- Pick it if you are:
- Mac power users who want speed; People who hate subscriptions
- Top complaint:
- Alfred can't find files or apps that exist on the Mac
- Price:
- Free plan
- Pick it if you are:
- Mac developers; Keyboard-first power users
- Top complaint:
- Raycast hotkey not working or not opening
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $10/mo
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Alfred
- Alfred can't find files or apps that exist on the Mac(7/10)
- Alfred clipboard history not saving clips(5/10)
- Alfred snippets not expanding(5/10)
- Alfred preferences not saving or syncing via Dropbox(6/10)
Raycast
- Raycast clipboard history stops saving(7/10)
- Window management breaks after macOS updates(6/10)
- Raycast extensions fail or error out(6/10)
Alfred
- Alfred hotkey not working or conflicting with Spotlight(7/10)
- Why does Alfred look so dated next to Raycast?(4/10)
- Alfred has no built-in AI features(3/10)
Raycast
No signals
Alfred
- Alfred workflows are hard to learn and set up(5/10)
- Mac App Store version of Alfred is outdated(4/10)
Raycast
No signals
Alfred
- No free trial of the Alfred Powerpack, and no refunds for 'not for me'(5/10)
- Single License covers only one major version(4/10)
Raycast
- Raycast Pro has no option without AI(7/10)
- Raycast AI credits expire and run out(7/10)
- Why did Raycast move AI to credits?(6/10)
- Raycast vs Alfred: subscription vs one-time Powerpack(5/10)
Alfred
- Alfred workflows stopped working after macOS update (Python 2)(6/10)
Raycast
No signals
Alfred
- Alfred is Mac only, no Windows or Linux version(4/10)
Raycast
- Snippets and hyper key don't behave as expected(4/10)
Alfred
No signals
Raycast
- Raycast hotkey not working or not opening(8/10)
- Raycast uses too much memory or CPU(7/10)
- Raycast feels slower than Alfred(5/10)
Alfred
No signals
Raycast
- Raycast for Windows is still a beta(6/10)
- Raycast iOS AI chats not syncing or crashing(4/10)
Alfred
No signals
Raycast
- Raycast has no refund details in its public docs(4/10)
Pricing Comparison
Alfred
Users: 1 user
Limits: No workflows, no clipboard history, no snippets or text expansion, no Universal Actions, no themes, no preference sync, no 1Password integration, no music controls
Users: 1 user, up to 2 of your own Macs
Limits: Individual use only, non-transferable, not for shared workstations
Users: 1 user, your own Macs
Limits: Individual use only; teams need Corporate Licensing
Raycast
Users: 1 user
Limits: No Raycast AI, no cloud sync, no custom themes, limited clipboard history length
Users: 1 user
Limits: Top models cost more credits
Users: 1 user
Users: 1 user
Users: 1 user
Users: 1 user
Users: 1 user
Users: per user
Users: per user
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Alfred | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| App launcher and file search Uses the macOS Spotlight metadata index | ||
| App launcher | ||
| Window management Needs Screen Recording permission on Mac | ||
| Snippets | ||
| Automation | ||
| Workflows Powerpack only | ||
| Productivity | ||
| Clipboard history Powerpack only, off by default | ||
| Snippets / text expansion Powerpack only; dynamic placeholders | ||
| Universal Actions Powerpack only | ||
| Extensibility | ||
| Extension store | ||
| Sync | ||
| Preference sync across Macs Via a synced folder such as Dropbox or iCloud | ||
| AI | ||
| Raycast AI Paid only, credit-based | ||
| Built-in AI chat Available through community workflows with your own API key | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Windows app Beta | ||
| iOS app | ||
| Android app | ||
| Linux app | ||
| Platform | ||
| Windows version macOS only | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free Powerpack trial | ||
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