# Best Raycast alternatives for Mac > **TL;DR** No single app in the catalog copies a full launcher, so match the job. CMDKit Ultra gives apps, folders and websites their own shortcuts and snaps windows, for a one-time $9.99. AltTab is a free Windows-style window switcher. Amethyst is a free tiling window manager. Almighty runs over 100 Mac tweaks, with an assistant that can use Apple Intelligence or another AI provider. ActiveDock and FolderX cover launching from a dock or the menu bar. People look for a Raycast alternative for different reasons: a price they do not want to pay, a feature they never use, or one job they want done better. A launcher bundles several jobs into one window: opening apps, switching windows, arranging windows and running small commands. The apps in the Mac Directory catalog mostly do one of those jobs each, and do it without the rest. This guide maps each job to the catalog apps that cover it. What each app does is taken from the maker's own site. Price and macOS details come from each app's catalog page. It does not compare features against Raycast itself, because Raycast is not in the catalog and this guide only states facts it can point to. ## Which app opens apps, folders and websites from the keyboard? [CMDKit](/apps/cmdkit) is the closest match to the launching part of a launcher. Its maker says CMDKit Ultra will "open apps, folders and websites, and send windows anywhere you draw them, all from your keyboard." You give any app a shortcut, press it from anywhere, and the app opens or comes to the front. Folders open in Finder and websites in your browser the same way, with no limit on how many. There are two editions. CMDKit Ultra, sold on the maker's site, costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase after a 14-day free trial and needs macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon or Intel. CMDKit on the Mac App Store is free for five app shortcuts, with a one-time $4.99 Pro upgrade. The maker says the store version is sandboxed and "never asks to control your Mac", so it keeps the shortcuts but not window snapping. CMDKit Ultra lives in the menu bar. If you liked a launcher mainly for "press a key, get the app", this covers it without a search window. ## Which app switches between windows? [AltTab](/apps/alttab) replaces the Mac's app switcher with a window switcher. Its site describes it as "Windows-style Alt-Tab for Mac" and says it shows "every window, not just every app", including minimized and hidden windows and windows on another Space, each with a badge saying where it is. The selected window previews full size before you switch. AltTab is free to download. Some features, including search by window title or app name and the choice of thumbnails, icons or a list, belong to AltTab Pro. The site reports 9.4 million downloads and 16,000 GitHub stars. If most of your launcher use was jumping to an open window, AltTab does that from the shortcut you already press. ## Which app arranges windows for you? [Amethyst](/apps/amethyst) is a tiling window manager. Its site calls it a "tiling window manager for macOS along the lines of xmonad." Rather than snapping windows one at a time, it arranges them in a layout as they open. It is available from its releases page or with Homebrew, needs macOS 10.15 or later, and must be given Accessibility permission. The site also suggests turning off the Mission Control setting that rearranges Spaces by most recent use. Amethyst suits people who want every window placed without thinking about it. If you prefer to place windows by hand, CMDKit Ultra's grid snapping is the lighter option: you draw a region, such as a left half or a corner, and send the front window there. ## Which app runs small commands and system tweaks? [Almighty](/apps/almighty) collects "over 100 Mac tweaks and utilities in one native app, from hidden settings to notch actions." It includes an assistant called Zeus: you type or speak what you want, such as turning dark mode on, and it finds and runs the tweak. Its site says you can choose Apple Intelligence, Claude Code, Codex or any OpenAI-compatible API for that assistant. Almighty is free to download with ready-to-use tweaks and a trial of the Pro features. The site says it has no analytics or data collection, and that the Mac App Store version is cheaper but has fewer tweaks than the standalone one. For people who used a launcher's command list to flip settings, this is the nearest fit in the catalog. ## Which apps launch from a dock or the menu bar? Not everyone wants a keyboard-first tool. [ActiveDock](/apps/activedock) is a customizable dock and application launcher. Its maker lists a taskbar with window previews, groups and folders, dock themes, custom icons and a start menu. [FolderX](/apps/folderx-menubar-launchpad) is a free menu bar launchpad on the Mac App Store that needs macOS 12.0. These suit people who reach for the mouse anyway and want launching to sit where their eyes already are. ## How should I choose? Write down the three things you did most often in your launcher this week, then match each one: 1. **Opening apps, folders or sites.** [CMDKit](/apps/cmdkit). 2. **Jumping to an open window.** [AltTab](/apps/alttab). 3. **Placing windows.** [Amethyst](/apps/amethyst) for automatic tiling, CMDKit Ultra for snapping by hand. 4. **Flipping settings or running small actions.** [Almighty](/apps/almighty). 5. **Launching with the mouse.** [ActiveDock](/apps/activedock) or [FolderX](/apps/folderx-menubar-launchpad). Two of these together usually cover what a single launcher did. AltTab plus CMDKit Ultra covers switching, launching and snapping. Before you install a window tool, check its permission needs: tools that move other apps' windows need Accessibility access, and a sandboxed store edition may not offer that feature at all. | App | Job | Price on its page or site | | --- | --- | --- | | CMDKit Ultra | Launch and snap | $9.99 one-time, 14-day trial | | CMDKit (App Store) | Launch | Free for five shortcuts, $4.99 Pro | | AltTab | Switch windows | Free, Pro features extra | | Amethyst | Tile windows | Free download | | Almighty | Tweaks and assistant | Free with Pro trial | | ActiveDock | Dock launcher | See maker's site | | FolderX | Menu bar launchpad | Free | For more menu bar tools, see [the best menu bar apps for Mac](/guides/best-menu-bar-apps). For tools aimed at people who write code, see [the best Mac apps for developers](/guides/best-mac-apps-developers). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a free Raycast alternative for switching windows? AltTab is free and brings a Windows-style Alt-Tab switcher to the Mac. Its site says it shows every window, including minimized and hidden ones and windows on another Space. Search and extra styles are part of AltTab Pro. ### Which app here launches apps with keyboard shortcuts? CMDKit Ultra lets you give any app, folder or website a keyboard shortcut. It costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase after a 14-day trial. The Mac App Store version, CMDKit, is free for five app shortcuts. ### Can I get window snapping without a launcher? Yes. CMDKit Ultra snaps the front window to a region you draw on a grid. Amethyst tiles windows automatically, in the style of xmonad, and needs macOS 10.15 or later plus Accessibility permission. ### Do these apps need special permissions? Window tools usually do. Amethyst's site says it must be given Accessibility permission. CMDKit's Mac App Store edition is sandboxed and, per its maker, never asks to control your Mac, which is why it handles shortcuts but not window snapping.