The best Alfred alternatives for Mac

Last updated November 1, 2026

Alfred has been a favorite Mac launcher for years: press a shortcut, type, and it opens apps, finds files and runs workflows. Its core is free, and clipboard history, snippets and workflows come with the Powerpack, from £34 once. Here are the main alternatives and who each suits. We make Helix, so weigh that pick accordingly.

At a glance

	How you use it	Price
Raycast	Type into a search bar	Free; Pro $10 a month or $96 a year
Tinycast	Type into a search bar	Free, open source
Monarch	Type into a search bar	Setapp subscription
LaunchBar	Type short abbreviations	Paid licence; free to keep using after a 30-day trial
Spotlight	Type into a search bar	Built into macOS
Helix	Point at a tool in a ring	$4.99₹399 once (early bird, $9.99₹899 regularly)

Raycast

The most popular Alfred alternative. Its free plan covers launching apps, clipboard history (kept for 3 months), notes and window management, with thousands of extensions for services like GitHub and Linear. Raycast Pro adds AI and unlimited clipboard history for $10 a month. More in the best Raycast alternatives.

Tinycast

A free, open-source native launcher with fuzzy app search, clipboard history, snippets and a calculator, all without a paid upgrade. It needs macOS 26 or later and installs with Homebrew.

Monarch

A launcher for apps, files and folders with its own index, custom commands and clipboard filtering. It's sold through Setapp, the Mac app subscription, and needs macOS 12.7 or later.

LaunchBar

One of the oldest Mac launchers. You type short abbreviations to open apps and documents, and it includes clipboard history, a snippet manager and file browsing. After a 30-day trial you can keep using it for free.

Spotlight

Built into every Mac with ⌘Space. It opens apps and finds files, and on macOS 26 Tahoe and later it has a basic clipboard history too (⌘Space, then ⌘4). Nothing to install, but far less to customize.

Helix

Helix doesn't search; you point. Hold ⌥Space and a ring of tools opens around your pointer:

Pin up to eight apps and they fan out around Apps, one flick away.
Your last 50 copies in Clipboard, with no Powerpack to buy.
The song and playback in the center while Spotify or Apple Music plays.
Notes, a Pomodoro, and Claude or GPT with your own API key.

It won't replace Alfred's file search or workflows, but if you mostly open the same apps and paste from your history, it's quicker than typing. $4.99₹399 once.

Prices are from each app's website in November 2026 and can differ by region.

Questions

What's the best alternative to Alfred?

Raycast is the closest: a free launcher you type into, with clipboard history, notes and thousands of extensions. If you'd rather point than type, Helix puts your apps and tools in a ring around your pointer.

Is there a free Alfred alternative?

Tinycast is free and open source, Raycast's core is free, and Spotlight is built into macOS. LaunchBar can be used free after its 30-day trial.

Do I need Alfred's Powerpack for clipboard history?

Yes. Alfred's clipboard history, snippets and workflows come with the Powerpack, a one-time licence from £34.

Which alternatives can I use alongside Alfred?

Any of them. Alfred and Helix both default to ⌥Space, so change one shortcut. Helix can use any shortcut, or your middle or side mouse button.

Helix is a one-time purchase for macOS 14 or later, with 16 tools in one ring. See how it works.

Get Helix