Raycast App for Mac: What It Is, How to Use It & Why It's Essential (2025)

Raycast is a productivity app for Mac that lets you launch apps, run commands, manage windows, chat with AI, and automate tasks—all from your keyboard. It's the best Spotlight replacement available, and I use it every single day.

Update: I recently did a deep dive on Raycast and how I use it (in Spanish), hope you enjoy it:

Raycast is one of those tools I can't live without. It saves me tons of time by allowing me to quickly access apps, execute commands, move and resize windows, chat with AI, expand text, and so much more. It is truly a game-changer for my productivity.

In this guide, I'll explain what Raycast is, why I use it, and how I use it. I'll also share some of my favorite extensions.

What is Raycast?

Let's start with Raycast's own description:

Raycast is a Mac app that lets you install extensions, run commands, and control your Mac with a simple interface. You can also create your own extensions, use AI, and share your work with your team in Raycast.

In other words, Raycast is a productivity tool for macOS that helps you save time and key presses and clicks by giving you shortcuts to:

quickly accessing apps
executing commands
automating tasks

It's a powerful app launcher that integrates with your favorite tools and services, allowing you to perform a wide range of tasks without leaving your keyboard.

If you've ever used Alfred, QuickSilver or mac's built-in Spotlight, you'll find Raycast familiar, but as we will see, Raycast is much more powerful and customizable.

In my experience is the best general-purpose tool any mac user can have, and it's free. It's the first thing I install on a new Mac and the first thing I recommend to anyone who asks me for a productivity tool. I simply can't live without it.

If you're curious to give it a spin, check it out and download it right away!

Raycast vs Alfred: Which is Better?

Alfred has been the power user's go-to app for years. I used it for a long time and I still think it's a great app, but Raycast takes it to the next level.

I find Raycast to have a much better UX, and it also feels faster—although this is a controversial point as some users find Alfred faster for basic searches.

Feature	Raycast	Alfred
Price	Free (Pro: $8/month)	Free (Powerpack: $34 one-time)
UI/UX	Modern, polished	Functional but dated
Built-in AI	Yes (Pro)	No
Window Management	Yes, built-in	Requires third-party
Extensions	Free, React/TypeScript	Workflows (Powerpack required)
Clipboard History	Yes (unlimited with Pro)	Yes (Powerpack required)
Focus Mode	Yes, built-in	No
Snippets	Yes, built-in	Yes (Powerpack required)

Bottom line: If you're starting fresh, Raycast is the better choice—more features for free, modern UI, and built-in AI. If you're a long-time Alfred user with complex workflows, migration might take effort, but it's worth considering.

Raycast vs Spotlight

There is a reason why there's a market for apps like Raycast and Alfred, and that's because the built-in Spotlight leaves a lot to be desired. There is really no point in making a comparison because Spotlight is just a glorified app launcher and file searcher with little else.

Once you try Raycast, you'll never go back to Spotlight as it outshines Apple's default app in every way. Spotlight is slow, it's not customizable, and it doesn't integrate with your favorite tools and services.

Why I use Raycast

There are a couple of important reasons why I use Raycast.

Multiple tools in one

Raycast is packed with functionality that would require multiple different apps to mimic.

I replaced a clipboard manager, a window resizing tool ¹¹I used Rectangles¹I used Rectangles and a text expander ²²Espanso was my favorite text expander²Espanso was my favorite text expander with Raycast. This means I have fewer apps running in the background, which is always a good thing.

Keyboard-first approach

The keyboard is the ultimate productivity tool, and the less you reach for your mouse, the better.

Raycast is designed to be used with your keyboard, and it's much faster to hit a keyboard shortcut to launch an app, resize a window, search files or run a script than to reach for the mouse and click on an icon or menu.

Customization

Raycast is highly customizable. Not only you can assing keyboard shortcuts to almost anything, but you can also create your own extensions using React and Typescript and share them with the community which is very active and helpful.

For example, as an avid ClickUp ³³ClickUp is the project management tool I've used for large projects and teams³ClickUp is the project management tool I've used for large projects and teams user, I contributed to the community's ClickUp extension by adding a " Quick Capture" feature which allows me to hit CAPS+C (C for Capture) and quickly add a task to ClickUp without leaving my current app.

