Comparison of desktop application launchers

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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.

Contents

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

Android

Windows

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

CreatorLatest stable versionRelease date Software license Open source Programming language Plugin support
Appetizer Laurent Cozic1.4.6.494February 13, 2010 GPL Yes C++, wxWidgets Yes
ASuite SalvadorSoftware2.0April 20, 2020 GPL Yes Delphi No
Classic Shell Ivo Beltchev4.3.1August 12, 2017 MIT Yes C++ Yes [note 1]
Microsoft PowerToys Run Microsoft 0.73.0August 23, 2023 MIT Yes C++, C# Yes
PortableApps.com Platform Rare Ideas, LLC15.0.2May 17, 2018 GPL Yes [note 2] Delphi No
SliderDock Dimitri Roozendaal1.21October 11, 2010 Creative Commons No?No
  1. ↑ Via shell namespace extensions inside the menu
  2. ↑ PortableApps.com branding is trademarked

Linux

These desktop application launchers work with Linux operating systems only.

CreatorLatest stable versionRelease dateOS Software license Open source Programming language Plugin support
9menu Arnold Robbins1.8June 1, 2004 Linux GPL Yes C No
Avant Window Navigator Neil J. Patel0.4.2 [1] November 27, 2013 Linux GPL Yes C Yes
dmenu dwm developers5.4 [2] August 9, 2025 Linux MIT License Yes C No
GNOME Do GNOME Do Developers0.95.1 [3] January 23, 2014 Linux GPL Yes C# Yes
Katapult TDE DevelopersR14.0.6 [4] March 5, 2019 Linux with TDE GPL Yes C++ Yes
Unity Dash Canonical Ltd. 7.3.0 [5] June 19, 2014 Ubuntu GPLv3 Yes Vala Yes ("lenses" and "scopes")
Synapse Michal Hruby and Alberto Aldegheri0.2.99.4 [6] April 8, 2018 Linux GPLv3 Yes Vala Yes

macOS

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

CreatorLatest stable versionRelease date Software license Open source Programming language Plugin supportRuns on macOS Catalina
Alfred Running with Crayons5.5March 18, 2024 Proprietary No Objective-C YesYes
Butler Peter Maurer4.4.8January 8, 2024 Proprietary No Objective-C YesYes
DragThing James Thomson5.9.17November 16, 2016 Proprietary No C++ YesNo
LaunchBar Objective Development6.19.1July 5, 2024 Proprietary No Objective-C YesYes
Quicksilver Quicksilver Foundation2.4.2December 28, 2023 Apache License Yes Objective-C YesYes
Raycast Raycast Technologies Ltd.1.79.0July 17, 2024 Proprietary No Swift YesYes

Cross platform

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

CreatorLatest stable versionRelease dateOS Software license Open source Programming language Plugin supportRuns on macOS Catalina
Launchy Josh Karlin2.5.0April 4, 2010 Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS GPL Yes C++ (Qt)YesNo

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Awn in Launchpad". Launchpad. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "suckless.org software that sucks less". suckless.org. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Rogers, Chris. "Do 0.95.1 released". Launchpad. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Katapult - Katapult – a general purpose launcher".
  5. ↑ "Unity". Launchpad. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "synapse-project - [no description]". Git.launchpad.net. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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