Raycast vs Alfred: Which Mac Launcher Should You Use in 2026?

Raycast and Alfred both replace Spotlight with a launcher that does far more: open apps, find files, paste old clipboard items, expand text snippets and run your own automations, all from one keyboard shortcut. They overlap almost completely, so the Raycast vs Alfred question comes down to price model, how you like to customize, and which Mac you have.

We compared the current versions of each, Raycast 2 and Alfred 5 (with Alfred 6 on the way), feature by feature.

Quick verdict

• Choose Raycast if you’re on an Apple silicon Mac running macOS Tahoe or later and want the most capability for free. Clipboard history, snippets and window management are all in the free plan, and its extension store covers almost every popular app and service. Pay only if you want Raycast AI or sync.
• Choose Alfred if you prefer software you buy once, want everything to stay on your Mac with no account, or use an Intel Mac or an older version of macOS. Its Workflows remain one of the most flexible automation tools on the Mac.

If you only need to launch apps and find files, macOS Tahoe’s redesigned Spotlight may be enough on its own, and both Raycast and Alfred have free tiers to try before committing.

Raycast vs Alfred: comparison table

	Raycast	Alfred
Price model	Free; Pro, Plus and Max subscriptions add AI and sync	Free; Powerpack is a one-time license (lifetime-upgrade option available)
Extensions / workflows	Store with thousands of free extensions, built with React and TypeScript	Workflows (Powerpack), built in a visual editor with scripts in any language; community Gallery
Clipboard history	Free, kept for 3 months; unlimited with Pro	Powerpack, kept for up to 3 months
Snippets	Free, with keyword auto-expansion	Powerpack, with keyword auto-expansion
Window management	Built in and free; custom commands with Pro	Not built in; available through workflows
AI features	Raycast AI (Quick AI, AI Chat, multiple models) on paid plans	None built in; optional workflows using your own API key
Sync	Cloud sync with Pro	Preferences sync through a Dropbox or iCloud Drive folder (Powerpack); clipboard isn’t synced
Privacy / offline	Core features work locally; AI and sync use Raycast’s cloud and an account	Fully local; no account needed
Performance & requirements	Raycast 2 needs Apple silicon and macOS Tahoe or later	Very small and light; runs on Intel and Apple silicon, macOS Mojave or later
Other platforms	Windows version in public beta	Mac only

Price: free plans, subscriptions and one-time licenses

Both apps have a genuinely useful free version, but they draw the line in different places.

Raycast’s free plan is unusually generous. You get the launcher, the full extension store, clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks, a calculator, window management, and the ability to build your own extensions. Paid plans are subscriptions, billed monthly or yearly. Pro adds Raycast AI with a monthly allowance of AI credits, cloud sync, unlimited clipboard history and notes, custom themes, a translator and custom window management commands. Plus and Max raise the AI allowance and unlock top-tier models. There are also team plans.

Alfred’s free version covers app launching, file search, web searches, a calculator, dictionary lookups and system commands. The Powerpack unlocks the rest, including Workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file navigation, preference sync, the contacts viewer, the Music mini player and custom themes. It’s a one-time purchase. The standard license covers the current major version, and a Mega Supporter license includes free upgrades for life. Powerpack licenses bought now also include a free upgrade to Alfred 6.

If you hate subscriptions, Alfred wins. If you want to pay nothing at all and still get clipboard history and snippets, Raycast wins.

Extensions vs Workflows

This is where the two feel most different.

Raycast extensions are installed from the built-in Store with a click. There are thousands, covering GitHub, Linear, Jira, Notion, Spotify, 1Password, Google Translate, Homebrew, Docker and much more, and each one uses the same consistent interface. Developers build them with React and TypeScript, and Raycast also supports simple Script Commands in shell, Python and other languages.

Alfred Workflows are built in a visual editor where you connect blocks: a trigger such as a keyword or hotkey, actions, scripts and outputs. You can write scripts in Bash, Zsh, Python, AppleScript, JavaScript or anything else that runs on your Mac. Workflows can be shared as files, and Alfred hosts a curated Gallery. Alfred 6 adds a native UI toolkit so workflows can show their own interfaces.

Raycast is faster to get started with because you install ready-made extensions. Alfred is more flexible if you like to build your own automations without writing a full app.

Clipboard history and snippets

Both offer a searchable clipboard history and text snippets with auto-expansion. On Raycast, both are free. On Alfred, both need the Powerpack.