Built-in AI Chat

One of the most powerful recent additions to Raycast is its AI integration. With a Raycast Pro subscription, you get access to AI Chat directly from your launcher—no need to open a browser or switch apps.

I use two main AI features daily:

Quick AI (CMD+Shift+Tab): Perfect for one-off questions. Select text, hit the shortcut, and get an instant answer. Great for quick explanations, translations, or summarizing content.

AI Chat Window (HYPER+Space): This is where I spend most of my AI time. It's a full chat interface that rivals dedicated AI apps, but with superpowers:

Switch models mid-conversation: Start with Claude, switch to GPT-4 for a different perspective—all in the same chat
Attach anything easily: Drag files, paste images, or attach browser tabs with a few keystrokes
Browser tab context: With the Raycast Companion Chrome extension, you can pull in the content of any open tab as context

The ability to switch between models and easily attach context makes Raycast AI more flexible than using ChatGPT or Claude directly. It's become my default way to interact with AI.

Focus Mode

Raycast's Focus feature helps you stay productive by blocking distractions. You can create custom focus sessions that:

Block specific apps and websites
Set timers for deep work sessions
Schedule recurring focus periods
Integrate with your calendar

I use Focus mode when I need uninterrupted coding time. One shortcut activates my "Deep Work" preset, which blocks Slack, email, and social media for 90 minutes. It's been a game-changer for productivity.

How I use Raycast

As I've been mentioning throughout this guide, Raycast is my main tool for most of my daily tasks. Here is an overview of how I use it.

Replace Spotlight

Instead of using Raycast side-by-side with Spotlight I just replaced it outright. I remapped the CMD + Space shortcut to open Raycast instead of Spotlight.

Here's how you can do it:

Open your System settings and navigate to Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Spotlight. Uncheck the "Show Spotlight search" checkbox, or you can change the shortcut to something else as I did (CMD+OPT+Space).
Next, open Raycast and go to the settings, then to the "General" and click on "Record Hotkey" to set the shortcut to CMD+Space.

Set up shortcuts

The first thing to consider when setting up shortcuts is to decide on a modifier key. A modifier key is a key that you hold down while pressing another key to perform a specific action. The most common modifier keys are CMD, OPT, CTRL and SHIFT. These are fine but you might end up with conflicts with other apps or system shortcuts.

To avoid any conflicts I use a Hyper key The Hyper Key is a modifier key found on the Space Cadet Keyboard (Shift+Control+Alt+Command) mapped to the CAPS LOCK I use Karabiner Elements to map this key which I seldom use for anything else and is conveniently placed in the home row of the keyboard.

My shortcuts look like this:

Shortcut	Action
HYPER + K	Opens Finder
HYPER + V	Opens the clipboard history
HYPER + T	Opens the terminal
HYPER + W	Opens the Downloads folder
HYPER + K	Opens the file search
HYPER + L	Locks the computer
HYPER + A	Opens Arc
HYPER + S	Opens the Screenshots Folder
HYPER + N	Opens Logseq,the note taking app I use
HYPER + D	Toggles between macOS' Light and Dark mode
HYPER + C	Opens the ClickUp Quick Capture pane

My favorite Raycast extensions

Between Raycast's own built-in extensions and the community's contributions, there are a lot of awesome extensions to list them all here, you can browse the Raycast Extension Store to get an idea. All extensions are free and open source, and you can contribute to them or create your own.

That said, here are some of my most-used extensions that I are worth mentioning.

Clipboard History

This extension sounds simple but it is really helpful and probably the one I use the most. It keeps a searchable history of everything you copy to your clipboard. It's a lifesaver when you need to copy multiple things and paste them in different places.

Be sure to check select "Accurate" in the Text Recognition settings, you can thank me later. This will use a bit more CPU but Raycast will automatically try to extract text from images you copy to the clipboard, so you can later search for them!

