Categories: AI Assistant, AI Chatbot, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Raycast Review: The Mac Productivity Tool Worth the Hype?

SirKris

Writer

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Let’s be honest for a second. As SEOs, marketers, and general computer-nerds, we're on a perpetual quest. The quest for the perfect workflow. The one that shaves off seconds from every task, that makes you feel like a keyboard wizard, and that finally, finally tames the chaos of a dozen open apps and a million browser tabs. I’ve tried everything. Seriously. To-do list apps, complex Notion databases, browser extensions that promise the world. Some stick, most don’t.

For years, my trusty sidekick in this battle has been a launcher. First, it was the built-in macOS Spotlight. Cute, but basic. Then I graduated to Alfred, the long-reigning king of Mac launchers, and for a long time, it was enough. But lately, things have felt... a bit stagnant. And then, Raycast entered the chat.

At first glance, it looks like just another launcher. You hit a hotkey (I use Option + Space), a search bar appears, and you type stuff. But that’s like saying a smartphone is just a device for making calls. Raycast is so much more. It’s a command center, a personal assistant, and a development platform all rolled into one sleek, lightning-fast package. And frankly, it’s made using my Mac feel new again.

Visit Raycast

So, What Is Raycast, Actually?

The official line is that Raycast is an “extendable launcher.” I’d call it a digital co-pilot for your Mac. It replaces the default Spotlight search but injects it with superpowers. Instead of just finding files and launching apps, you can run commands, calculate conversions, manage your windows, search your clipboard history, and connect to hundreds of third-party services without ever leaving the search bar.

The whole philosophy is built around speed and extensions. Think of the core app as a powerful engine, and the extensions are the custom parts you bolt on to make it do exactly what you need. Need to find a file in your Google Drive? There's an extension for that. Want to search for an issue in Jira or Linear? There’s an extension for that. Want to control your Spotify playlist? You get the idea.

The Features I Can't Live Without (And They're Free!)

Here’s the thing that really got me. The free version of Raycast is incredibly generous. It’s not a crippled demo; it’s a fully-fledged, powerful tool that will immediately boost your productivity. I was genuinely surprised by how much they give away for $0.

The Extension Store is a Game Changer

This is the heart of Raycast. The built-in Store is full of hundreds of extensions, most built by the community, that plug directly into the services you already use. Within five minutes of installing it, I had connected my Google Workspace, GitHub, and Linear accounts. Now, I can create a new Linear issue, search for a specific pull request, or find a Google Doc just by typing a few words into the Raycast bar. It keeps me in the flow, preventing the constant context-switching that kills deep work.

A Clipboard History That Doesn't Forget

If you're not using a clipboard manager, you're living in the dark ages. I'm sorry, but it's true. Raycast's built-in Clipboard History is brilliant. It saves everything you copy—text, images, links, you name it. You can search through your history, pin frequently used items, and paste them wherever you need. The free version keeps your history for 30 days, which is more than enough for most people. It has saved me from re-typing or re-finding things more times than I can count.

Snippets and Quicklinks are My Secret Weapon

This is where you start to feel like a real power user. Snippets let you save blocks of text you use all the time and expand them with a short keyword. I have snippets for common email replies, code blocks, my company's address, and even a few of my favorite emojis. It's a tiny thing that adds up to massive time savings.

Quicklinks are basically super-powered bookmarks. You can create a link to any website or file and give it a short alias. But the real magic is creating links that pass a query. For instance, I have a Quicklink to search our internal SEO dashboard. I just type `dash` followed by my keyword, and it opens the browser directly to the results page. It's so, so good.

Okay, But What About the Raycast AI?

Ah, the AI. This is where Raycast really separates itself from the old guard. In a world where AI is being shoehorned into every app, Raycast's implementation feels... intentional. It's not a gimmick; it's a genuinely useful tool that's always just a keystroke away.

Your AI Chatbot, System-Wide

With the Pro plan, Raycast becomes your go-to AI assistant. You can ask it to write an email, fix your code, brainstorm ideas, or summarize a long article you just copied. Because it's integrated at the OS level, it's always faster than opening a browser tab and logging into ChatGPT. The free plan even includes a taste of this with Raycast AI Lite, which uses their own model and is great for quick questions and translations.

