Ferrocast Key facts
Short, quotable facts about Ferrocast for humans and assistants. Sources: this repository, the docs, and GitHub.
At a glance
- Ferrocast is a fast, open-source keyboard launcher for macOS, written in Rust (MIT licence).
- Apple Silicon Macs only; Intel is not supported. The app declares macOS 13 (Ventura) or later as its minimum; screen recording needs macOS 14 or later.
- About 8.5 MB on disk and one process at idle (measured on the maintainer’s Mac; see the home page method note).
- 275 local file conversions across 46 input formats, plus 26 file tools and 7 file actions from a drag-and-drop wheel.
- About 40 window-management commands, clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks, calculator, and floating Markdown notes with images (paste, drag or Insert Image…; PNG, JPEG, GIF, HEIC and WebP up to 20 MB).
- The interface is in English, Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. It follows the macOS language order, or you pick one in Settings → General → Language. The choice stays on that Mac and is not synced. Untranslated text falls back to English. Names you type and what Raycast extensions show are never translated.
- Ask AI uses Ollama on your Mac by default; you can point it at other providers. API keys go in the Keychain.
- Raycast-compatible Script Commands; snippets import from a Raycast JSON export.
- File conversions and file tools do not upload your files; results are written next to the originals.
- No account and no subscription tier.
- Install with the DMG (first open may need “Open Anyway” in System Settings) or Homebrew (builds on your Mac).
- Optional helpers when installed: ffmpeg, LibreOffice, Ghostscript, cwebp, and unrar.
- Sync between Macs is opt-in through iCloud Drive (Settings → Advanced, off by default). Extensions you already installed with Raycast can run (partial, off by default). Not included: an extension store of its own, Search Menu Bar Items, and AI context from selection or screen.
- Ferrocast is independent and not affiliated with Raycast or Alfred.
Learn more
- Home and install
- All 275 conversions
- All 26 file tools
- Free file converter for Mac (vs Permute and CloudConvert)
- Migrating from Raycast
- Raycast alternative: Ferrocast vs Raycast vs Alfred
- Ferrocast vs Raycast: what is free, what is paid
- Run Raycast Script Commands
- Free Alfred alternative
- Sync with iCloud
- Run Raycast extensions
- Data and privacy
- Changelog
Frequently asked questions
How do I open it?
Press ⌥ Space from any app. You can change the shortcut in Settings.
Is it free?
Yes. MIT licence, no account, no Pro tier. If it saves you time, star the repo.
Are conversions really local?
Yes. Nothing is uploaded: conversions run on your Mac. macOS tools come first; ffmpeg, LibreOffice and Ghostscript are optional and used only when they are installed. Pairs that need one say so on the Files page.
Which formats can it convert?
Images, audio, video, PDF, documents, slides, spreadsheets, subtitles and archives: 46 input formats and 275 conversion pairs. The explorer on the Files page lets you search them.
Do I need ffmpeg?
Not for many pairs: macOS tools come first (sips, afconvert, avconvert, textutil, ditto). ffmpeg, LibreOffice, cwebp, unrar and Ghostscript are optional and used only when installed; pairs that need one are marked.
Does it overwrite my originals?
No. The result is written next to the original with the same name and the new extension. If that name is taken it adds 2, 3 and so on.
Can I compress a video to a target size?
Yes, through ffmpeg: the bitrate is computed from the size you ask for. The size estimate is rough, and PDF compression needs optional Ghostscript.
Will it run on my Mac?
It runs on Apple Silicon Macs. Intel Macs are not supported.
Do I need to be a developer to install it?
No. Download the DMG, drag Ferrocast to Applications and open it. The first time, macOS asks you to confirm it in System Settings.
Why does it ask for Accessibility access?
Because moving windows, pasting for you and expanding snippets all need it. Search, the calculator and AI work without it. A welcome screen walks you through it.
Is my clipboard history private?
It stays on your Mac unless you turn on Sync with iCloud (Settings → Advanced, off by default), which copies it to your iCloud Drive for your other Macs. It sits in a JSON file in Application Support, and anything copied from a password manager like 1Password is skipped on purpose.
Does Ask AI send my text to the cloud?
Only if you tell it to. Out of the box it talks to Ollama on your own Mac. Point it at LM Studio, OpenAI or the Anthropic API if you prefer; keys go in the Keychain.
Can I use my ChatGPT or Claude subscription?
Yes, with caveats we spell out in the app. Claude: if Claude Code is installed and signed in, Ferrocast uses it as a provider, since it is Anthropic’s own tool. ChatGPT: Ferrocast can sign in with your account the way OpenAI’s Codex CLI does; it works, but OpenAI has not blessed third-party apps doing that, so the API with a key is the by-the-book route.
Coming from Raycast. Will my stuff work?
Your Script Commands run as they are, and snippets import from a JSON export. Quicklinks you recreate in a minute. Extensions you already installed with Raycast can run if you turn that on: it is partial, off by default, and Ferrocast has no store of its own. Sync between Macs is opt-in through iCloud Drive.
Does screen recording leave my Mac?
No. A recording is a folder on your Mac with the video and a log of your mouse, and the transcript is made on your Mac too. It needs macOS 14 or later and the Screen Recording permission.
Where are recordings and notes saved?
Recordings are folders in ~/Movies/Ferrocast Recordings and screenshots go to ~/Pictures/Ferrocast Captures. Notes are stored as Markdown in notes.json in the data folder. Images you paste or drop are copied into an attachments folder and linked from the note. Exports go to Downloads.
What is missing today?
An extension store of its own, Search Menu Bar Items, and AI context from the selection or the screen. Raycast extensions are only the ones you already installed with Raycast, and not every part of them. Sync between Macs is opt-in through iCloud Drive.
What languages is Ferrocast available in?
English, plus Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. It follows the macOS language order, or Settings → General → Language. The choice stays on that Mac and is not synced. Anything not translated yet shows in English. Names you type and what Raycast extensions show are never translated.