According to MakeUseOf, the highly anticipated productivity launcher Raycast, previously exclusive to macOS, is now available in a public Beta for Windows. The core application is free to use, with only its AI and sync features locked behind a paid Pro subscription. The launcher allows users to open apps, find files, manage system actions, and automate tasks from a single keyboard-driven interface, activated by the default hotkey Alt + Space. It directly competes with established Windows tools like Microsoft’s PowerToys Run, Flow Launcher, and Listary. The reviewer found its performance over several weeks to be flawless and its design notably polished, leading them to adopt it as their primary launcher despite some lingering use of Listary for file explorer integration.
The new sheriff in town
Here’s the thing: the Windows quick-launcher scene has been kinda fragmented. You’ve got Microsoft’s own PowerToys Run, which is solid but feels a bit like an afterthought in the grand PowerToys suite. Then there are community-driven tools like Flow Launcher and paid options like Listary. They all work, but they often lack that final layer of polish and intuitive design. Raycast enters this space not as another scrappy utility, but as a fully-formed product with a clear vision. It feels deliberate. The way it seamlessly indexes and launches anything—Store apps, Steam games, random EXEs—is impressively fast. But where it really starts to pull ahead is in system integration. Needing to remember prefixes like ‘$’ or ‘s’ to search system settings in other launchers always felt clunky. Raycast just gets it right out of the gate.
It wants to replace your other tools, too
This is where Raycast gets ambitious. It’s not content just being a better app launcher. It looks at the other single-purpose utilities cluttering your system tray and says, “I can do that.” Its built-in clipboard history is a legitimate contender to replace dedicated managers like Ditto, especially with features like pinning and three-month retention. Quicklinks and snippets could easily handle many of the macros people script in AutoHotkey. And the extension store? It’s a massive advantage. Having a curated, one-click repository for adding functionality—from killing processes to controlling Spotify—creates an ecosystem that Windows-native launchers haven’t really matched. It turns the launcher from a tool into a platform.
So who should be worried?
PowerToys Run probably has the least to fear in the short term because it’s free and bundled with a beloved suite of utilities from Microsoft. But for Flow Launcher and especially Listary, Raycast feels like a direct, premium challenger. Listary’s deep integration with File Explorer is its killer feature for many, myself included, and that might be its saving grace. But for the core use case of launching and searching, Raycast’s polish is hard to ignore. It also raises the bar for design expectations. Windows power users are accustomed to functional but sometimes ugly tools. Raycast proves you can have powerful functionality wrapped in a clean, animated, pleasant interface. That’s going to put pressure on everyone else to up their game.
A new standard for Windows productivity?
Look, I’m always skeptical of “finally on Windows” hype. Sometimes the magic doesn’t translate. But in this case, the Mac users were right. Raycast brings a level of refinement and holistic thinking that the Windows utility space has been missing. Is it perfect? No. The reviewer still leans on Listary within File Explorer, and power users with deeply ingrained workflows might find a transition period. But as a primary launcher and command center? It’s incredibly compelling. The fact that it’s free for the vast majority of its features means there’s almost no barrier to trying it. If you live by your keyboard, you owe it to yourself to download the Beta. It might just change how you interact with your PC.
