Raycast vs Alfred for developers (2026)

Raycast and Alfred are keyboard launchers: press a hotkey, type a few letters, and open an app, a file, a snippet or a script. For developers in late 2026 the deciding facts are simple. Raycast runs on macOS and Windows and bundles AI into a subscription. Alfred is macOS-only, keeps a free core, and sells its power features as a one-time Powerpack licence. Raycast 2 needs macOS Tahoe on Apple silicon; Alfred 5 still runs on Intel Macs back to macOS 10.14.

How this comparison was made: it is built from each vendor's own documentation, changelogs and pricing pages, checked on 9 November 2026. It is not a hands-on test, so there are no timings, benchmarks or verdict here, only what each launcher documents and what it costs, and which setups each one fits on those facts.

LauncherRaycastAn extensible command launcher for macOS and Windows with built-in AI features. LauncherAlfredA macOS launcher with a free core and a one-time Powerpack for workflows, clipboard history and snippets.

At a glance

Prices and plans are from the vendors' own pages, checked on 9 November 2026. Alfred lists prices in pounds sterling only; its buy page shows no US dollar price.

Platforms: the Windows question

This is the biggest change since most Raycast vs Alfred comparisons were written.

Raycast is now cross-platform. Raycast for Windows entered public beta on 20 November 2025. Raycast 2.0, which Raycast's engineering blog calls "the first version that runs on both macOS and Windows", left beta on both platforms on 25 August 2026. Releases have shipped roughly weekly since, on both platforms together; version 2.11 landed on 4 November 2026. On Windows it installs from the Microsoft Store or with winget install raycast, and the FAQ lists Windows 10 21H2+ and Windows 11.

Raycast is open about the gaps. Its Windows page says the team is still "bringing all the features from macOS to Windows". Store extensions that do not need native code work on both platforms; for the rest, Raycast relies on the developer community to port them. Raycast's manual documents Script Commands and Cloud Sync on Windows, and AI Chat is part of Pro on Windows.

Raycast 2 raised the bar on the Mac. The download page says version 2 requires macOS Tahoe and Apple silicon, and that installing it replaces version 1. If your work Mac is Intel, or IT holds you on an older macOS, check this before planning a switch.

Alfred is a Mac app and stays one. Alfred 5 supports macOS 10.14 and later, on Intel and Apple silicon. The Alfred 6 preview says it remains a native macOS app, with support "as far back as we can offer (macOS 12+)".

If you split your week between a Mac and a Windows PC, only Raycast offers the same launcher on both, with Cloud Sync on Pro to carry snippets, quicklinks and other settings across.

Pricing: subscription vs one-time licence

The two vendors sell in different ways.

Raycast

Model	freemium
Paid plans from	$10/month (Pro), or $96/year
Notes	Free plan: clipboard history (3 months), snippets, quicklinks, calculator, window management; no AI or Cloud Sync. Pro adds Raycast AI (500 credits/month), Cloud Sync and unlimited clipboard history. Plus $20/month, Max $50/month. Teams Pro $15/user/month or $144/user/year. 50% student discount on Pro.
Checked	November 9, 2026

Plan	Monthly	Yearly	AI credits a month
Free	$0	$0	None (no Raycast AI)
Pro	$10	$96	500
Plus	$20	$192	3,000
Max	$50	$480	7,500

The free plan covers clipboard history (kept for three months), snippets, quicklinks, the calculator, window management, Notes and Store extensions. Pro adds Raycast AI, Cloud Sync, unlimited clipboard history, custom window management commands, custom themes, dictation, the translator and bring-your-own-key. Plus and Max raise the credit allowance and unlock the top-tier models. Monthly credits roll over for one extra billing cycle, and top-up packs are sold separately. Verified students get 50% off Pro, and eligible new accounts can start a free Pro trial. Team plans start with a free tier (up to 5 shared commands, 30 shared quicklinks and 30 shared snippets); Teams Pro is $15 per user a month, or $144 a year.

Alfred

Model	freemium
Paid plans from	£34 one-time (Powerpack Single License)
Notes	Core app is free. Powerpack Single License £34 (v5 licence; the vendor says buyers get a free upgrade to Alfred 6). Mega Supporter £59 with free lifetime upgrades. One-time licences, no subscription.
Checked	November 9, 2026

Alfred's core is free: app and file search, web and custom searches, the calculator, dictionary, system commands, Quick Look previews and Large Type. Everything most developers install a launcher for beyond that (workflows, clipboard history, snippets, Terminal commands, Universal Actions, file navigation) is in the Powerpack. A single licence is £34 and is labelled a v5 licence; Alfred's buy page says buyers get a free upgrade to Alfred 6. Mega Supporter, at £59, adds free lifetime upgrades.

The arithmetic depends on whether you want AI from your launcher. Without AI, Alfred's one-time Powerpack costs less than a year of Raycast Pro, and Raycast's free plan already includes clipboard history, snippets and window management. With AI, the comparison is Raycast's included credits against what your own API key would cost through an Alfred workflow, and that depends on your provider and how much you use it.

Extensions vs workflows

Both launchers are automation platforms with a search box on top. They take different routes.

Raycast: Script Commands and the Store

Script Commands are the quick path. You add a folder of scripts in settings, put a few metadata comments at the top of each file, and Raycast lists each one as a command. On macOS the manual lists AppleScript, bash, zsh, Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP and Swift. On Windows scripts run with whatever interpreter is on your PATH, and the manual names PowerShell, C#, Python, Node.js and Bash under WSL or Git Bash.

