The command center for everything you do on your Mac

Raycast is what Spotlight should have been. Hit ⌘+Space and you get a lightning-fast launcher with AI chat, clipboard history, window management, snippets, and 1000+ community-built extensions. The Pro tier adds unlimited AI (powered by GPT-4 and Claude), cloud sync, and custom AI commands. It's the Swiss Army knife that makes every other tool faster to access.

Who it's for: Mac power users, developers, and productivity nerds who want to replace 5+ menubar apps with one keyboard-first launcher. The AI features make it especially valuable for developers who want quick code explanations and text transformations without context-switching.

Key features

Quick AI AI on the fly

Press ⌘+Space, type your question, get an AI answer instantly — without opening a browser or switching apps. Powered by GPT-4, Claude, and your choice of model. Highlight any text anywhere and hit a hotkey to summarize, translate, or explain.

Clipboard Clipboard history

Never lose a copied link again. Raycast stores your full clipboard history with search, and can even sync it across devices with Pro. Pin items you use frequently.

Snippets Text snippets

Store frequently-used text snippets (emails, code blocks, addresses) and expand them with a keyword. Replaces TextExpander or Alfred snippets.

Store 1000+ extensions

Community-built extensions for Jira, GitHub, Notion, Slack, Linear, Figma — control any app from your keyboard. Build your own with TypeScript and React.

The honest take

✓ What works

Blazing fast — launches and responds in milliseconds
AI Quick Search is genuinely useful for quick questions and text transforms
Replaces 5+ apps: clipboard manager, snippet tool, window manager, launcher, AI chat
Extension ecosystem is thriving — 1000+ free community extensions
Beautiful, keyboard-first UI that respects macOS design language

✗ What doesn't

macOS only — no Windows or Linux version
Pro is $8/mo — the free tier lacks AI and cloud sync
Some extensions are poorly maintained and break with updates
Learning curve for keyboard shortcuts if you're coming from Spotlight

Verdict

If you're on a Mac and you're not using Raycast, you're leaving hours on the table every week. The free tier is excellent, and Pro's AI features pay for themselves in the first day. It's the one tool that makes every other tool faster to use.

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