Raycast

What Raycast is

A launcher that does more than launch. It replaces the system search box with a keyboard-driven window from which you can run apps, search files, trigger actions in other tools and call AI on whatever you have selected.

Extensions are the reason it stays useful: there is one for most tools a technical team uses.

What you can do with it

• Launch apps and search files by keyboard
• Run actions in issue trackers, calendars and music apps
• Use AI chat from the launcher
• Apply quick AI actions to selected text
• Store snippets and reuse commands
• Manage windows without dragging
• Install extensions for tools you use daily
• Use it across Mac, iOS and Windows

Who it is for

• Developers and engineers
• People who prefer the keyboard to the mouse
• Anyone using many web tools in parallel
• Teams standardising the same set of shortcuts

What to watch out for

• It is macOS-first in spirit, and features differ across Windows and iOS
• Extensions are third-party code running with your permissions, so review what you install
• AI features send selected text to a model provider, which matters if you select confidential content
• The depth only pays off if you invest in learning the shortcuts