Draft Comparison Page

Raycast Alternative for Mac: BoltAI vs Raycast

This draft is intentionally factual and conservative. It is built to help people choose the right product for their workflow, not to bash Raycast.

Short version: if your core need is a keyboard launcher with some AI features, Raycast is a strong pick. If your core need is a dedicated AI workspace on Mac with multi-provider and local-model flexibility, BoltAI is usually the better fit.

Choose BoltAI if...

AI is central to your daily work and you want one native app dedicated to AI workflows, provider flexibility, and privacy controls.

Choose Raycast if...

You primarily want a launcher for macOS productivity and prefer AI as a built-in add-on feature.

At a glance comparison

Facts last verified on February 9, 2026. Re-check pricing before publishing final copy.

CategoryBoltAIRaycast
Primary product shapeDedicated native AI workspace for Mac.Keyboard launcher with integrated AI features.
Free AI accessFree trial is available. Paid license for full app features.50 free AI messages for each user.
Paid AI access modelPerpetual app license + your own provider billing (BYOK) and optional local models.Raycast Pro subscription for unlimited AI (subject to request limits).
Advanced model pricingNo separate advanced-model add-on from BoltAI itself.Advanced AI models are an additional add-on to Pro.
BYOK supportYes. Connect your own provider keys and pay providers directly.Yes. Supports BYOK with Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and OpenRouter.
Local modelsYes. Supports local models (for example via Ollama / LM Studio).Yes. Local model support via Ollama.
Best fitTeams or individuals who do AI-heavy work and want one dedicated app for multi-model workflows.Users who want one command launcher first, and AI as one capability inside it.

Raycast pricing reference used in this draft: Free plan, Pro at $10 monthly or $8/month billed annually, plus an Advanced AI add-on (+$8/month) listed on raycast.com at the verification date above.

Where BoltAI is usually a better alternative

Your day is AI-heavy, not just AI-assisted

BoltAI is built as an AI-first workspace (projects, agents, model switching, document chat, and AI-focused workflows) instead of an AI tab inside a launcher.

You want provider flexibility with clearer cost ownership

BoltAI is BYOK by default: you own provider accounts and billing directly, and can mix cloud providers with local models in one place.

You care about local-first privacy defaults

BoltAI stores chats locally by default and lets you keep cloud sync optional.

Where Raycast is stronger

You need a launcher first and AI second

Raycast remains one of the strongest command launchers on macOS, with a mature extension ecosystem.

You use AI lightly and want a simple starting point

Raycast includes a free AI allowance so users can try AI features inside the same interface they already use for launcher tasks.

A fair 30-minute evaluation flow

  1. 1. Pick three real tasks you do every day (for example: drafting, coding help, and screenshot-based troubleshooting).
  2. 2. Run each task in both tools using the same model/provider when possible.
  3. 3. Compare speed, friction, and how well each tool fits your workflow.
  4. 4. Decide based on your dominant workflow: launcher-centric or AI-centric.
Download BoltAIView current BoltAI pricing

Source notes for this draft