What is Raycast AI?
Raycast is a macOS launcher (Spotlight replacement) with deep AI integration. Beyond app launching and clipboard history, Raycast AI provides AI commands that work system-wide — summarize emails, fix grammar, generate code, translate text, and create custom AI commands triggered by keyboard shortcuts. It brings LLM capabilities to any app on your Mac without switching contexts.
Answer-Ready: Raycast is a macOS launcher with built-in AI commands. System-wide AI actions (summarize, translate, code gen) via keyboard shortcuts. Custom AI commands, snippet expansion, and 1000+ extensions. Claude and GPT models supported. 15M+ downloads.
Best for: macOS developers wanting AI-powered productivity workflows. Works with: Claude, GPT-4o, and custom API endpoints. Setup time: Under 2 minutes.
Core Features
1. AI Commands (System-Wide)
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Fix Spelling & Grammar | Correct text in any app |
| Make Shorter / Longer | Adjust text length |
| Change Tone | Professional, casual, friendly |
| Explain Code | Understand highlighted code |
| Generate Code | Create code from description |
| Translate | Any language pair |
| Summarize | Condense long text |
2. Custom AI Commands
Name: "Code Review"
Prompt: "Review this code for bugs, performance issues, and best practices. Be concise."
Model: Claude Sonnet
Shortcut: Cmd+Shift+R3. AI Chat
Built-in chat interface accessible from the launcher:
- Conversational AI with context
- Drag-and-drop file attachments
- Code block rendering
- Chat history
4. Snippets with AI
Trigger: ;;explain
Expansion: {ai: "Explain the following concept in simple terms: {clipboard}"}5. Extensions (1000+)
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Developer | GitHub, Linear, Jira, VSCode |
| Productivity | Notion, Todoist, Calendar |
| AI | ChatGPT, Claude, Ollama |
| Design | Figma, Colors, Icons |
| DevOps | Docker, AWS, Vercel |
Raycast vs Alfred vs Spotlight
| Feature | Raycast | Alfred | Spotlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI built-in | Yes | No (plugins) | Apple Intelligence |
| Extensions | 1000+ | 3000+ | None |
| Snippets | Yes + AI | Yes | No |
| Window management | Yes | No | No |
| Clipboard history | Yes | Yes (paid) | No |
| Price | Free + Pro ($8/mo) | Free + Mega ($34) | Free |
FAQ
Q: Is it free? A: Raycast is free. AI features require Raycast Pro ($8/mo) or bring your own API key (free).
Q: Can I use Claude instead of GPT? A: Yes, Raycast Pro supports Claude Sonnet. With API key mode, configure any model.
Q: Does it work with Claude Code? A: They complement each other — Raycast for quick system-wide AI actions, Claude Code for deep coding sessions.