Is the AI Upgrade Worth the Money?

This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? Or, more accurately, the $8/month question. If you find yourself using ChatGPT or similar models daily for your work, then yes, absolutely. The convenience of having GPT-4 (with the Advanced plan) available instantly, anywhere on your Mac, is worth the price of a couple of coffees. For casual users, the free AI Lite might be perfectly sufficient.

A Look at Raycast's Pricing Tiers

The pricing structure is pretty straightforward, which I appreciate. No hidden fees or confusing credit systems. It's designed to scale from a single user to an entire enterprise team.

The Good, The Bad, and The Code-y

No tool is perfect, right? While I've obviously been enjoying Raycast, it's only fair to give a balanced view.

What I absolutely love is the generous free tier, the beautiful design, and the sheer power of the extension ecosystem. It feels modern and fast. The community is also super active, with new extensions and updates coming out all the time.

On the flip side, some features that feel core to the experience are locked behind the Pro plan. The biggest one for me is Cloud Sync. If you use more than one Mac (like a desktop and a laptop), you'll have to set everything up twice unless you pay. That feels a bit like a forced upgrade. Also, while the extension store is amazing, its power is also a slight weakness—if a service you need doesn't have an extension, you're a bit stuck unless you're willing to build one yourself. And that requires some JavaScript and React knowledge, which isn't for everyone.

How Does Raycast Stack Up Against Alfred?

This is the big one. For years, Alfred has been the undisputed champion for Mac power users. I've used it and paid for its Powerpack. Alfred is incredibly mature and powerful, especially its workflow builder. But... it's starting to show its age. Its interface feels a bit dated, and integrating AI feels like a bolt-on rather than a native feature.

Raycast feels like the next generation. It's built with modern technologies (React for extensions) and has AI baked into its DNA. For me, the out-of-the-box experience with Raycast's extension store surpassed what I was doing with Alfred's workflows much faster. Some Alfred loyalists might disagree, and that's fair. Alfred's deep customisation is still hard to beat. But for 90% of users, I think Raycast offers more immediate value.

My Final Verdict: Should You Make the Switch?

Yes. There, I said it.

If you're a Mac user and you're still just using the default Spotlight search, you are missing out. Download the free version of Raycast right now. Don't even finish this article. It's a no-brainer and will fundamentally change how you interact with your computer for the better. Its a fantastic tool.

If you're an existing Alfred user, the question is a bit more nuanced. I’d still encourage you to give Raycast a try for a week. See how the integrated extensions and AI feel. You might just find yourself, like me, not wanting to go back. For developers, marketers, writers, and anyone whose job lives on their computer, Raycast isn’t just a nice-to-have; it's a powerful tool that genuinely makes your day easier and more efficient. And in our line of work, that’s worth its weight in gold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Raycast really free to use?

Yes, the core Raycast product is completely free and incredibly powerful. It includes the extension store, snippets, clipboard history, window management, and more. Paid plans are for advanced AI features, cloud sync, and team collaboration.

What makes Raycast AI different from just using ChatGPT?

Convenience and integration. Raycast AI is built into your operating system, so it's always available with a hotkey. You can use it within any app without switching contexts, making it much faster for quick tasks like drafting replies or fixing code.

Can I use Raycast on my Windows or Linux computer?

Unfortunately, no. As of now, Raycast is exclusively available for macOS. The team has not announced any official plans for a Windows or Linux version.

Is it difficult to build my own Raycast extension?

If you have some experience with JavaScript/TypeScript and React, the process is surprisingly straightforward. Raycast provides excellent documentation and a command-line tool to get you started. For non-developers, however, it would be a significant learning curve.

Will Raycast completely replace Alfred for me?

For many people, yes. Raycast's modern interface and integrated extension store provide most of the functionality Alfred users rely on, plus native AI. However, some long-time Alfred users with highly complex, custom workflows may find Alfred's deep scripting capabilities still have an edge.

Reference and Sources

• Raycast Official Website
• Raycast Pricing Details
• Alfred App (for comparison)