Aston vs Launchy
Aston
astonshell.ruLaunchy
launchy.netSide by side
| Figure | Aston | Launchy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Start Menu Customization Software | 8.1 (#6) | 8.8 (#1) |
| Purpose | Aston replaces the standard Windows desktop with a customizable shell. | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility for replacing the start menu, desktop icons and file manager. |
| Support | The support center directs users to product FAQs, forums, and technical or sales contact forms. | The help page directs users to the distributed Readme.pdf and Launchy forums for support. |
Plans
In their own words
Launchy
Launchy is a free utility for opening programs, files, folders, and websites with a few keystrokes. It indexes start-menu programs and can search directories and file types that users add. It stays in the background until the hotkey is pressed: Alt+Space by default, or Control+Space on Linux. Users can customize its appearance with skins and extend it through plugins for web searches, calculations, custom commands, and bookmark access. Other listed plugin examples include PuTTY sessions, task switching, and system power controls; these are made by other developers, and Launchy does not guarantee their functionality or behavior. Portable mode stores configuration files in the directory where Launchy runs, so it can be used from a USB stick. The bundled Calcy calculator supports addition, division, subtraction, multiplication, and parentheses. The listed platforms are Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Launchy is free to download with no fixed price; the listed recommended value is $10 USD, and the plan notes suggest considering a $3 contribution.