Alfred Alternatives 2026: 6 Free Options
Alfred alternatives: Raycast, Quicksilver, LaunchBar, Flow Launcher and 2 more. Prices and licenses checked October 25, 2026.
•3 min read•Browsers & System Utilities
Verdict:Leave Alfred if you want a free launcher or have moved off the Mac. Alfred's free tier is basic, and the Powerpack that unlocks workflows costs 34 GBP for a single licence or 59 GBP for the Mega Supporter edition with lifetime upgrades. Raycast is the main Mac replacement: its free plan includes clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks and window management, and Pro is $10 a month only if you want the AI features. Quicksilver is free and open source and rewards people who like keyboard actions, but it has fewer ready-made workflows. LaunchBar is a long-established paid-style launcher with a trial and free use afterwards, per its page. If you moved to Windows, Flow Launcher and PowerToys Run give you the same keystroke-and-type habit for free, and on Linux Ulauncher does. The trade-off is automation. Alfred's workflows are mature and heavily shared, and you will rebuild some of them in Raycast extensions or give them up. Test the free plan for a week with your own shortcuts. If you depend on a handful of workflows, Alfred is still worth the one-off price; otherwise Raycast's free plan is an easy trial.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raycast | Free (Free plan: clipboard history (3 months), quicklinks, snippets, window management, extensions; no AI); paid from $10 per month, Pro (or $96 per year) | macOS, Windows, iOS | The closest all-in-one Mac replacement | Docs only |
| Quicksilver | Free (Free and open source) | macOS | A free keyboard launcher on Mac | Docs only |
| LaunchBar | Free (30-day trial; the page says it can be used for free afterwards with occasional prompts) | macOS | Long-time launcher users | Docs only |
| Flow Launcher | Free (Free and open source) | Windows | Windows users who miss Alfred | Docs only |
| Microsoft PowerToys | Free (Free utilities including PowerToys Run and Command Palette) | Windows | A built-in-style launcher on Windows | Docs only |
| Ulauncher | Free (Free; project asks for donations) | Linux | Linux users who want a launcher | Docs only |
| TextExpander | Free (Free plan: 5 active snippets, up to 5 team members); paid from $60 per user/year, billed annually (Pro) | macOS, Windows, Chrome, iOS | Text Expansion | Docs only |
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Good fit if
- You want a free Mac launcher with clipboard history (Raycast is the pick)
- You prefer an open-source keyboard launcher (Quicksilver is the pick)
- You moved to Windows (Flow Launcher is the pick)
- You use Linux (Ulauncher is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on Alfred features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
Alfred today: Paid from £34 per one-time, single licence (Powerpack) (Alfred pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for Alfred alternatives
Alfred's workflows and other power features sit behind the paid Powerpack. A single-user v5 licence costs 34 pounds, and the 59 pound Mega Supporter licence is the one that includes free lifetime upgrades. A purchase now includes a free upgrade to Alfred 6, but owners of older licences go through a separate upgrade page. A higher Legendary+ tier exists with no price shown.
Raycast
Compared with Alfred: Free plan includes clipboard history (3 months), quicklinks, snippets and window management, which Alfred keeps behind its Powerpack. Pro is $10 a month for AI features. It is a different workflow model, with extensions instead of workflows.
Price: Free (Free plan: clipboard history (3 months), quicklinks, snippets, window management, extensions; no AI); paid from $10 per month, Pro (or $96 per year) (Raycast pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS, Windows, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: The closest all-in-one Mac replacement.
Quicksilver
Compared with Alfred: Free and open source launcher for macOS with triggers, many plugins and a keyboard-first interface. It is older in feel and has fewer ready-made workflows than Alfred.
Price: Free (Free and open source) (Quicksilver pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. Open source (licence not named on the page).
Best for: A free keyboard launcher on Mac.
LaunchBar
Compared with Alfred: Mac launcher with a 30-day trial that, per its page, can be used free afterwards with occasional prompts. The page shows no price, so compare it with Alfred's 34 GBP Powerpack.
Price: Free (30-day trial; the page says it can be used for free afterwards with occasional prompts) (LaunchBar pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Long-time launcher users.
Flow Launcher
Compared with Alfred: Free open-source app and file launcher for Windows 10 and later with a plugin store. Choose it if you moved from Mac to Windows, since Alfred is Mac only.
Price: Free (Free and open source) (Flow Launcher pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. Open source (licence not named on the page).
Best for: Windows users who miss Alfred.
Microsoft PowerToys
Compared with Alfred: Free, open-source Microsoft utilities for Windows including PowerToys Run, a plugin-capable app launcher. It is a toolbox, so the launcher is one piece among many.
Price: Free (Free utilities including PowerToys Run and Command Palette) (Microsoft PowerToys pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. Open source (licence not named on the page).
Best for: A built-in-style launcher on Windows.
Ulauncher
Compared with Alfred: Application launcher for Linux with fuzzy search, shortcuts and extensions. The page lists a donation option and no price, and it offers nothing beyond launching and extensions.
Price: Free (Free; project asks for donations) (Ulauncher pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Linux. Not stated on the page read.
Best for: Linux users who want a launcher.
Other popular options (paid)
TextExpander
Compared with Alfred: Pro is $60 per user per year billed annually, and a free plan keeps 5 active snippets. It covers text snippets rather than launching apps, while Alfred Powerpack is a one-time 34 GBP licence.
Price: Free (Free plan: 5 active snippets, up to 5 team members); paid from $60 per user/year, billed annually (Pro) (TextExpander pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Which one to pick
- You want a free Mac launcher with clipboard history: Raycast
- You prefer an open-source keyboard launcher: Quicksilver
- You moved to Windows: Flow Launcher
- You use Linux: Ulauncher
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Raycast, Quicksilver, LaunchBar, Flow Launcher, Microsoft PowerToys, Ulauncher: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from Alfred. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-23 and 2026-10-25: Alfred, Raycast, Quicksilver, LaunchBar, Flow Launcher, Microsoft PowerToys, Ulauncher, TextExpander. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.