Ferrocast vs Raycast: what is free, what is paid

Is Raycast free? Yes, for its core: clipboard history, quicklinks, calculator, snippets, window management and thousands of extensions. Raycast AI, Cloud Sync, Translator, Dictation and unlimited notes and clipboard history are in the paid plans, from $10 a month or $96 a year (raycast.com/pricing, checked 27 October 2026).

Ferrocast is a free, open-source (MIT) launcher for Apple Silicon Macs with no paid plan. It covers several of the things Raycast charges for, with your own AI provider, and floating Markdown notes with images. The interface is in English plus six more languages: Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. Sync is opt-in through iCloud Drive, not Raycast Cloud Sync, and extensions you already installed with Raycast can run with limits. Ferrocast has no store of its own. The table below shows both sides. I make Ferrocast, so check the sources.

Download FerrocastFree · MIT · Apple Silicon · no account

Raycast Free vs Raycast Pro vs Ferrocast

Features of Raycast Free, Raycast Pro and Ferrocast
Feature	Raycast Free	Raycast Pro ($10/month)	Ferrocast (free)
Price	$0	$10/month or $96/year; Pro+ $20, Max $50 a month	$0, no paid plan
Clipboard history	Yes, 3 months	Unlimited	Yes; you choose how long to keep it, and it skips password managers
Snippets, quicklinks, calculator	Yes	Yes	Yes
Window management	Yes	Yes, plus custom commands	About 40 built-in commands
Notes	5 notes	Unlimited	Floating Markdown notes with images
Interface language	Not compared here	Not compared here	English plus six more: Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. Per Mac, not synced
AI chat	Not included	Included, with 500 monthly credits	Ask AI with your provider: Ollama on your Mac by default, or your own key
Bring your own AI key	Not included	Included	Yes (OpenAI-compatible servers, Anthropic, Claude Code)
AI with screen or selection context	Not included	Included (Screen Awareness)	No
Translator	Not included	Included	Translate selected text with your AI provider
Dictation	Not included	Included	In Notes (on-device recognition where macOS supports it)
Extensions	Thousands in the Store; custom extensions	Same	Extensions already installed with Raycast (partial, off by default); no store of its own
Cloud Sync	Not included	Included	Opt-in iCloud Drive sync, off by default. Not Raycast Cloud Sync
Local file conversion	Not built in, per its website	Not built in, per its website	275 conversions, 26 file tools
Screen recording	Not stated on its pricing page	Not stated on its pricing page	Yes, with auto zoom
Platforms	macOS, Windows, iOS	macOS, Windows, iOS	macOS, Apple Silicon only
Account	Needed for the 7-day Pro trial and to subscribe	Required	No account
Source code	No open licence stated	No open licence stated	MIT

Raycast columns from raycast.com/pricing and manual.raycast.com/billing, checked 27 October 2026. Ferrocast column from its key facts and docs.

Try Ferrocast next to Raycast

Install Ferrocast. Download the DMG or install it with Homebrew. It needs no account.
Pick a different hotkey. Ferrocast opens with ⌥ Space by default; change it in Settings if Raycast already uses it.
Bring your Script Commands and snippets. Add your Script Commands folder in Settings → Scripts and import your snippets from a Raycast JSON export.
Set up Ask AI. Install Ollama for a local model, or add your own API key. Keys are stored in the Keychain.

Install Ferrocast with Homebrew

brew tap drumst0ck/ferrocast
brew install drumst0ck/ferrocast/ferrocast
ln -sfn "$(brew --prefix)/opt/ferrocast/Ferrocast.app" \
  /Applications/Ferrocast.app
open /Applications/Ferrocast.app

Where Raycast is ahead

Thousands of extensions in its Store, and React extensions you can write yourself.
Raycast Cloud Sync between Macs, plus Windows and iOS apps under one subscription. Ferrocast’s sync is opt-in iCloud Drive on Mac only.
Raycast AI with hosted models, monthly credits and context from your screen, files and memory (paid plans).
Shared commands, snippets and quicklinks for teams.

Where Ferrocast is ahead

No paid plan: AI chat, translation and dictation in Notes are free, with your own model or key.
Local file work built in: 275 conversions and 26 file tools, nothing uploaded.
Screen recording with auto zoom and an on-device transcript.
Open source under MIT, no account.

Related guides

Questions

Is Raycast free?

Yes. Raycast Free includes clipboard history (3 months), quicklinks, calculator, snippets, window management, five notes and the extension Store. Raycast AI, Cloud Sync, Translator and Dictation need a paid plan, from $10 a month.

What does Raycast Pro add?

Raycast AI with 500 monthly credits, bring your own key, Cloud Sync, Dictation, Translator, unlimited notes and clipboard history, custom window management commands and custom themes, for $10 a month or $96 a year.

Is there a free alternative to Raycast Pro features?

For some of them. Ferrocast is free and includes AI chat with your own provider (Ollama by default), translation of selected text, dictation in notes, clipboard history, opt-in iCloud Drive sync and partial support for extensions you already installed with Raycast. It has no extension store of its own.

Does Ferrocast run Raycast extensions?

Partly. It runs extensions you already installed with Raycast, from ~/.config/raycast/extensions, when you turn that on in Settings → Integrations. It needs Node.js 22 or newer, does not contact Raycast’s Store and is not affiliated with Raycast. In a test, 34 of 40 view commands from 20 popular extensions worked. Menu bar commands, OAuth sign-in, AI features, the file picker and the link accessory are not supported yet.

Does Ferrocast work on Windows?

No. Ferrocast is macOS only and needs an Apple Silicon Mac.

Is Ferrocast affiliated with Raycast?

No. Ferrocast is independent and not affiliated with Raycast.