Raycast and Alfred vs a Simple Click-to-Launch App for Mac

Raycast and Alfred are launchers you drive with the keyboard. Jetty works the other way: you click tiles on a bar. They solve overlapping problems in different ways, so the right choice depends on how you like to work.

Short answer: the best app for clicking to launch your own fixed set of apps, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: it adds up to four docks to your screen edges, with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

The two approaches

Keyboard launchers. You press a key combination, type a few letters and press Return. This is fast once you know the names, and it can reach apps you have not put anywhere. Raycast and Alfred are two well-known examples; see each app's own site for what it offers and costs. Spotlight, which is built into macOS, does the basic version of this.

Click-to-launch bars. Your apps sit on screen as icons in a place you chose, and you click one. There is no name to remember and no search, but you decide in advance what is on the bar.

Jetty is the second kind. It has no search field, and there is no way to set a key combination to open a bar. That is a real trade-off, not a feature gap I can hide.

Both types, plus menu-bar launchers, are compared in app launcher for Mac: menu bar launchers vs screen-edge bars.

When a keyboard launcher fits better

• You like typing and rarely reach for the mouse.
• You open many different apps and files, not the same fifteen.
• You want to find things you have not set up in advance.

If that is you, Spotlight or a keyboard launcher is a better match for launching.

When a click-to-launch bar fits better

• You open the same set of apps, folders and sites every day and want them visible.
• You prefer recognizing an icon to remembering a name.
• You want groups, for example a "Design" tab and a "Dev" tab, that you can see at a glance.
• You want something with little to configure. In Jetty you drag apps, files or folders onto a bar, and each becomes a tile.

What Jetty gives you

• Up to four bars, each pinned to the top, bottom, left or right edge of the main screen, or floating where you drag it.
• Tabs on each bar, shown when a bar has more than one tab.
• Tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. A folder tile opens a popup that lists its contents.
• Tile size (Small, Medium or Large), rows or columns, labels and auto-hide set per bar.
• A menu-bar item that lists your bars so you can show, hide or edit them. Launching happens from the bars.
• One local file for storage, with no account, no cloud and no sync.

A Shortcut tile can run a named shortcut from the Shortcuts app, which links Jetty to anything you build there.

Raycast vs Alfred: the short version

Both are keyboard launchers: you press a key, type and press Return. What their own pages state, checked 2026-10-10:

Competitor details last checked: 2026-10-10, from each vendor's own pages. If you would rather click than type, our pick, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty instead of either; many people run a keyboard launcher and a Jetty bar side by side.

Using both

They do not conflict. Many people use a keyboard launcher for anything-by-name and a bar for the fixed set they use daily. Jetty does not touch the macOS Dock either, so Dock, keyboard launcher and bar can all coexist. For a wider list of Dock-style options, see our guide to Dock apps for Mac.

For more click-first ways to open apps, see how to launch apps faster on Mac without Spotlight and Dock vs menu bar launcher vs screen-edge bars.

How we checked

On 2026-10-10 we read Raycast's and Alfred's own pages for the table above; we did not test either app for this page. Jetty's details come from its source code and App Store listing, collected on the facts page; I build Jetty.

FAQ

Is Jetty an alternative to Raycast or Alfred?

For launching a fixed set of apps by clicking, it can be. It has no search and no keyboard trigger, so it is not a replacement for typing-based launching.

Does Jetty have a search or hotkey?

No. Jetty has no search field and no way to set a key combination for opening a bar.

Can I use Jetty with a keyboard launcher?

Yes. They do different jobs, so you can keep a keyboard launcher for everything and use Jetty bars for the apps you click every day.

What is the simplest way to launch apps faster on a Mac?

Remove what you do not use from the Dock and keep your daily apps visible; our pick for that (I build it) is a Jetty bar with tabs. Spotlight covers the rest by name.

Raycast vs Alfred: which should I use?

Both are keyboard launchers. Per their pages, Raycast is free for personal use with a Pro subscription, and Alfred's core is free with a one-time Powerpack licence. If you prefer clicking to typing, our pick, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty instead.

What is a good alternative to Raycast or Alfred?

For a click-first launcher, our pick is Jetty (I build it): bars of one-click tiles, no typing. If you want another keyboard launcher, Spotlight is built in and LaunchBar is another one.

Is there a Spotlight alternative for Mac?

Raycast and Alfred are the common keyboard alternatives. If what you want is fewer searches altogether, our pick is Jetty: your daily apps stay one click away on a bar.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.