Dropzone vs Launchy
Dropzone
aptonic.comLaunchy
launchy.netSide by side
| Figure | Dropzone | Launchy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 2 |
| Spec score · App Launcher Software | 8.9 (#2) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Spec score · App Launchers | 9.0 (#4) | 9.1 (#3) |
| Spec score · App launchers | 9.0 (#4) | 9.0 (#3) |
| Documentation depth | The public developer documentation covers action creation, debugging, dragged types, Python support, metadata, Ruby gems and distribution. | Help consists of a bundled Readme PDF, API pages with event documentation and SourceForge forums and trackers. |
| Independent review praise | Macworld praised convenient menubar folder shortcuts, temporary Drop Bar storage and keyboard shortcuts for folders and apps. | VIDI Lab found Launchy faster and simpler than the Windows Start menu, with useful calculator, Control Panel and web-search plugins. |
| Maker identity | The Mac App Store identifies the seller as Aptonic LLC. | The official pages credit Josh Karlin and show Code Jelly in the copyright notice. |
| Notable news | Aptonic announced Dropzone 5's release on March 21, 2026, describing a redesigned macOS Tahoe interface and multiple grids. | Launchy 2.5 was announced on April 3, 2010 with OS X support, faster performance, Linux improvements, tray icon, shortcuts and simplified skins. |
| Support | Aptonic offers email support at [email protected], community forums, registration guidance and serial retrieval. | The help page directs users to the distributed Readme.pdf and Launchy forums for support. |
| What it does | Dropzone is a Mac productivity app for drag-and-drop file transfers, application launching, sharing and service uploads. | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility that indexes programs and opens documents, project files, folders and bookmarks from keystrokes. |
Plans
Dropzone
- FreeFree
- Pro MonthlyPrice not published
- Pro YearlyPrice not published
- Pro LifetimePrice not published
- Dropzone 5 free downloadFree
- FreeFree
- Dropzone 5 Pro subscription$1.99 a month
- Dropzone 4 Pro Monthly$4.99 a month
- Dropzone 4 Pro Yearly$19.99 a year
- Dropzone 4 Pro Lifetime$34.99, paid once
In their own words
Dropzone
Dropzone is a macOS app for drag-and-drop workflows, file transfers, application launches, and service integrations. Built-in actions rename, move, and copy files, share through AirDrop, and launch apps. Other actions resize or compress images, download videos, and shorten URLs. Drop Bar temporarily holds files for later dragging to applications or Dropzone actions. Dropzone 5 supports multiple grids, with controls for columns, size, and action arrangement. Its dz command-line tool can run actions, add files to Drop Bar, and switch grids. Users can install add-on actions or create their own in Ruby or Python. Listed service actions include SFTP, Amazon S3, and Imgur; SFTP and Amazon S3 uploads are Pro features. The Free plan includes a customizable app, folder, and action grid, multiple grids, and Drop Bar. Dropzone 5 Pro costs $1.99 a month after a 14-day free trial, or 35.00 USD once for a lifetime license. The app requires macOS 13 or later and supports Tahoe.
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.