Raycast vs Alfred

Alfred charges once for a Mac-only Powerpack that unlocks snippets, while Raycast hands snippets to anyone on its free personal plan and sells AI credits on top. In our text expander category neither is a dedicated expander, since snippets sit beside launching, clipboard history and workflows in both. The sharper split is how each one grows. Raycast scales to teams with per-user tiers and an Enterprise plan, but Teams Free stops at 30 shared snippets. Alfred lists two single-user licences in pounds and no team plan at all, so shared libraries are out of reach.

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Both are reviewed in full in our text expander software ranking: Raycast and Alfred.

1. 01

   What the free tier gives you

   Raycast's free individual plan costs $0 and already includes Snippets, Clipboard History, Quicklinks and a Calculator, though clipboard history is kept for only 3 months and no AI is included. Alfred's core is also free to download and use forever with no strings attached, but that covers app launching and file search. Snippets, clipboard history and workflows all need the paid Powerpack. For someone who only wants text expansion at no cost, Raycast is the clear starting point.

   Edge: Raycast

2. 02

   £34, £59 and the question of one-time

   Alfred lists a Single License at £34 for one user, a v5 licence with a free upgrade to Alfred 6, and a Mega Supporter licence at £59 with free lifetime upgrades. The Powerpack page never states whether either is one-time or a subscription, which a buyer should confirm before paying. Raycast shows its paid individual prices in dollars without a currency code: Pro $10 a month or $96 a year, Plus $20 and Max $50 a month. Alfred's flat licences are simpler to budget for.

   Edge: Alfred

3. 03

   Thirty shared snippets and the team ceiling

   Raycast Teams Free allows unlimited members but caps shared items at 5 Commands, 30 Snippets and 30 Quicklinks, with no AI. Teams Pro costs $15 per user per month, Teams Plus $25 and Teams Max $65, and Enterprise adds SAML, SCIM and an IP Allow-List at a custom annual price. Alfred shows no team plan on the pages we read, only single-user licences. A group wanting any shared library has a path with Raycast and none with Alfred.

   Edge: Raycast

4. 04

   Credits that expire after 60 days

   Raycast Pro includes 500 AI credits a month, Plus 3,000 and Max 7,500, and the pricing page says monthly credits expire 60 days after being granted. An eligible new account can start a free Pro trial whose credits lapse after 7 days, and verified students get 50% off Pro. Alfred sells no AI credits and mentions no trial or free version of the Powerpack. If you want to test paid features before buying, only Raycast offers that.

   Edge: Raycast

5. 05

   Mac launcher or cross-platform extensions

   Alfred's Powerpack is listed for Mac only, with workflows launched by hotkey, keyword or Alfred Remote on iPad, plus snippets with auto-expansion and clipboard history that covers text, images, file paths and colour hex codes. Raycast says extensions built with its developer tools reach users on macOS and Windows, and its extensions connect tools such as Linear, Slack and Notion to the launcher. Windows users can only consider Raycast. Mac power users who like hotkey-built workflows may prefer Alfred.

   Depends on the buyer

6. 06

   Companies behind the apps

   Raycast is run by Raycast Technologies Ltd., a private limited company registered in England and Wales with a registered address in Altrincham, Cheshire, under English law. Alfred is made by Running with Crayons Ltd, founded in 2010 by Andrew and Vero Pepperrell, a company in England and Wales, with its address at Histon, Cambridge. Neither vendor page we read states a country outright, so we list both as not stated by the vendor. Raycast also links a Trust Center for security reviews.

   Depends on the buyer

Does a launcher count as a text expander at all?

Both are launchers first. Raycast lists Snippets as reusable text inserted by keyword, and Alfred's Powerpack lists snippets with auto-expansion. Expecting dedicated expander depth from either is optimistic.

Can Alfred snippets be tried before paying?

The homepage and Powerpack page mention no free trial. The core launcher is free to use, but snippets sit behind the Powerpack licence, so you would be paying before testing them.

What happens to unused Raycast AI credits?

Monthly credits expire 60 days after they are granted, and trial credits expire after 7 days. This matters little if you only want snippets, since the free plan includes them without AI.

• Raycast pricing page: individual and Teams tiers, shared item caps, credit expiry, trial and student discount.
• Raycast homepage: Snippets and Quicklinks as built-in features, extensions for Windows and macOS.
• Raycast terms of service: operating company, registered address and English governing law.
• Alfred Powerpack page: the £34 and £59 licences, Mac platform, workflow triggers and absence of a trial.
• Alfred homepage: free core launcher and clipboard history contents.
• Alfred about page: company name and 2010 founding by Andrew and Vero Pepperrell.