Introduction
Raycast is a productivity tool for macOS that combines an extendable launcher with a suite of built-in utilities. It allows users to launch applications, run commands, and automate tasks from a single interface. Raycast also offers AI capabilities, a store of community-built extensions, and features like snippets, quicklinks, and window management. It is designed to be fast, ergonomic, and reliable, with a focus on keyboard-driven workflows.
What is Raycast?
Raycast is a collection of powerful productivity tools within an extendable launcher. It provides a command bar that can be used to launch apps, search files, manage windows, and perform various other tasks. The tool supports extensions, allowing users to integrate their favorite services and customize their workflow. Raycast is available on macOS, with iOS and Windows versions also offered. It includes AI features that integrate with the tools users already rely on.
What makes Raycast stand out?
- Extensible launcher: Raycast serves as a central hub for launching apps and running commands, with support for thousands of extensions.
- Built-in productivity tools: It includes features like snippets, quicklinks, hotkeys, notes, clipboard history, and window management.
- AI integration: Raycast AI can use the tools you already rely on to help with tasks such as summarizing text, drafting emails, and managing calendars.
- Keyboard-first design: The interface is optimized for keyboard use, aiming to be fast and ergonomic.
- Reliability: Raycast reports a 99.8% crash-free rate.
- Cross-platform extension development: Developers can build extensions once and make them available on both macOS and Windows.
- Community and store: Users can browse and install thousands of extensions from the Raycast Store.
Who is it for?
- Professionals: Used by CEOs, creators, designers, developers, and other professionals to streamline their workflows.
- Developers: Offers a strongly typed API, hot-reloading, and modern tooling for building extensions.
- Productivity enthusiasts: Ideal for anyone looking to automate repetitive tasks and speed up their daily work.
- Teams and enterprises: Raycast offers Teams and Enterprise plans for collaborative use.
What can you do with Raycast?
- Launch apps and run commands: Use the command bar to open applications, search files, and execute scripts.
- Automate tasks: Create snippets, quicklinks, and hotkeys to automate repetitive actions.
- Use AI: Access AI chat, quick AI, and AI extensions to get assistance with tasks like summarizing, drafting, and planning.
- Manage your day: Take notes, track flights, convert units, manage windows, plan your day, set reminders, translate languages, block distractions, find text in screenshots, and insert emojis.
- Integrate tools: Connect with services like Linear, Google Translate, Spotify, Arc, TinyPNG, 1Password, JIRA, Slack, Zoom, Notion, Todoist, Google Search, Obsidian, Google Chrome, and CleanShot X.
- Customize: Assign hotkeys or aliases to common commands or apps.
How does Raycast work?
Raycast operates as a launcher that sits on top of your operating system. It is invoked via a keyboard shortcut and provides a command bar where you can type commands or search for apps and files. Extensions add new commands and integrations, which can be installed from the Raycast Store. The AI features use the tools you already rely on to perform tasks. Developers can build extensions using Raycast's API, which includes a UI component library, hot-reloading, and modern tooling. Extensions can be published to the Raycast Store for others to use.
