13 Free and Open-source Launcher Apps for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
1- LaunchMenu
open-source cross-platform launcher
LaunchMenu is an free, open source, cross-platform utility application which brings utilities (applets) to your fingertips. It intends to increase your productivity through it's keyboard-centric design, meanwhile also being extremely customisable with advanced theming and applet settings. The application is styled similar to that of Spotlight for Mac, however it allows for 3rd party applets to be built and installed, further increasing your productivity in any aspect of life.
LaunchMenu runs in the background, and launches when the user presses the "open LaunchMenu" hotkey (⌘ + space/⊞ + space by default).
Read about LaunchMenu 's features, license, platforms, and more.
2- Cerebro
Desktop Search Assistant
Cerebro is a multi-platform desktop app that helps the user to search their machine or the internet with no more than a few clicks.
The app is created by Alexandr Subbotin a Russian developer, who also created several useful plugins. Later then, the app attracted many developers who supply it with more plugins and support.
If you are a macOS user, You can notice the similarity with the built-in search app Spotlight search, which indexes all of your files and improve search and access to everything.
Cerebro is similar to Spotlight, but with more extended functions, and a rich plugin set. Like Spotlight, you can use it to access your installed apps and search Google directly without opening any browser.
Cerebro is more than just a search tool, it is a productivity booster that can help you do more.
Read about Cerebro 's features, license, platforms, and more.
3- Phoenix Game Launcher
An open source game launcher written in SwiftUI for MacOS!
Phoenix is an open-source game launcher for MacOS, created by Shock9616, written in SwiftUI. This launcher was inspired by projects like Playnite and Lutris, and supports any game which can be launched from the command line. (So basically all of them!) It was designed to be small, fast, and not overly complicated.
Read about Phoenix Game Launcher 's features, license, platforms, and more.
4- DSFQuickActionBar
A spotlight-inspired quick action bar for macOS.
DSFQuickActionBar is a spotlight-inspired quick action bar for macOS. AppKit/SwiftUI.
Read about DSFQuickActionBar 's features, license, platforms, and more.
5- Flashlight
An unofficial Spotlight API that allows you to programmatically process queries and add additional results.
Flashlight gives you control over Spotlight. There are tons of options for customization so you can do things how you want to. Flashlight is designed to make enhancing Spotlight easy and enhance it's usefulness on macOS 10.9 though 10.15
Read about Flashlight 's features, license, platforms, and more.
6- Quicksilver
macOS launcher
Quicksilver is a fast and free macOS productivity application that gives you the power to control your Mac quickly and elegantly. Quicksilver learns your habits, making your everyday chores simple and efficient.
Quicksilver is a launcher utility app for macOS which gives you the ability to perform common, every-day tasks rapidly and without thought. An introduction to Quicksilver's abilities include:
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Accessing applications, documents, contacts, music and much, much more.
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Browsing your Mac's filesystem elegantly using keywords and 'fuzzy' matching.
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Managing content through drag and drop, or grabbing selected content directly.
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Interacting with installed applications through plugins.
Quicksilver gives you quick access to all your important things. With only a few keystrokes, you can get to your applications, files, contacts, bookmarks, music, etc. Don't get distracted though; although Quicksilver finds and launches things quickly and extremely well, it's more about doing, not finding.
Read about Quicksilver 's features, license, platforms, and more.
7- Snap
A better Spotlight search for macOS.
Snap is an application which searches your Files, Contacts and Calendar events using Spotlight Metadata. It has many customization options as well as the ability to speed up your workflow by providing features like music control, clipboard history, snippet expansion and system commands like sleeping, restarting and shutting down the computer. Snap is inspired by Alfred.
Read about Snap 's features, license, platforms, and more.
8- Tonnerre
An extensible and productive spotlight alternative
Tonnerre is a pure swift built, extensible, and productive Spotlight alternative. You can consider it as a global search bar with everything you are interested, or it is a text-based Siri who responds to all your requests.
Read about Tonnerre 's features, license, platforms, and more.
9- Sol
macOS App launcher, focused on ease of use and speed.
Sol is an app launcher, focused on ease of use and speed.
It is aimed to be a replacement for Alfred, Spotlight and Raycast without too much configuration.
Read about Sol 's features, license, platforms, and more.
10- Spotter
🔭 Productivity tool to launch everything
Spotter is a free open-source productivity tool that allows to launch everything (e.g. switch the next song, connect bluetooth device, set a timer, etc.) so you can stay focused on your current task.
Spotter is written using Flutter and Dart language.
Read about Spotter 's features, license, platforms, and more.
11- ueli
A keystroke launcher for Windows and macOS
ueli is a free useful tool that boosts your productivity on Windows and macOS.
Read about ueli 's features, license, platforms, and more.
12- Verve
lightweight and blazingly fast launcher for accessing and opening applications, files and documents.
Verve is a lightweight and blazingly fast launcher for accessing and opening applications, files and documents. It serves as a replacement for popular tools such as Spotlight, Raycast, and Alfred, and is written in the Rust programming language using the Tauri Framework.
Read about Verve 's features, license, platforms, and more.
13- Zazu App
open-source launcher for hackers
Zazu App is a fully extensible and open source launcher for hackers, creators and dabblers. It comes with sane defaults to make it useful out of the box. But everything can be changed to fit your needs. Don't let others tell you the best way to be productive, configure it to be perfect for you.
Zazu was created to be a fully open source alternative to Alfred, but also be completely plugin based. You can remove any functionality you don't like, so if you hate the built in calculator, just get a new one!
Read about Zazu App 's features, license, platforms, and more.