Wox — Cross-Platform Keyboard Launcher for Power Users

Introduction

Wox is a cross-platform launcher that lets you search applications, files, bookmarks, and more from a single keystroke. Originally built for Windows as an Alfred alternative, it has evolved into a Go-based cross-platform tool with a rich plugin ecosystem. It helps developers stay in the flow by eliminating mouse-driven navigation.

What Wox Does

• Instantly launches applications and opens files from keyboard input
• Searches the web, bookmarks, and system settings
• Runs shell commands and scripts directly from the launcher
• Supports hundreds of community plugins for extended functionality
• Provides calculator, dictionary, and URL shortcut features built-in

Architecture Overview

Wox is built in Go with a native UI layer that adapts to each operating system. The core indexes installed applications and file metadata for instant fuzzy-match search. A plugin API allows third-party extensions written in Go, Python, or Node.js to hook into the launcher pipeline, each receiving the user query and returning ranked results.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Download pre-built binaries from GitHub releases for Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Configure the global hotkey (default Alt+Space) in settings
• Install plugins from the built-in plugin store or manually
• Customize themes and result display preferences via the settings panel
• Portable mode available for USB or shared-drive setups

Key Features

• Sub-100ms search response with fuzzy matching
• Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Over 300 community plugins covering dev tools, utilities, and workflows
• Themeable interface with light and dark modes
• Query history and frecency-based result ranking

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Alfred — macOS-only, polished workflows; Wox is cross-platform and free
• Raycast — macOS-only with AI features; closed source
• Albert — Linux-only Qt launcher; Wox covers more platforms
• Ulauncher — Linux-focused Python launcher; smaller plugin ecosystem
• PowerToys Run — Windows-only, part of Microsoft PowerToys suite

FAQ

Q: Is Wox free and open source? A: Yes. Wox is MIT-licensed and fully open source.

Q: Can I write my own plugins? A: Yes. Plugins can be written in Go, Python, or Node.js using the documented plugin API.

Q: Does Wox support file content search? A: The core searches file names. Plugins like Everything integration enable full content search on Windows.

Q: How does Wox compare to Spotlight on macOS? A: Wox offers deeper plugin integration, customizable themes, and cross-platform consistency that Spotlight does not provide.

Sources

• https://github.com/Wox-launcher/Wox
• https://wox.one/