync between Macs using Dropbox or a similar service. The maker says preferences, usage, and settings stay on the Mac, though workflows may contact servers or APIs. Alfred 5.8.1 is listed for macOS 10.14 or later on 64-bit Intel and Apple Silicon. The Single License costs £34 once for one user on two of their own Macs for the current version.
Raycast
Raycast is a set of productivity tools organized around an extendable launcher, where a keyboard-focused interface opens tools and runs workflows. Built-in features include Clipboard History, Calendar, Window Management, Snippets, Quicklinks, Notes, file search and Calculator. Its Store offers community-made extensions, with examples for Linear, Slack, Notion, Google Translate, Spotify, 1Password and Jira. Developers can build integrations with an extension API, and Teams can publish private extensions. Raycast AI includes chat, quick AI actions, agents, commands and extensions, and supports models from multiple providers. The free plan includes core features and thousands of extensions, with Clipboard History limited to three months and Notes to five. Pro costs $10 a month and includes 500 AI credits each month, cloud sync, dictation, custom themes, Translator, and unlimited Clipboard History and Notes. Raycast is available on macOS, Windows, iOS and iPadOS, but not Android. Its browser extension supports Chromium-based browsers, Safari and Firefox. Eligible new accounts can start a seven-day Pro trial; advanced AI models are excluded.