Alfred vs Raycast
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right productivity tool for your needs.
The Winner
Alfred
Wins for overall value, user satisfaction, and File-heavy workflows needing fast search.
Quick Comparison
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Alfred 
Raycast Alfred
- Unmatched File Search Speed
- One-Time Purchase Model
- 14 Years of Stability
- Resource Efficiency
- No Built-In AI
- macOS Only
- Smaller Extension Ecosystem
Raycast
- Genuinely Useful Free Tier
- Extension Quality & Breadth
- Multi-Provider AI Flexibility
- Cross-Platform Syncing
- Weak File Search
- Subscription vs. One-Time Purchase
- Windows Beta Limitations
Alfred Overview
Alfred is the gold standard for macOS file search and keyboard-driven productivity. Free tier covers basic launching, while Powerpack ($43 one-time) unlocks clipboard history, snippets, and custom workflows. No AI built-in, but 14 years of polish means rock-solid reliability. One-time purchase beats subscriptions for long-term value.
Best For:
- File-heavy workflows needing fast search
- Users preferring one-time purchase over subscriptions
- Mac power users comfortable with scripting
- People who want deep customization
- Long-term Mac users (Mega Supporter lifetime upgrades pay off)
Raycast Overview
If you're drowning in app switching and repetitive tasks, Raycast is a productivity game-changer. The free tier is genuinely useful (not a trial), Pro at $10/month unlocks unlimited AI and clipboard history, and the 1,300+ extension ecosystem rivals VS Code's marketplace. Free for most users, Pro pays for itself within 2 weeks for heavy multitaskers.
Best For:
- Developers seeking streamlined workflows
- Mac power users who prefer keyboard-driven interfaces
- Teams wanting to share commands and snippets
- Productivity enthusiasts aiming to automate repetitive tasks
- Users who want all-in-one productivity tool (clipboard, calculator, notes, AI)
- People comfortable with learning curves for maximum efficiency
Our Verdict
Alfred is our top pick for most users, thanks to its higher user ratings. However, Raycast remains a solid choice if you need Developers seeking streamlined workflows.
Try Alfred Free