Launchy vs True Launch Bar
Launchy
launchy.netTrue Launch Bar
truelaunchbar.comSide by side
| Figure | Launchy | True Launch Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · App Launchers | 9.1 (#3) | 8.4 (#9) |
| Spec score · App launchers | 9.0 (#3) | 8.7 (#6) |
| Spec score · App Launcher Software | 8.6 (#6) | 8.3 (#11) |
| Hotkeys | The default hotkey is Alt+Space, with Control+Space used in Linux. | Menus and shortcuts can be assigned keyboard hotkeys through the hotkey manager. |
| Integrations | The official plugin list includes PuTTY sessions, Todoist, Windows Live Messenger, system power controls and task switching. | The feature list names integration with StartKiller, which can open a True Launch Bar menu in place of the Start menu. |
| Notable news | Launchy 2.5 was announced on April 3, 2010 with OS X support, faster performance, Linux improvements, tray icon, shortcuts and simplified skins. | Version 8.0 was announced as freeware on December 1, 2022. |
| Plugins | Launchy has a plugin architecture with plugins for web searches, Firefox bookmarks, calculations, custom commands and more. | The vendor lists dozens of plugins including mail monitoring, weather, news, media control, system monitoring, clipboard management and virtual desktops. |
| Purpose | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility for replacing the start menu, desktop icons and file manager. | True Launch Bar is a Windows Quick Launch replacement for organizing shortcuts and files in customizable taskbar menus. |
| Rating on Softpedia | 2 out of 5 from 1 review | 5 out of 5 from 1 editorial review |
| Skins | Users can install and edit skins through skin.qss and misc.txt files, and the project links to a community skin gallery. | Buttons and menus are skinable, and users can download or create skins using the documented folder and INI format. |
| Support | The help page directs users to the distributed Readme.pdf and Launchy forums for support. | The license page says registered software receives free updates and free support. |
| What it does | Launchy is a free cross-platform utility that indexes programs and opens documents, project files, folders and bookmarks from keystrokes. | True Launch Bar replaces Windows Quick Launch with customizable taskbar menus for applications, files and folders. |
Plans
True Launch Bar
- True Launch BarFree
- True Launch Bar 8.0 freewareFree
- Legacy registration$19.90, paid once
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.
True Launch Bar
True Launch Bar has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.