Spotlight AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Clipboard Managers

The best Clipboard Manager alternative to Spotlight is Vicinae, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Spotlight and six of them are Clipboard Managers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Clipboard Manager alternatives to Spotlight are Alfred, Raycast, Albert and Raycast for Linux.

filter to find the best alternatives

Spotlight alternatives are mainly Application Launchers, but if you're looking for Clipboard Managers or File Search Utilities 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. 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
     
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Smartclip icon
     3 likes

    Smartclip is a versatile tool designed to streamline workflows by offering quick access to various utilities through a user-friendly interface. Similar to popular application launchers like Apple's Spotlight, Celebro, and Albert, Smartclip goes beyond basic search functions...

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
     
6 of 6 Spotlight alternatives