After years of requests from Windows users, Raycast officially launched its Windows beta in June 2025, marking a significant expansion beyond its macOS roots. The productivity app, which has become indispensable for Mac power users since its 2020 launch, is now offering PC users their first taste of its streamlined workflow capabilities.
What Makes Raycast Special
Raycast serves as an advanced alternative to macOS’s built-in Spotlight function, activated with a keyboard shortcut (Alt + Space on Windows) to display a central command bar. The app allows users to launch applications, run commands, search files, and access a wide range of productivity tools through a single, elegant interface.
Since its launch in 2020, Raycast has become the go-to app that people recommend for new Mac users due to its speed, UI, features, and extensive library of extensions.
Windows Beta Features
The Windows beta comes packed with several standout features that immediately differentiate it from standard Windows utilities:
- Enhanced Clipboard Management: The full clipboard history manager is a massive upgrade over the Windows default, keeping a running log of everything you copy including text, links, images, and files, with powerful filtering options.
- AI Integration: Quick AI is included and will be free for everyone during the beta period, powered by models like GPT-4o mini, maintaining conversational context and allowing for natural follow-up questions.
- Extension Ecosystem: Many extensions are written in JavaScript, meaning a substantial number already work from day one on Windows, bringing the robust third-party ecosystem that made Raycast popular on Mac.
- Core Productivity Tools: The beta includes a calculator that handles natural language queries, text snippets, quicklinks, and comprehensive file search capabilities.
Getting Access
Getting into the beta requires joining a gradual rollout process, with priority given to users who signed up for the waitlist announced last year. New users can still sign up for the waitlist at raycast.com/windows.
What’s Missing (For Now)
The beta is not yet feature-complete, with several Pro features still on the roadmap, including Cloud Sync to keep settings consistent across machines and the popular Raycast Notes feature. Snippet expansion and calendar integration are also planned for future updates.
The Road to Windows
Raycast first announced its Windows expansion in September 2024 alongside a $30 million Series B funding round, responding to years of growing demand from Windows users. The company also plans to launch an iOS version, with both platforms representing a major expansion of Raycast’s reach beyond its Mac-exclusive origins.
For Windows users who have long envied Mac users’ access to Raycast’s productivity magic, the wait is finally over – even if the full feature set is still rolling out.