Extensions are full apps inside Raycast, built with TypeScript, React and Node and published to the Raycast Store. Teams can also publish to a private store. Raycast's engineering post says that since 2.0, Node.js is bundled with the app, so you no longer download it separately to install Store extensions. The app itself now runs on the same stack: a shared React and TypeScript frontend and a Node backend, with native hosts in Swift (macOS) and C# with WPF (Windows). That shared layer is why releases now arrive on both platforms together.

If you already write TypeScript and React, building a Raycast extension uses skills you have.

Alfred: Workflows

Alfred's Powerpack workflows are built in a visual editor by connecting objects: triggers such as hotkeys and keywords, then actions, scripts and outputs. The Run Script action offers the runtimes that ship, or have shipped, with macOS, and an external script can be in any language with a proper shebang. Alfred 5.5 (March 2024) added Grid, Text, Image and PDF views for richer workflow output. Ready-made workflows are on the Alfred Gallery, including several from the Alfred team aimed at developers: Read the Friendly Manual (man pages), Simple Diff (text, files and directories) and Where's the Binary (the full path to executables on your PATH).

Alfred 6 is set to add Alfred UI, which Alfred describes as a native macOS UI toolkit for building interfaces inside workflows.

AI features

Raycast AI is part of the paid plans. It covers AI Chat, Quick AI (ask from anywhere), AI Commands (saved prompts on a shortcut) and AI Extensions, which connect other tools to AI. Bring-your-own-key lets you use your own Claude or ChatGPT access without spending Raycast credits, and local models run through Ollama. Raycast AI can also connect to MCP servers, over local stdio or remote HTTP, which the manual marks as a Pro feature. Credits are metered per plan, as listed above.

Alfred 5 has no built-in AI. The supported route is the Alfred team's ChatGPT workflow on the Alfred Gallery, which chats with ChatGPT and generates images with DALL-E. It requires your own OpenAI API key, added in the workflow's configuration, and workflows are a Powerpack feature. Alfred 6 promises AI integration that is "fully optional and flexible", where you choose the LLM and use your own API key.

The difference is in the model. Raycast sells AI as a bundled service with metered credits, plus the option of your own key. Alfred treats AI as an optional add-on that you supply and pay for directly.

Sync

Raycast Cloud Sync is a Pro feature, labelled beta in Raycast's manual. It syncs quicklinks, snippets, notes, AI chats, AI commands, MCP servers, themes, window layouts and extensions (enabled per device), among other settings, and the manual describes a snippet added on a Mac being ready on a Windows machine. Clipboard history, passwords and screenshots do not sync. The iOS app syncs AI chats, notes, snippets and quicklinks with Pro.

Alfred syncs its settings between Macs through a file-syncing service you already use, such as Dropbox. This is a Powerpack feature.

Privacy

Alfred says it "doesn't track your searches and doesn't share your usage data with us", and that it only connects to the internet to activate your Powerpack licence and check for updates. Both connections can be turned off. Settings sync goes through the file-syncing service you pick.

Raycast describes a local-first design, but accounts, Pro, team and AI features can send data to its cloud or to AI providers, and its privacy policy says it stores personal data mainly in the United States. Synced data is encrypted on your device, in transit and on Raycast's servers. For AI, the policy says Raycast configures providers, where available, so that inputs and outputs are not used for training and are not retained, and that Raycast does not keep inputs after outputs are generated, with exceptions such as Cloud Sync. If no AI request should leave your machine, Raycast's local-model option through Ollama or Alfred's no-AI default are the documented routes.

Which one fits you

These follow from the documented features and prices above, not from hands-on use.

• You use Windows at all, at work or at home: only Raycast is an option. Alfred does not run there.
• Your Mac is Intel, or below macOS Tahoe: Alfred's current release supports it; Raycast 2 will not install.
• You want a one-off licence, not a subscription: Alfred with the Powerpack, or Raycast's free plan if you do not need AI, Cloud Sync or unlimited clipboard history.
• You want AI in the launcher without managing API keys: Raycast Pro or higher, which include AI credits. Alfred's AI routes all use your own key.
• You want clipboard history and snippets for free: Raycast's free plan includes both. In Alfred they need the Powerpack.
• You want settings sync through a file-syncing service you already use, rather than a vendor cloud: Alfred.
• You already write TypeScript and React: Raycast extensions use that stack.
• You prefer wiring automations visually: Alfred's workflow editor.

Both have a free tier, so the cheapest check is to install the one that fits your platform from the vendor: download Raycast or download Alfred.

Frequently asked questions

Does Raycast work on Windows?

Yes. Raycast for Windows entered public beta on 20 November 2025, and Raycast 2.0 left beta on Windows and macOS on 25 August 2026. Raycast supports Windows 10 21H2+ and Windows 11 and installs from the Microsoft Store or WinGet. It says it is still bringing macOS features to Windows.

Is Alfred available for Windows?

No. Alfred is a macOS app. Alfred 5 supports macOS 10.14 and later on Intel and Apple silicon Macs, and Alfred says Alfred 6 will remain a native macOS app.

Is Raycast free?

The free plan includes the launcher, clipboard history (kept for 3 months), snippets, quicklinks, a calculator, window management and Notes. Raycast AI, Cloud Sync and unlimited clipboard history need Pro, at $10 a month or $96 a year (checked 9 November 2026).

Is the Alfred Powerpack a subscription?

No. The Powerpack is a one-time licence: £34 for a single Alfred 5 licence, which Alfred says includes a free upgrade to Alfred 6, or £59 for Mega Supporter with free lifetime upgrades (checked 9 November 2026).

Does Raycast 2 run on Intel Macs?

No. Raycast's download page says version 2 requires macOS Tahoe and Apple silicon. Alfred 5 still supports Intel Macs.