Aston vs LaunchMenu
Aston
astonshell.ruLaunchMenu
launchmenu.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Aston | LaunchMenu |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Start Menu Customization Software | 8.1 (#6) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Customization | Users can customize the menu, desktop, panels, themes, and skins. | The site describes customizable applet settings and themes, and says settings can be imported and exported. |
| Search | Integrated search finds items on local disks and information on the Internet. | Menus support recursive search, pattern filters, fuzzy matching, and ranking based on use frequency. |
| Security | The maker describes Aston Secure Desktop as a separate version for restricting settings changes, application access, and computer-use time. | The opened maker pages did not state security certifications, compliance standards, or security practices. |
Plans
In their own words
LaunchMenu
LaunchMenu is a free, open-source launcher that provides utilities called applets through a keyboard-oriented interface. Its menus support recursive fuzzy search, pattern filters, and prioritization of frequently used items. Users can navigate with arrow keys, activate primary actions with Enter, and open context menus with Tab; controls can be customized. Multi-select allows compatible actions to be applied to several items together. Applets include a dictionary, notes, file manager, internet search, calculator, translator, snippets, time tracker, and calendar. Users can adjust applet settings and themes, import or export settings, and manage official or third-party applets. LaunchMenu runs on macOS and Windows. The site identifies Windows as the primary development and test platform, while Mac testing has been less extensive. Linux support is planned and has not yet been worked on. Developers can build applets using TypeScript and React, compile them into LaunchMenu-ready packages, and upload completed applets to npm with the launchmenu-applet keyword. The listed free plan costs nothing.