- Pick it if you are:
- Developers and sysadmins; Linux X11 users
- Top complaint:
- Espanso on Wayland is experimental and hard to set up
- 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
Espanso
- Espanso expansions stop working until you restart it(7/10)
- Espanso not expanding in terminals and some apps(6/10)
- Espanso fails to start on Fedora and other Wayland setups(7/10)
Raycast
- Raycast clipboard history stops saving(7/10)
- Window management breaks after macOS updates(6/10)
- Raycast extensions fail or error out(6/10)
Espanso
- Espanso on Wayland is experimental and hard to set up(8/10)
- macOS accessibility permission confusion after install or update(6/10)
Raycast
No signals
Espanso
- Espanso stops on macOS when Secure Input is stuck(6/10)
Raycast
No signals
Espanso
- Long replacements silently fail (clipboard_threshold)(6/10)
- YAML config is a barrier for non-technical users(6/10)
Raycast
No signals
Espanso
- App-specific configs are not supported on Wayland(5/10)
Raycast
- Snippets and hyper key don't behave as expected(4/10)
Espanso
- No mobile apps and no built-in sync(5/10)
- Keyboard layout and new keyboards confuse Espanso(4/10)
Raycast
No signals
Espanso
- Support is community only with a large open issue backlog(5/10)
Raycast
- Raycast has no refund details in its public docs(4/10)
Espanso
- Free and open source, but expect time cost(3/10)
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)
Espanso
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)
Espanso
No signals
Raycast
- Raycast for Windows is still a beta(6/10)
- Raycast iOS AI chats not syncing or crashing(4/10)
Pricing Comparison
Espanso
Limits: No GUI editor (YAML files), no mobile apps, no cloud sync, no official paid support
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 | Espanso | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Text expansion | ||
| App launcher | ||
| Regex triggers | ||
| Window management Needs Screen Recording permission on Mac | ||
| Forms | ||
| Clipboard history | ||
| Shell and script variables | ||
| Snippets | ||
| Search bar | ||
| Config | ||
| App-specific configs Not supported on Wayland | ||
| Extensibility | ||
| Extension store | ||
| Ecosystem | ||
| Package hub | ||
| AI | ||
| Raycast AI Paid only, credit-based | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Windows app Beta | ||
| iOS app | ||
| Mobile apps | ||
| Android app | ||
| Linux app | ||
| Wayland support Experimental | ||
| Usability | ||
| Graphical snippet editor | ||
| Sync | ||
| Cloud sync Use git or a synced folder | ||
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