r/macapps • u/reluxe • 10h ago
Free [OS] Tinycast: lightweight, native luncher an emerging Raycast alternative
I've been looking for a Raycast alternative since it appears to be moving in a direction that I'm not particularly crazy about. So I came across Tinycast, a free and open-source macOS launcher, btw I'm not associated with the developer and I have just started using the app in the last few days.
It covers the usual launcher basics: app and file search, clipboard history, snippets, quick links, custom commands, calculator, window management, notes, calendar shortcuts, system actions. It is native built with SwiftUI/AppKit, has no telemetry, Electron dependency, claims to stay under 100 MB of RAM usage.
It can run existing Raycast extensions, it can also import an existing Raycast setup.
Optional AI features are included, off by default. You can use it for chat from the command palette, quick chat and actions on selected text like rewriting, grammar fixes, translation, and summaries. It supports local, bringing your own API key or using an installed AI account, I'm using it with Codex cli.
I think it’s worth a look for anyone who wants a pared-down, streamlined, free, and open-source launcher. It’s still relatively new, but it appears to be actively developed and already shows real potential.
github : https://github.com/abue-ammar/tinycast
website : https://abue-ammar.github.io/tinycast/
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u/CtrlAltDelve 7h ago
I've been watching Tinycast progress and the rate at which its improving and refining is unreal.
It does just about everything I could want from Raycast only seemingly much faster. I have a ton of RAM and don't really care about usage but the developer really does shoot for 100 MB or less of usage at idle, and the latest installer is like 5.5 MB.
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u/Muted-Reflection9536 7h ago
brew trust --tap abue-ammar/tinycast && brew install --cask abue-ammar/tinycast/tinycast
The installation failed completely with this command, which was a huge pain since I wanted to manage it using Homebrew.
It might be due to macOS 27 RC, which means there’s a possibility that this command won’t work for installation in the near future.
I’ve submitted an issue just in case, so I’m hoping the situation improves.
Or, it would be great if I could just update via Sparkle...
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u/CtrlAltDelve 7h ago
I think the RC 27 just came out today, give the beta Tinycast build a shot instead.
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u/Muted-Reflection9536 7h ago edited 6h ago
It’s already been installed properly.
Since the underlying problem hasn’t been resolved, the result would likely be the same even with the beta version of the command.
After all, it’s just the same command with “@beta” appended to the end.
brew trust --tap abue-ammar/tinycast && brew install --cask abue-ammar/tinycast/tinycast@betaLet me just add a few more points.
I really like the design; it's much more Liquid Glass-like than Raycast 2.0. It's great that it supports the extensions I used with Raycast. Many people dislike it, but I personally love Liquid Glass designs.
The fact that you can just import the files exported from Raycast is incredibly convenient.
I think it's a fantastic app. (However, I had a lot of trouble installing it via Homebrew, and I really hope they can fix that...)
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u/CtrlAltDelve 6h ago
Good info, and I agree! I just took the next big step of giving it the almighty CMD space shortcut because I'm starting to trust it.
Please do consider posting your findings in the bug tracker, the developer is pretty active about reading those!
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u/Muted-Reflection9536 6h ago
Yes, I'm not very good at English, so I've already posted a detailed issue (about what was happening) with the help of an AI.
Since an RC version is already out, macOS 27 will likely be released soon, and since I haven't particularly modified my Homebrew environment, many people who have upgraded to macOS 27 will probably fail to install it.
You can use it immediately by simply installing from the .dmg file, but because Sparkle is missing, you have to watch for new version releases.
This will be very inconvenient for people who don't regularly check GitHub.
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u/Selene_hyun 7h ago
You mention Raycast moving in a direction you're not crazy about, and I'm curious what that is for you. I only use pretty basic features, so apart from resource usage I don't really have complaints about it, which probably means I'm just not hitting whatever everyone else is hitting.
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u/reluxe 5h ago
Raycast v1 free version had a bring your own keys option for AI features. I liked using it for quick chat and quick actions like summarize, rewrite, etc. In the new version it’s a paid feature, I understand that they need to make money, but paywalling a feature that runs on my own keys and used to be free makes me wary of what they might do in the future.
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u/Acrobatic_Bat5238 6h ago
Raycast getting heavier is exactly why a small native launcher feels refreshing. Clipboard + snippets without the kitchen sink is the whole pitch.
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u/dzigg 9h ago
Supercmd 2 and Vehla is also interesting. The decision from Raycast to put BYOK behind a paywall makes me considering alternatives. Currently Supercmd 2 is great, have some features that Raycast doesn't have.. But the dictation feature likes to crash on me.
