Raycast - Finally, a Launcher That Doesn't Suck

Look, I've tried every launcher. Alfred, LaunchBar, that weird PowerToys thing that barely works. They're all either overcomplicated workflow nightmares or basic search tools that can't handle real work.

Raycast hits the sweet spot. It's free, doesn't crash every Tuesday, and actually solves problems I have. It's been stable in my experience - maybe 2-3 crashes in 18 months. Check the GitHub repository or their status page.

What Makes It Different

It's Actually Fast: No loading spinners, no delays. Hit CMD+Space, type, get results. The native macOS build means it doesn't eat RAM like Electron apps.

Extensions That Work: The Raycast Store has thousands of extensions that actually do useful shit. Need to create a Linear ticket? Done. Convert currencies with Exchange Rates? Built-in. Search GitHub repos? Obviously. And they're all built with React/TypeScript, so they don't feel like janky Python scripts.

Built-in AI: ChatGPT integration that doesn't require API keys or monthly subscriptions for basic use. You get 50 free messages, which is enough to solve that regex you've been fighting for 20 minutes. Multiple models supported including Claude and Gemini.

Clipboard History That Remembers: Three months of clipboard history by default. Never lose that code snippet again. Pro version gives you unlimited history, but honestly three months is plenty.

Real Production Experience

I've been using Raycast for 18 months in production. Here's what actually matters:

• Window management works on the first try (looking at you, Rectangle)
• File search finds stuff in node_modules without breaking like Spotlight does
• Calculator handles programmer math (hex, binary) without switching apps
• Snippets work across all apps, including terminals

The AI models get renamed constantly. GPT-4, Claude, Gemini - they all work fine, auto-select usually picks the right one. Check the changelog for updates.

What Sucks

Extension quality is all over the map. Some extensions I use daily haven't been updated since 2022 but work fine, while others break when you look at them wrong. The free AI limit runs out faster than you think if you're using it to debug. And you'll spend an hour configuring shortcuts you'll never remember.

But compared to Spotlight's "let me search the internet for your local file" bullshit, it's a goddamn miracle. See the official comparison for more details.

Here's what I actually use Raycast for every day, not the marketing bullshit:

Stuff That Actually Works

App Launching: Type two letters, get your app. Works faster than clicking dock icons or hunting through Launchpad. Remembers what you use most.

File Search: Actually finds files in your project without indexing every goddamn thing on your drive. Search works in node_modules without your fans spinning up like mdfind does.

Calculator: Does programmer math. 0xFF + 32 just works. Currency conversion when you're dealing with international payments. No need to open Calculator.app like a peasant.

Window Management: Left half, right half, quarters. One keystroke. Works on external monitors without the usual macOS window placement chaos.

Clipboard History: Remember that regex you copied 20 minutes ago? It's there. Images, code, text - all searchable. Three months of history means you never lose anything important.

Extensions Worth Installing

The Raycast Store has good shit mixed with abandoned projects:

• GitHub: Search repos, check PRs, create issues without opening browser
• Linear: Create tickets from wherever you are. Actually maintained.
• Homebrew: Install packages without opening terminal
• Docker: Start/stop containers, check logs
• Todoist: Add tasks when you think of them

Extensions are React/TypeScript, so they feel native instead of clunky like Alfred workflows.

AI Features Reality Check

The AI integration is ChatGPT in a sidebar. It's surprisingly useful for:

• Explaining error messages when Stack Overflow fails you
• Writing regex when your brain stops working
• Quick format conversions and code generation

You get 50 free messages which sounds like a lot until you start asking it to debug your CSS. Then you either upgrade to Pro or go back to copy-pasting into ChatGPT like a normal person.

What Breaks

• File search is great until it finds 500 copies of the same file
• Window management works most of the time (sometimes macOS just says no, especially after security updates)
• Some extensions I use daily haven't been updated since 2022 but work fine, while others break if you breathe on them wrong (check the dates)
• The AI models get renamed every few months and you have to relearn which one is which

But it's still better than spending 10 minutes setting up Alfred workflows that break when you update macOS.