Window Management & Layouts

Window management is one of my most-used Raycast features. It allowed me to completely replace Rectangles ⁶⁶Rectangles is a great tool but I like having fewer apps running in the background⁶Rectangles is a great tool but I like having fewer apps running in the background with built-in functionality.

What makes it powerful:

Quick resizing: Snap windows to halves, thirds, or quarters with a shortcut
Multi-monitor support: Move windows between monitors instantly
Custom layouts: Save and restore window arrangements for different workflows
Preset layouts: Quickly arrange multiple windows (e.g., browser left, editor right)

I have shortcuts set up for my most common layouts:

HYPER + Left/Right: Snap to half screen
HYPER + Up: Maximize window
HYPER + 1/2/3: Move to monitor 1, 2, or 3

The preset layouts feature is especially useful. I have a "Coding" layout that positions my editor, terminal, and browser exactly where I want them with a single command.

Snippets and Text expansion

Text Expanders are great productivity tools. For the longest time I used Espanso to create snippets and automated text expansions for recurring thinks like my email address, full name, addresses, etc.

While Espanso is great, Raycast's built-in Snippets extension is also very powerful. You can create snippets and just search for them and paste them in any app or you can set trigger keywords that will auto-expand the text. For example whenever I type a@m my work email address will automatically expand.

Another great thing is that snippets support placholders and even dynamic placholders so when you expand the snippet you can expand them with things like the current data or even the latest clipboard item.

ClickUp

While not a built-in extension, it deserves an honorable mention because the Quick Capture command (mapped to HYPER+C) saves me a lot of time and to capture all the tasks I need to do without getting distracted.

System Settings

This is a game changer of an extension. Raycast's System Settings extension allows you to quickly toggle many system settings like Dark Mode, Volume, Bluetooth and Trash.

My favorite command of this extension is Toggle Dark mode which I can toggle by simply hitting HYPER + D.

Is Raycast Pro Worth It?

Raycast is free, and the free tier is genuinely powerful—you get app launching, window management, snippets, clipboard history (limited), and access to thousands of extensions.

The Pro plan costs $8/month (or $96/year) and adds:

AI Chat: Access to GPT-4 and Claude directly from your launcher
Unlimited clipboard history: Never lose something you copied
Custom themes: Personalize the look and feel
Cloud sync: Sync settings across devices
Pro extensions: Some extensions have Pro-only features

My verdict: As a Pro subscriber, I think it's worth it primarily for the AI integration. Being able to ask questions, explain code, or draft content without leaving my keyboard has saved me hours. If you don't need AI, the free tier is excellent and you won't feel limited.

For teams, there's also a Team plan that adds shared extensions, snippets, and quicklinks across your organization.

Conclusion

If you are a macOS user, Raycast is a must-have. It's a powerful, customizable tool that will save you a lot of time and make you more productive. The free tier alone makes it worth trying, and if you want AI superpowers, the Pro plan delivers.

Download Raycast free and see for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Raycast used for?

Raycast is used as a productivity launcher for Mac that lets you quickly open apps, run commands, manage windows, use AI, and automate tasks—all from your keyboard. It replaces Spotlight and combines multiple tools (clipboard manager, window manager, text expander) into one app.

Is Raycast free?

Yes, Raycast is free with powerful features included. They offer a Pro plan ($8/month) for AI features, unlimited clipboard history, cloud sync, and custom themes. The free tier is genuinely useful and doesn't feel limited.

Is Raycast better than Alfred?

For most users, yes. Raycast offers a modern UI, more free features, built-in AI (Pro), and easier extension development with React/TypeScript. Alfred requires the paid Powerpack ($34) for similar functionality like clipboard history and snippets. If you're starting fresh, Raycast is the better choice.

How do I replace Spotlight with Raycast?

Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Spotlight, and disable or change the CMD+Space shortcut. Then open Raycast Settings > General and set CMD+Space as the Raycast hotkey. Now Raycast will open instead of Spotlight.

What is Raycast AI?

Raycast AI is a built-in feature (Pro plan) that lets you chat with AI models like GPT-4 and Claude directly from the launcher. You can ask questions, explain code, draft emails, and more—without opening a browser or switching apps. It's one of the main reasons I subscribe to Pro.