Atuin
Focus: shell history, terminal and command line. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Rated 4.7 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
Desktop App
Ulauncher
A fast app launcher for Linux with fuzzy search and extensions.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
Linux, Offline
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Ulauncher?
Ulauncher is a free, open-source application launcher for Linux. Press a shortcut, type a few letters and it finds apps, files and folders with fuzzy search, while extensions add calculators, clipboard history, web searches and more, so opening anything on your computer takes a keystroke.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Ulauncher does well
- Opens apps and files with a few keystrokes
- Large library of extensions
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- Linux only
- Some extensions are no longer maintained
Who Ulauncher is for
Linux users who want a Spotlight-style launcher.
Who can skip it
Anyone happy with their desktop's built-in search.
Ulauncher alternatives
Not sold on Ulauncher? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
btop
Focus: system monitor, terminal and processes. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS. Rated 4.7 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
htop
Focus: process viewer, system monitor and terminal. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS. Rated 4.7 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
kitty
Focus: terminal, command line and gpu. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS. Rated 4.6 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.6Visit
lazydocker
Focus: docker, containers and terminal ui. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Rated 4.6 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Tabby
Focus: terminal, ssh and serial. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Rated 4.6 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to Ulauncher
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
bottom
Focus: system monitor, processes and terminal. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Glances
Focus: system monitor, dashboard and performance. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
gping
Focus: ping, network and terminal. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
McFly
Focus: shell history, terminal and command line. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.5Visit
WezTerm
Focus: terminal, multiplexer and command line. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. Adds macOS and Windows. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Vaultwarden
Focus: password manager, self-hosted and bitwarden. Shares open source and github with Ulauncher. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Ulauncher: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.7Visit
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