--- title: "Raycast: The 2025 Productivity Launcher" description: "A review of Raycast, a modern productivity tool for macOS" url: https://lbor.dev/raycast-the-2025-productivity-launcher/ --- # Raycast - The 2025 Productivity Launcher By [Luke O'Regan](/) Published Nov 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 19, 2026 ## What Is Raycast Today? [Raycast](https://raycast.com/?via=luke-o-regan) is a macOS‑centric launcher that has evolved into a full‑featured productivity platform. It still opens with a single hot‑key (⌥ Space by default) and offers instant, incremental search, but recent releases have added \*\*AI‑driven chat\*\*, \*\*cross‑platform extensions\*\*, and \*\*custom window‑management APIs\*\*. The app now ships a public beta for Windows, bringing the same keyboard‑first experience to PC users. * * * ## Who Benefits Most? - **Developers & IT pros** – built‑in Git, Jira, Linear, and a new **AI Pro API** let you query code, create issues and generate snippets without leaving the terminal. - **Power users & creatives** – the **Focus mode** (released Jan 2025) blocks distracting apps/websites, while **Raycast Notes** (Nov 2024) provides a lightweight, Markdown‑based note‑taking pane. - **General Mac users** – the revamped Spotlight‑style UI (macOS Tahoe, 2025) adds Liquid‑Glass controls, a clipboard history, quick‑key aliases and a richer results grid, making everyday tasks feel instantaneous. * * * ## Recent Highlights (2024‑2025) Feature Description Release **AI Chat (Pro)** Inline ChatGPT‑4o, Gemini 1.5 Pro and DeepSeek models; AI can summarise pages, generate code or create images from prompts. 16 Apr 2025 **Windows Beta** First public beta for Windows, supporting the same extension store and shortcut system. 28 Aug 2025 **Focus Mode** Block selected apps/websites, set timers and view a “focus‑score” dashboard. 16 Jan 2025 **Raycast Notes** Fast, searchable Markdown notes with tag filtering and quick‑link creation. 6 Nov 2024 **Custom Window‑Management API** Define layout rules (size, position, workspace) in extensions; replaces third‑party tools like Rectangle. 22 May 2024 **GitHub Copilot Extension** Directly invoke Copilot suggestions from the launcher. 28 Aug 2025 **Local AI Models** Run Llama‑3 or Ollama models on‑device via the **AI Local** extension. 20 May 2025 **Improved UI for macOS Tahoe** Liquid‑Glass controls, floating AI chat window and refreshed icon set. 2025 (macOS Tahoe) **Extension Platform Updates** Platform‑specific shortcuts, ESM support, Node 22 runtime, React 19, and new `Tools` entry‑points for AI‑driven extensions. Sep 2025‑Oct 2025 * * * ## Raycast vs. Other Launchers **Raycast** **Alfred** **Spotlight** **AI integration** Built‑in ChatGPT‑4o, Gemini 1.5, local LLMs (Pro) Requires third‑party workflows None **Cross‑platform** macOS + Windows beta macOS only macOS only **Extension store** Open‑source + commercial, ESM support, platform‑specific shortcuts Mostly paid, limited API No extensions **Custom window management** Native API, no extra app needed Requires third‑party scripts None **Focus mode** Integrated distraction blocker No native equivalent None **Default keymaps** Blank slate (customisable) Pre‑configured defaults Fixed system defaults Raycast now offers **far more AI capabilities** and a **Windows client**, while retaining the speed and minimalism that set it apart from Spotlight. * * * ## Practical Use Cases (2025) 1. **Instant code assistance** – Press `⌥ Space`, type “`git status`”, hit **Enter**, then select **AI Chat** to ask “What does this error mean?” and receive a concise explanation powered by GPT‑4o. 2. **Focus sessions** – Activate **Focus Mode** (`⌥ F`) to block Slack, YouTube and Chrome for a 45‑minute Pomodoro; the UI shows a live timer and a distraction‑score at the end. 3. **Cross‑device notes** – Create a note in **Raycast Notes**, tag it `#meeting`, and instantly access it from the iOS app (released May 2025) with the same hot‑key. 4. **Windows workflow** – On a PC, press `Ctrl Space` to launch Raycast, search for a file, or run a PowerShell script via the new **Tools** API without leaving the launcher. 5. **Local AI summarisation** – Highlight a paragraph in any app, press `Option Enter`, and the **AI Local** extension summarises the text using an on‑device Llama‑3 model, keeping data private. * * * ## Raycast Pro – What You Get - **Unlimited AI model access** – GPT‑4o, Gemini 1.5 Flash/Pro, DeepSeek R1², xAI Grok‑2 and Perplexity Sonar Pro. - **Chat history sync** across macOS, iOS and Windows via encrypted cloud storage. - **Advanced window‑management presets** – save and recall complex multi‑monitor layouts with a single command. - **Priority support** and early access to beta extensions (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Local Models). * * * ## Raycast 2.0 *Checked against [Raycast’s own page for the new version](https://www.raycast.com/new) on 19 October 2026.* Raycast 2.0 is a rebuilt version of the app. On installation it replaces Raycast v1, and onboarding lets you import your existing setup. Raycast describes it as a major update with frequent updates and occasional rough edges, and says a handful of features are still missing. - **Requirements:** macOS Tahoe and Apple Silicon. Anyone still on Sequoia or earlier has to upgrade macOS first. - **What’s new:** a refreshed look for macOS Tahoe, file search in the root search, a Quick AI mode, an AI Chat with skills, agents and memory, built-in dictation, reorganised settings, and hotkeys and aliases that you can assign from root search. - **Migrating:** a `Migrate from Raycast v1` command moves your settings, shortcuts and data. Raycast recommends being on v1.104.16 or later first so custom extensions import correctly. The details above come from Raycast’s page, not from my own testing of version 2. The feature tables earlier in this review describe Raycast as it stood in 2025 and haven’t been re-tested against 2.0. * * * ### Quick Start 1. Install Raycast from [https://raycast.com/](https://raycast.com/?via=luke-o-regan) (free) or the Windows beta page. 2. Press `⌥ Space` (macOS) or `Ctrl Space` (Windows) to open the launcher. 3. Enable **Pro** in Settings → **AI** to unlock the full model suite. 4. Browse the **Store** for extensions like **Focus**, **Notes**, **GitHub Copilot** or **Local AI**. * * * *Sources: Raycast changelog entries, product‑hunt launch notes and official release notes for the 2024–2025 material, and [Raycast’s version 2 page](https://www.raycast.com/new) (checked 19 October 2026) for the Raycast 2.0 section.*