Comparison of desktop application launchers

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Template:Short description Template:Refimprove An application launcher is a computer program that helps a user to locate and start other computer programs. An application launcher provides shortcuts to computer programs, and stores the shortcuts in one place so they are easier to find.

In the comparison of desktop application launchers that follows, each section is devoted to a different desktop environment.

Android

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Windows

These desktop application launchers work with Microsoft Windows operating systems only.

Creator Latest stable version Release date Software license Open source Programming language Plugin support
Template:Rh | Flow Launcher Jeremy Wu 1.19.5 Template:Dts MIT Yes C# Yes
Template:Rh | Appetizer Laurent Cozic 1.4.6.494 Template:Dts GPL Yes C++, wxWidgets Yes
Template:Rh | ASuite SalvadorSoftware 2.0 Template:Dts GPL Yes Delphi No
Template:Rh | Classic Shell Ivo Beltchev 4.3.1 Template:Dts MIT Yes C++ Yes[note 1]
Template:Rh class="table-rh" | Keypirinha Jean-Charles Lefebvre 2.26 Template:Dts Freeware No ? Yes
Template:Rh | LiberKey Captel SARL 5.8.1129 Template:Dts Proprietary No ? No
Template:Rh | Microsoft PowerToys Run Microsoft 0.73.0 Template:Dts MIT Yes C++, C# Yes
Template:Rh | PortableApps.com Platform Rare Ideas, LLC 15.0.2 Template:Dts GPL Yes[note 2] Delphi No
Template:Rh | Quick Access Popup Jean Lalonde 11.5.10 Template:Dts Freeware Yes AutoHotkey No
Template:Rh | SliderDock Dimitri Roozendaal 1.21 Template:Dts Creative Commons No ? No
Template:Rh | SyMenu Gianluca Negrelli 7.00.8038 [1] Template:Dts Freeware No C# Yes
Template:Rh class="table-rh" | Wox Qianli Feng v1.3.524 Template:Dts Freeware Yes C# Yes
Template:Rh | XIA Links CENTREL Solutions 4.2.12 [2] Template:Dts Proprietary No C# No
Template:Rh | Prompt-ly Brandon Dodd 0.5.2-beta April 16, 2025 Proprietary No TypeScript No

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  1. ↑ Via shell namespace extensions inside the menu
  2. ↑ PortableApps.com branding is trademarked

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Linux

These desktop application launchers work with Linux operating systems only.

Creator Latest stable version Release date OS Software license Open source Programming language Plugin support
Template:Rh | Albert Launcher Manuel Schneider 0.18 Template:Dts Linux ALL No (Source available C++ (Qt) Yes
Template:Rh | 9menu Arnold Robbins 1.8 Template:Dts Linux GPL Yes C No
Template:Rh | Avant Window Navigator Neil J. Patel 0.4.2 [3] Template:Dts Linux GPL Yes C Yes
Template:Rh | dmenu dwm developers 4.5[4] Template:Dts Linux MIT License Yes C No
Template:Rh | GNOME Do GNOME Do Developers 0.95.1[5] Template:Dts Linux GPL Yes C# Yes
Template:Rh | Katapult TDE Developers R14.0.6[6] Template:Dts Linux with TDE GPL Yes C++ Yes
Template:Rh | Unity Dash Canonical Ltd. 7.3.0[7] Template:Dts Ubuntu GPLv3 Yes Vala Yes ("lenses" and "scopes")
Template:Rh | Synapse Michal Hruby and Alberto Aldegheri 0.2.99.4[8] Template:Dts Linux GPLv3 Yes Vala Yes

macOS

These desktop application launchers work with the Apple macOS operating system only.

Creator Latest stable version Release date Software license Open source Programming language Plugin support Runs on macOS Catalina
Template:Rh | Alfred Running with Crayons 5.5 March 18, 2024 Proprietary No Objective-C Yes Yes
Template:Rh | Butler Peter Maurer 4.4.8 January 8, 2024 Proprietary No Objective-C Yes Yes
Template:Rh | DragThing James Thomson 5.9.17 November 16, 2016 Proprietary No C++ Yes No
Template:Rh | LaunchBar Objective Development 6.19.1 July 5, 2024 Proprietary No Objective-C Yes Yes
Template:Rh | Quicksilver Quicksilver Foundation 2.4.2 December 28, 2023 Apache License Yes Objective-C Yes Yes
Template:Rh | Raycast Raycast Technologies Ltd. 1.79.0 July 17, 2024 Proprietary No Swift Yes Yes
Template:Rh | SpeedDock SpeedDock 1.9 November 5, 2019 Proprietary No Swift No Yes

Cross platform

These desktop application launchers work with two or more different operating systems.

Creator Latest stable version Release date OS Software license Open source Programming language Plugin support Runs on macOS Catalina
Template:Rh | Launchy Josh Karlin 2.5.0 Template:Dts Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS GPL Yes C++ (Qt) Yes No

See also

References

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External links

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