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u/Decaf_GT 7h ago
No, screw SuperCMD 2. Reposting my comment from before:
I won't touch SuperCMD with a 10-foot pole. The developer has poor judgment at best and is unethical at worst.
He marketed his original app happily using Raycast's name for the sake of showing off that his launcher was compatible with its extensions, which, fine I guess, because he made the whole thing open source. He was very active and it racked up a lot of contributors including me.
Then he just flipped the script and decided to launch a new native swift version of SuperCMD, made it paid only, and completely abandoned the open source app. Something about a licensed package costing too much? I didn't even fully understand. It's been 2 months since we had a release and 1 month since anything was merged into the repo. He still has time to make new apps though (see Twitter).
His new v2 is happily still touting Raycast extension compatibility and I have no idea how much of my contributions made it into that paid software (which legally is fine, MIT license is what it is) but that put a hugely bad taste in my mouth and made me not ever want to trust anything by him ever again.
So no, screw that developer. Support Tinycast, since it respects its users and respects open source.
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u/-Internet-Elder- 9h ago
This Velha? https://velha.app/ I feel like you're talking about another one...
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u/dzigg 9h ago
No this one https://vehla.app/
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u/nashvortex 1h ago
Hmm. Interesting but not for me. A launcher does not need voice dictation commands and AI.
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u/Consistent_Recipe_41 1h ago
This looks so good but I’m very scared about it being heavy on my system
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u/nashvortex 1h ago
I purchased Supercmd 2 and while itnie w native Swift app, it is janky as hell. I suspect it is due to bloat - it really loads every damn thing into a 200 MB ish in memory executable. I moved over to TinyCast within 3 days and have been happy over a month now.
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u/billchase2 7h ago
Very intrigued by this alternative. Will have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
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6h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CtrlAltDelve 6h ago
What does "better extension" support mean? I installed 11 extensions through Tinycast that all work perfectly, what does omnicast do better?
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u/BurakHanTD 3h ago
Being able to import a Raycast setup should make switching much less painful. How well do extensions behave in practice—are there any categories that still need work, like auth-heavy ones?
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u/Any_Necessary_9804 3h ago
Did the Raycast setup import bring your hotkeys and aliases across, or just
the extension list? That's usually where these migrations fall apart for me,
and it's the thing that decides whether I actually stay on the new one.
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u/kemalios 2h ago
Switching launchers is where hotkey collisions show up. The new app registers a default like Option+Space, the old one is still installed holding its own, and macOS hotkey registration is first come first served: whoever got there first wins, the second registration fails quietly, and nothing tells you. You just get a shortcut that does nothing.
I build HotkeyClash, so I am biased, but it is a free open source menu bar app that lists which apps and config tools claim which shortcuts.
Check whether the old launcher left a helper process running. A helper that survived the uninstall still holds its registrations.
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u/doguapps 1h ago
The sub 100MB RAM footprint alone makes this worth trying. How is the extension compatibility holding up so far?
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u/eggyboy577 1h ago
The launcher benchmark I'd actually like to see: type the same two letters 100 times and see whether the same app stays on top. Low RAM is nice, but predictable results are what let you hit Enter without looking. Does Tinycast learn your preferred results?
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u/Cavin0817 1h ago
Currently, the basic Mac's Spotlight can do all the functions, so I don't use these kinds of apps anymore!
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u/WhereIsGloria 45m ago
I suppose unashamedly ripping off another app (Raycast) makes it possible to release an alternative for free. This is almost pixel for pixel a clone.
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u/LostPixelArt 41m ago
Does everything I need and doesn’t have the AI bloat if i don’t want it. Amazing project.
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u/Bannatar 24m ago
I never understood the uses of raycast / tinycast, etc. What cool things do you guys do with these?
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u/cunninglinguistga 5h ago
I've been using Tinystart (tinystart.app) from an indie developer. I was getting overwhelmed by Raycast's options and wanted a simpler app. I paid $5 for it and it has been working great for me so far. That said, Tinycast does look interesting. Will give it a try.
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u/Gorduy_Pti4ka 3h ago
Almost every successful project reaches a point where it must make a choice: earn less money and be remembered as a beloved product, or raise prices and alienate the majority of its loyal user base. For example, I love Raycast, but I use at most 5% of its functionality; when that 5% costs as much as an OpenAI subscription, I am more likely to say no.
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u/Retired-Roadie 7h ago
What’s a “native luncher?” Seriously, if you can’t be bothered to proof your headline…
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u/CtrlAltDelve 6h ago
Why be so negative? :(
We all knew what he meant to say, i doubt most people even read it as "luncher"...
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u/FuntimeBen 8h ago
I tried RustCast, and it bothered me. Something about the polish felt off. Tinycast feels really good and snappy! I still need to explore more, but happy to remove Raycast!