Raycast’s clipboard history stores text, images, colors and links, encrypts them on your Mac, and ignores passwords copied from password managers. Alfred stores text, images and file references, ignores Keychain Access and 1Password by default, and can merge several copies into one item. Alfred keeps history for up to three months; Raycast keeps three months on the free plan and unlimited history with Pro.

If clipboard history is your main reason to install either app, see our best clipboard managers for Mac, which also covers the history built into macOS Tahoe’s Spotlight.

Window management

Raycast includes window management for free: commands to move windows to halves, thirds, quarters or another display, each of which you can assign a hotkey. Pro adds custom window management commands, so you can define your own sizes and positions.

Alfred has no window management built in. You can add it with a workflow, or pair Alfred with a dedicated app like Rectangle from our best Mac apps list. macOS Sequoia and later also have basic window tiling built in.

AI features

Raycast AI is a major part of Raycast’s paid plans. Quick AI answers a question straight from the launcher, AI Chat is a full chat window with a choice of models from several providers, and AI Commands run saved prompts on selected text. Raycast 2 adds built-in dictation and AI chat with skills, agents and memory. Pro includes a monthly credit allowance, and you can bring your own API keys. AI requests are processed in the cloud, not on your Mac.

Alfred has no built-in AI assistant. You can add one through workflows that connect to an AI provider with your own API key, and Alfred’s developers describe AI in Alfred 6 as “fully optional,” with the model and key of your choice.

If you want AI in your launcher with no setup, Raycast is the clear pick. If you’d rather keep AI out entirely, Alfred makes that the default.

Sync, privacy and offline use

Raycast’s core features work offline and don’t need an account. Signing in is required for Raycast AI and cloud sync, which is a Pro feature. Clipboard history is stored encrypted on your Mac.

Alfred is local by design. There’s no account. With the Powerpack you can sync preferences, workflows and snippets between Macs by pointing Alfred at a folder in Dropbox, iCloud Drive or another sync service. Clipboard history stays on each Mac and isn’t synced.

Performance and compatibility

Alfred is a small native app with a download of only a few megabytes, and it’s known for opening instantly and using very little memory. Alfred 5 runs on macOS Mojave or later on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs.

Raycast is also fast, but it does more and uses more resources, especially with many extensions installed. The current version, Raycast 2, requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS Tahoe or later. That’s the biggest practical difference in 2026: on an Intel Mac or an older macOS version, Alfred is the safer choice.

Who should pick which?

Pick Raycast if you:

• Want clipboard history, snippets and window management without paying
• Prefer installing ready-made integrations over building your own
• Want AI built into your launcher
• Use an Apple silicon Mac on macOS Tahoe or later

Pick Alfred if you:

• Prefer a one-time purchase over subscriptions
• Want everything local with no account
• Like building custom automations with scripts
• Use an Intel Mac or an older version of macOS
• Want the lightest possible app

Tips for switching between Raycast and Alfred

1. Run both at first. Give the new launcher a different hotkey and use it alongside the old one for a week or two. Turn off clipboard history and snippets in one of them so they don’t both capture the same things.
2. Free up ⌘Space if you want it. To use ⌘ Command + Space for your launcher, open System Settings › Keyboard, click Keyboard Shortcuts, choose Spotlight, and turn off Show Spotlight search. Then set ⌘Space as the hotkey in Raycast or Alfred.
3. Move your snippets. Alfred exports snippet collections as .alfredsnippets files, which contain JSON. Raycast’s Import Snippets command accepts a JSON file with a name, text and optional keyword for each snippet, so a little reformatting moves them over. Make sure every snippet has a name, or the import fails.
4. Rebuild workflows as extensions. There’s no automatic converter. Search the Raycast Store for an equivalent first; for custom scripts, wrap them as Raycast Script Commands. Going the other way, most Raycast extensions have a matching Alfred workflow in the Gallery or community.
5. Recreate web searches. Alfred’s custom web searches map directly to Raycast Quicklinks, and vice versa.
6. Accept that clipboard history starts fresh. Neither app imports the other’s clipboard history.
7. Relearn a few shortcuts. Our list of Mac keyboard shortcuts covers the system shortcuts that work alongside either launcher.

Whichever you choose, you can’t really go wrong. Both are excellent, actively developed and far more capable than the launcher macOS ships with.