Window manager or launcher: what Raycast and Alfred do, and don't
Launchers open apps and run commands; window managers arrange what is open. Where Raycast and Alfred overlap with window apps, and how to use both.
A launcher (Spotlight, Raycast, Alfred) is for getting to things: open an app, find a file, run a command. A window manager is for arranging what is already open. They overlap a little, and work best together.
| Launcher | Window manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Open an app | Yes | No |
| Switch to a window | Search for it | A key or swipe, by its place |
| Move or resize a window | Some, with commands | Yes |
| Arrange new windows | No | Yes, automatic ones do |
Where they overlap
Raycast has window management commands (halves, thirds, layouts). Alfred can run workflows that move windows. Both are snapping: one window at a time, when you ask.
Using both
Let the launcher open and find, and the window manager arrange. ClutterFreeMac has clutterfreemac:// links and ready made Raycast commands, so a launcher can trigger any of its moves or switch to a saved layout. See Raycast window management.
Questions
Is Raycast a window manager?
It is a launcher with some window commands, such as halves and thirds. It does not arrange windows automatically.
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