Xstarter Alternatives

Xstarter is described as 'Terminal-based application launcher for Unix-like systems' and is a application launcher in the os & utilities category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Xstarter for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, KDE Plasma and Google Chrome apps. The best Xstarter alternative is Vicinae, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Xstarter are Raycast, Keypirinha, RustCast and AppGrid for KDE.

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Xstarter alternatives page was last updated Oct 7, 2025

Rofi for Wayland
1 like
This is a fork of Rofi with added support for Wayland via the layer shell protocol.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Application Launcher
Platforms
Linux
Wayland
Is Rofi for Wayland a good alternative to Xstarter?
G
G
GNOME Launch Box
1 like
Launch Box is generally an application launcher. It's very influenced by Quicksilver for Mac OSX. Remember that this is only a first release so don't get your hopes up too much. Launch Box is written for the GNOME 2.10 platform and depends on GTK+ 2.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Application Launcher
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Linux
G
Is GNOME Launch Box a good alternative to Xstarter?
J
J
JetStart
3 likes
Tired of digging into crowded Start Menu? JetStart offers you a quick access to categorized Start Menu shortcuts, recently launched programs and system commands.
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application type
Application Launcher
Origin
Australia
Platforms
Windows
J
Is JetStart a good alternative to Xstarter?
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Raycast
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 plan...

https://raycast.com
Learn More
Mini Run
1 like
A handy tool to start application by keyboard.
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application type
Application Launcher
Platforms
Windows
Is Mini Run a good alternative to Xstarter?
EasyShell
1 like
A user-friendly graphical shell with tons of features that empowers non-technical people to do complicated stuff faster than ever before with simple, natural commands. Opening, Quiting, Installing or Uninstalling apps is now a breeze.
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Platforms
Windows
Is EasyShell a good alternative to Xstarter?
T
T
tofi
Like
Tiny dynamic menu for Wayland.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application type
Application Launcher
Platforms
Linux
+1
T
Is tofi a good alternative to Xstarter?
B
B
Bashrun2
Like
Launcher that uses a terminal with a modified bash session.

Bashrun2 is the second generation version of bashrun, an application launcher running a modified bash session in a small terminal window, providing all the well known bash features like tab-completion and history. Addi.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Application Launcher
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Linux
B
Is Bashrun2 a good alternative to Xstarter?