Developer Productivity8 min read
Raycast vs Alfred for developers (2026)
Raycast vs Alfred for developers in 2026: platforms, pricing, AI, extensions, sync and privacy compared from each vendor's docs, and which fits your setup.
Launcher
Raycast
An extensible command launcher for macOS and Windows with built-in AI features.
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What it is
Raycast is a keyboard launcher: press a hotkey, type, and open apps, files, links, snippets or commands. On top of the launcher it ships clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks, a calculator, window management and notes, plus a store of extensions built with TypeScript, React and Node.
It runs on macOS and Windows. Raycast 2.0 left beta on both platforms on 25 August 2026. On the Mac, version 2 requires macOS Tahoe and Apple silicon. On Windows, Raycast supports Windows 10 21H2+ and Windows 11, and installs from the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Raycast says it is still bringing macOS features to Windows, so feature parity is not complete.
The free plan covers the launcher and most built-in tools. Raycast Pro adds Raycast AI (chat, Quick AI, AI commands, bring-your-own-key, MCP servers), Cloud Sync across Mac, Windows and iOS, and unlimited clipboard history.
For a side-by-side look at platforms, pricing, AI, extensions, sync and privacy against the Mac-only launcher Alfred, see Raycast vs Alfred for developers.
Pricing
| 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 |