One Swift file is a plugin
Type-checked by the compiler, drawn natively, tested headless with stackbarctl. No Node, no bundler, no project.
Compare
Pick the launcher that fits.
How Stackbar lines up against Raycast, Alfred and Spotlight, including where it falls short.
| Feature | StackbarOpen source launcher | RaycastLauncher with AI plans | AlfredLauncher with Powerpack | SpotlightBuilt into macOS 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free; Pro $10 a month | Free; Powerpack £34 | Included |
| Account | None | For paid plans and sync | None | None |
| Open source | Yes, MIT | Extensions only | No | No |
| Extensions in | Swift, one file | TypeScript and React | Workflows and scripts | App Intents and Shortcuts |
| Apps, files, sums | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clipboard history | Yes | Yes | With Powerpack | Yes |
| Snippets | Yes, with expansion | Yes, with expansion | With Powerpack | No |
| Window layouts | Yes | Yes | With workflows | No |
| Live menu bar items | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Desktop widgets | Yes | No | No | No |
| Built-in AI chat | No; bring your agent | With paid plans | With workflows | No |
| Tools for your AI agents (MCP) | Every plugin tool | Uses MCP servers in its AI | No | No |
| Plugin isolation | Own sandboxed process, approved access | Reviewed store | Runs as you | Apps' own sandbox |
| Platforms | macOS 26, Apple Silicon | Mac, Windows, iOS | Mac | Mac |
Checked 5 November 2026 against each vendor's pages. Prices are for one person. Spotted something out of date? Fix it on GitHub.
Why Stackbar
What's different.
Every plugin in its own sandbox
Each one runs in its own process with only the hosts, files and data you approved. A crash stays in its box.
More than a search box
The same plugin can live in the menu bar, open a panel or window, and sit on your desktop as a widget.
No account, no subscription
MIT licensed, nothing to sign in to, no tracking. Crash reports only if you turn them on.
Honestly
Where Stackbar falls short today.
If one of these matters to you, Raycast or Alfred may suit you better for now.
- Mac only, and only macOS 26 on Apple Silicon.
- No built-in AI chat. Your own agent can use every plugin through MCP, and an Ask AI plugin with your own key is planned.
- A young store: about 25 plugins, against Raycast's thousands of extensions.
- No team features or cloud sync. Settings move between Macs as one file.
Questions
Can Stackbar replace Spotlight?
Yes. Pick ⌘Space as the palette hotkey and turn off Spotlight's shortcut; Stackbar finds apps, System Settings panes, files and sums, and runs every plugin's commands.
Is Stackbar a Raycast clone?
No. It is a separate, open source app written in Swift. It reads Raycast's snippet and quicklink exports and uses the same template syntax, so moving is easy, but plugins are Swift files, not TypeScript extensions.
Does Stackbar cost anything?
No. It is free and MIT licensed, with no paid tier and no account.