LaunchMenu vs Launchy
LaunchMenu
launchmenu.github.ioLaunchy
launchy.netSide by side
| Figure | LaunchMenu | Launchy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Start Menu Customization Software | 8.6 (#3) | 8.8 (#1) |
| Integrations | The developer page says completed applets can be uploaded to npm with the keyword launchmenu-applet to load into the applet ecosystem. | The official plugin list includes PuTTY sessions, Todoist, Windows Live Messenger, system power controls and task switching. |
| License | The GitHub repository identifies the project as MIT licensed. | SourceForge identifies the project as GNU General Public License version 2.0. |
| What it does | LaunchMenu is an open-source, keyboard-focused desktop utility platform that exposes utilities through applets. | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility that indexes programs and opens documents, project files, folders and bookmarks from keystrokes. |
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.
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.