# Alfred Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Productivity app for macOS with hotkeys and workflows Category: Productivity · Free · Replaces LaunchBar ($38) · [Official website](https://alfredapp.com) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask alfred` ## Quick take Alfred is the Swiss Army knife of macOS productivity. The core launcher is better than Spotlight, and the Powerpack transforms it into a programmable command palette for your entire Mac. Workflows are the standout feature, they let you automate anything that can be scripted and trigger it with a keyword or hotkey. The clipboard history alone is worth the Powerpack price. Alfred's main weakness is that it looks and feels like a 2015 app compared to Raycast's modern design. But for developers who want local-first control, one-time pricing, and 15 years of stability, Alfred remains the gold standard. Best for: Mac Power Users Who Want Programmable Automation, Developers Building Custom Workflow Integrations, Anyone Who Wants Clipboard History and Text Expansion ## What is Alfred? Alfred is a productivity launcher for macOS that replaces Spotlight and adds programmable automation on top. Press a hotkey (Option+Space by default), type what you want, and Alfred does it: opens apps, finds files, runs calculations, searches the web, looks up contacts, controls system settings, and executes custom workflows. The core launcher is free. The real power comes from the Powerpack (£34 one-time), which unlocks workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file actions, and shell integration. Alfred has been around since 2010, built by Andrew and Vero Pepperrell at Running with Crayons Ltd in Cambridge, UK. It predates Spotlight's improvements, Raycast, and LaunchBar's modern versions. For years, Alfred was the default answer to 'what's the first app you install on a new Mac?' among power users. The difference between Alfred and Spotlight: Alfred is programmable. Spotlight searches your Mac. Alfred searches your Mac, runs custom scripts, manages your clipboard, expands text snippets, chains actions together, and connects to external services through workflows. Workflows are the killer feature: they are scripted automations triggered by keywords, hotkeys, or file actions. The Alfred community has built thousands of workflows: manage 1Password entries, search GitHub repos, control Spotify, convert currencies, generate UUIDs, look up documentation, and hundreds more. The difference between Alfred and Raycast: Raycast is free with a modern UI and built-in extensions. Alfred requires the Powerpack for advanced features but is more established, more stable, and doesn't require an account. Alfred workflows are scripts you control. Raycast extensions are hosted on their platform. For developers who want maximum control and privacy, Alfred's local-first approach is appealing. For developers who want a modern UI with a richer built-in extension store, Raycast is the newer alternative. August 2026 status: Alfred 5 is still actively sold. Official Powerpack pricing remains £34 for a Single v5 licence and £59 for Mega Supporter with free lifetime upgrades, no Powerpack subscription. Raycast continues to pressure Alfred with a generous free tier and Pro AI subscriptions, while new Swift launchers appear on social media. Alfred's answer is still one-time pricing, local Workflows, clipboard history, and snippets without requiring cloud AI. It runs on Apple Silicon and macOS Tahoe 26.x as a maintained native Mac app. ## Features - **Application Launcher & File Search.** Alfred indexes your applications, files, and folders for instant access. Type a few characters of an app name and Alfred launches it. Type 'open' followed by a filename to locate files using macOS's metadata index. Alfred learns your habits, apps and files you access frequently rise to the top of results. The search is faster than Spotlight because Alfred uses its own indexing on top of macOS's Spotlight index, with configurable scope (choose which folders to index) and file type filters. - **Workflows (Powerpack).** Workflows are Alfred's most powerful feature. A workflow is a chain of triggers (keyword, hotkey, file action), inputs (user text, file selection), actions (run script, open URL, show notification), and outputs (clipboard, Large Type, notification). Workflows can be built visually in Alfred's workflow editor or scripted in bash, Python, Ruby, PHP, or any language that runs on macOS. Examples: a workflow that takes a selected file and uploads it to S3, a workflow that queries a REST API and displays results in Alfred, a workflow that connects to your team's Jira and lists your assigned tickets. The Alfred Gallery (alfredapp.com/workflows) hosts curated community workflows. - **Clipboard History (Powerpack).** Alfred maintains a searchable clipboard history, every text, image, and file you've copied. Open it with Cmd+Option+C (configurable), search by typing, and paste any previous clipboard entry. You can pin frequently used items, set retention periods (24 hours, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months), and exclude specific apps from clipboard tracking (important for password managers). This feature alone is worth the Powerpack license. You'll stop worrying about losing something you copied 20 minutes ago. - **Snippets & Text Expansion (Powerpack).** Define text snippets with trigger keywords that expand anywhere on macOS. Type `;email` and it expands to your email address. Type `;date` and it expands to today's date. Type `;sig` and it expands to your email signature. Snippets support dynamic placeholders: {date}, {time}, {clipboard} (pastes current clipboard content), and cursor positioning. For developers, common snippets include code templates, PR descriptions, and email responses. Alfred's snippet expansion is system-wide, it works in every app. - **Web Search & Custom Searches.