Spotlight AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Application Launchers

The best Application Launcher alternative to Spotlight is Flow Launcher, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Spotlight and many of them are Application Launchers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Application Launcher alternatives to Spotlight are Vicinae, Alfred, Raycast and Keypirinha.

filter to find the best alternatives

Spotlight alternatives are mainly Application Launchers, but if you're looking for File Search Utilities or Clipboard Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Windows, Mac and Linux + File Search. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Spotlight.
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Alternatives list

  1. Flow Launcher icon
     86 likes

    Dedicated to make your workflow flow more seamlessly. Aimed at being more than an app launcher, it searches, integrates and expands on functionalities. Flow will continue to evolve, designed to be open and built with the community at heart.

    45 Flow Launcher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Chocolatey
     
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    1
    Comments about Flow Launcher as an Alternative to Spotlight
    xaver-mue
    Positive
    0

    flow launcher is super fast and does everything very good. It can connect "everything search" and find everything on your windows superfast. You can also customize it very much

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Flow Launcher icon
    Flow Launcher icon
    • Flow Launcher is Free and Open SourceSpotlight is Free and Proprietary
    • Flow Launcher is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedSpotlight is not according to our users
  2. Vicinae icon
     34 likes

    High-performance native launcher for Linux built with C++ and Qt delivers fast keyboard-driven system access, an efficient modular core, built-in modules, support for server-side React or TypeScript extensions, and reuse of Raycast extensions with minimal changes.

    52 Vicinae alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Arch Linux
     
  3. Alfred icon
     304 likes

    Alfred is a productivity application for macOS, which boosts your efficiency with hotkeys, keywords and text expansion. Search your Mac and the web, and control your Mac using custom actions with the Powerpack.

    133 Alfred alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
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    7
  4. Raycast icon
     65 likes

    Raycast revolutionizes Mac productivity with AI-driven task automation, command shortcuts, and customizable workflows. Create snippets, manage clipboard history, translate text, and maintain sync across devices. Discover day planning, distraction-free focus, and versatile virtual assistance.

    74 Raycast alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
     
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    1
    Comments about Raycast as an Alternative to Spotlight
    Florian Wendelborn
    Positive
    0

    It’s much more predictable, powerful, fast, and beautiful than Spotlight. Raycast has a big focus on extensions and new ones are coming every day. If you have a little bit of programming experience, you can even develop your own extension very easily. Their documentation, tooling, and code examples are some of the best I’ve ever seen.

    Raycast icon
    Raycast icon
    • Raycast is Freemium and ProprietarySpotlight is Free and Proprietary
    • Raycast is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedSpotlight is not according to our users
  5. Keypirinha icon
     217 likes

    A lightning fast and flexible keystroke launcher for Windows. No installation required (portable). Extensible with Python3 plugins.

    158 Keypirinha alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
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    7
  6. Ulauncher icon
     56 likes
    • Ulauncher provides instant search results. It also remembers your previous choices and automatically selects the best option for you.
    65 Ulauncher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
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    1
    Comments about Ulauncher as an Alternative to Spotlight
    ThunderFox
    Positive
    0

    It's a great alternative for Linux users

    Ulauncher icon
    Ulauncher icon
    • Ulauncher is Free and Open SourceSpotlight is Free and Proprietary
    • Ulauncher is Lightweight and Privacy focusedSpotlight is not according to our users
  7. ueli icon
     72 likes

    Developed with the Electron framework, ueli is the type of tool that adopts simplicity, leaving out any unnecessary options and configuration settings. It creates an icon in the system tray at startup, where it sits silently throughout its runtime, without disturbing you with...

    84 ueli alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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    1
    Comments about ueli as an Alternative to Spotlight
    lonke
    Negative
    0

    As the words "Electron framework" would imply, it's a surprisingly large download at 100-150MB (install size may be larger still) and since it's essentially a web browser running in the background; it may not be a good choice for those short on disk space or trying to squeeze all the performance out of their system.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    ueli icon
    ueli icon
    • ueli is Free and Open SourceSpotlight is Free and Proprietary
  8. Fluent Search icon
     43 likes

    Fluent Search is a fast and easy-to-use search application that lets you search for running applications, browser tabs, bookmarks, files, and more. Unlike Windows Start Menu, Fluent Search focuses on continuing existing work, it let you jump easily between running application...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  9. Albert icon
     70 likes

    Albert is a C++/Qt based desktop agnostic keyboard launcher that helps you to accomplish your workflows in a breeze. Its goals are usability and beauty, performance and extensibility.

    64 Albert alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Mac
     
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    9
  10. QuickFind icon
     11 likes

    QuickFind is a unified search tool providing instant access to files, apps, and web pages. It supports major search engines such as Google and Bing. Seamlessly switch between local and online content, and categorize searches into files, photos, music, and videos.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  11. EverythingToolbar is integration for the Windows taskbar to use "Everything" which is an administrative tool that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows.

    It's Lightweight & Simple

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  12. RustCast icon
     5 likes

    Open-source launcher offering blazing speed, customisable interface, app launching, web search, built-in calculator, clipboard history, no native AI, and native macOS support, with Linux and Windows compatibility planned for future releases.

    51 RustCast alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
12 of 49 Spotlight alternatives