A 
Alfred
The original macOS launcher, with workflows and clipboard history.
KINDA
why this verdict
Keep it for the workflow, not the AI
Raycast and Spotlight cover the headline feature free, and the workflow around it is why you would still open this.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Raycast bundled AI chat and extensions into the same keystroke. OpenAI, January 1, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 2 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Raycast and Spotlight.
- What the call is worth nothing to cancel
- No paid entry tier tracked, so there is no subscription to cancel.
Reason composed from the fields above missing: announcement linked recorded: free replacement listed recorded: two or more escape hatches
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- January 1, 2025
- List price
- free
- Per year
- —
The backstory
Alfred defined the launcher category and its Powerpack workflows are still enormously capable. Raycast then arrived with a modern extension store and an AI assistant on the same hotkey, which is where new users went. Alfred keeps the people who built ten years of workflows on it.
Escape hatches
R 
Raycast Free tier, AI built in.
raycast.com open_in_new S 
Spotlight Free and now smarter.
apple.com open_in_new2 of 2 replacements have a usable free tier.