** Alfred's web search goes beyond Spotlight's basic web results. Type 'google', 'amazon', 'wiki', or 'maps' followed by your query and Alfred opens the search in your browser. The power is in custom searches: define your own search URLs for any website. Type 'gh' to search GitHub, 'npm' to search npm packages, 'mdn' to search MDN Web Docs, 'so' to search Stack Overflow. Each custom search is a URL template with {query} as the placeholder. Once configured, these become muscle memory, faster than opening a browser and navigating to the site. - **System Commands & Calculator.** Alfred handles system tasks: 'lock' locks your Mac, 'sleep' puts it to sleep, 'restart' restarts, 'empty trash' empties the Trash, 'eject' ejects volumes. The built-in calculator handles arithmetic (2+2), unit conversions (5km in miles), and currency conversions. Type '=' followed by any math expression for instant results. These small utilities mean you rarely need to leave the keyboard for system operations. ## How to Install Alfred on Mac Alfred installs via Homebrew or direct download. The Powerpack is purchased separately. 1. **Install via Homebrew.** Run `brew install --cask alfred` to install Alfred. It appears in your Applications folder and menu bar. 2. **Set Alfred as Default Launcher.** In Alfred preferences, set your hotkey (Option+Space is common). Optionally disable Spotlight's Cmd+Space shortcut in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Spotlight, then set Alfred's hotkey to Cmd+Space. 3. **Purchase Powerpack (Recommended).** Buy the Powerpack at alfredapp.com (£34 single license, £59 Mega Supporter with lifetime updates). Enter the license key in Alfred preferences. This unlocks workflows, clipboard history, snippets, and file actions. 4. **Install Community Workflows.** Browse the Alfred Gallery (alfredapp.com/workflows) or search GitHub for Alfred workflows. Download .alfredworkflow files and double-click to install. Start with popular ones: GitHub, Spotify, 1Password, and Kill Process. ## Pros - Workflows turn Alfred into a programmable command palette for your entire Mac - Clipboard history is searchable, configurable, and works system-wide - Snippets with dynamic placeholders work in every app - Custom web searches make site-specific searching instant - 15 years of development, stable, reliable, no unexpected changes - Local-first: no account required, no telemetry, preferences stay on your Mac - One-time Powerpack purchase (no subscription) ## Cons - Powerpack costs £34, the free version is limited to basic launching - Workflow creation requires scripting knowledge for complex automations - UI design feels dated compared to Raycast's modern interface - No built-in extension store with one-click install (workflows are manual downloads) - Some macOS permissions are fiddly to configure correctly - Community workflow quality varies, some are unmaintained ## Alfred's Workflow Ecosystem How Alfred's programmable workflows became the power feature that keeps users loyal despite modern competitors. ## FAQ ### Is the Powerpack worth it? If you use your Mac for development or knowledge work, yes. Clipboard history and workflows alone justify the £34. The Mega Supporter license (£59) is better value if you plan to use Alfred for years, it includes all future major version upgrades at no additional cost. ### How does Alfred compare to Raycast? Alfred is more established (since 2010), uses a one-time purchase model, and keeps everything local. Raycast is newer, has a modern UI, a richer extension store, and requires an account. Both are excellent. Try both free tiers and decide which interaction model you prefer. ### Can I create workflows without coding? Simple workflows (open a URL, launch an app, trigger a shell command) can be created visually in Alfred's workflow editor without writing code. Complex workflows that query APIs, process data, or display custom results require scripting (bash, Python, Ruby, or any language). ### Does Alfred work without the Powerpack? Yes, but it's limited to basic app launching, file search, web search, and the calculator. Workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file actions, and 1Password integration all require the Powerpack. The free version is essentially a better Spotlight. ### Can I sync Alfred preferences across Macs? Yes, with the Powerpack. Point Alfred's sync folder to iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or any cloud storage. Preferences, workflows, snippets, and clipboard history sync across all your Macs. ### What happened to Alfred 4/5? Is it still updated? Alfred 5 is the current version (released 2022) and is actively maintained with regular updates. The Mega Supporter license includes all major version upgrades. Alfred is developed by a small, sustainable team that has been shipping updates consistently for 15+ years. ### How much is Alfred Powerpack in August 2026? £34 Single Licence for Alfred 5, or £59 Mega Supporter with free lifetime upgrades, from alfredapp.com/shop. ### Does Alfred require a subscription? No. Powerpack is a one-time purchase. Only third-party services you call from workflows might bill separately. ### Is Alfred better than Raycast in 2026? Depends: Alfred wins one-time cost and classic Workflows; Raycast wins modern extensions and optional AI on a subscription. ## Sources - [Buy Alfred Powerpack](https://www.alfredapp.com/shop/) - [Alfred home](https://www.alfredapp.com/) - [Raycast vs Alfred 2026](https://tech-insider.org/raycast-vs-alfred-2026/) - [Free vs Powerpack guide](https://textexpander.com/blog/alfred-free-vs-powerpack) - [Retext Raycast vs Alfred](https://www.retext.io/compare/raycast-vs-alfred) - [Raycast vs Alfred page](https://www.raycast.com/raycast-vs-alfred) ## Related - [Raycast](https://bundl.run/apps/raycast) - [Notion](https://bundl.run/apps/notion) - [Obsidian](https://bundl.run/apps/obsidian) - [Loom](https://bundl.run/apps/loom) - [Linear](https://bundl.run/apps/linear-linear) - [Grammarly](https://bundl.run/apps/grammarly-desktop) - [Alfred vs Raycast](https://bundl.run/compare/raycast-vs-alfred) - [Alfred vs Keyboard Maestro](https://bundl.run/compare/keyboard-maestro-vs-alfred) - [Free alternative to LaunchBar](https://bundl.run/https:/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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