How Apple’s New Spotlight Compares to Raycast

The new Spotlight launcher tool coming to macOS this year looks and works a lot like the indie application Raycast. Here’s what they can both do, and how they differ.

Two years ago I called Raycast the launcher Apple wishes it made. Apple, it seems, agreed—it’s adding all kinds of features to macOS later this year that duplicate a number of Raycast features.

Tahoe—which is currently in a public beta and will be widely available in the fall—includes a number of new features. One stands out: an overhauled version of Spotlight that adds a lot of new functionality. A few of these capabilities overlap directly with things that Raycast does. You can do things like write text messages or reminders without leaving Spotlight, for example. Eventually you'll be able to interact directly with third-party apps. There's also a clipboard manager, which is one ...