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Wox alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Wox: v2 rewrite is young and still maturing, and smaller plugin library than Raycast or Alfred. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Wox, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Flow Launcher currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Flow Launcher logoFlow LauncherOpen sourceYesWindows5 of 566.5
2Ulauncher logoUlauncherOpen sourceYesLinux5 of 557.2
3Microsoft PowerToys logoMicrosoft PowerToysOpen sourceYesWindows4 of 455.3
  1. Flow Launcher logo

    1. Flow LauncherTop pick

    Best for: Windows users who want an Alfred-style launcher that is free and extensible

    Open sourceWindows

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wox

    A more established Windows launcher with a large plugin store.

    Pros

    • Free and open source with no account
    • Fast file search through Everything or Windows Search
    • Plugin store with plugins in several languages
    • Portable and package-manager installs

    Cons

    • Windows only
    • Plugin quality varies
    • No built-in clipboard history or snippets
    Visit Flow Launcher Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Flow Launcher a good Wox alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free and open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flowlauncher.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows 10 and later
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flowlauncher.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plugin languages
    C#, F#, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flowlauncher.com(opens source in a new tab)
    File search
    Everything or Windows Search
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flowlauncher.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Ulauncher logo

    2. Ulauncher

    Best for: Linux desktop users who want a simple, good-looking launcher with extensions

    Open sourceLinux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wox

    Simple, themeable launcher focused on Linux desktops.

    Pros

    • Fuzzy search that learns your choices
    • Python extensions and custom color themes
    • Packages for most major distributions

    Cons

    • Linux only
    • Stable v5 gets no new features while v6 is rewritten
    • Some extensions are unmaintained
    Visit Ulauncher Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Ulauncher a good Wox alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ulauncher.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Fuzzy search
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ulauncher.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Themes
    Four built-in, plus custom
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ulauncher.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Development status
    v5 maintenance only, v6 in progress
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Microsoft PowerToys logo

    3. Microsoft PowerToys

    Best for: Windows users who want a free launcher, window layouts and key remapping from one trusted install

    Open sourceWindows

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wox

    Microsoft's free toolkit includes a plugin-based Windows launcher plus many other utilities in one install.

    Pros

    • Free and open source, maintained by Microsoft
    • Bundles a launcher, window zones and key remapping
    • Each tool can be enabled separately
    • Frequent updates

    Cons

    • Windows only
    • Some modules are less capable than dedicated apps
    • Many settings pages to wade through
    Visit Microsoft PowerToys Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft PowerToys a good Wox alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Launcher
    Command Palette
    Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Window manager
    FancyZones
    Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Wox alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Flow Launcher logo

Best Wox alternative for most people

Flow Launcher

A more established Windows launcher with a large plugin store.

Albert logo

Best Wox alternative for a free option

Albert

Fast plugin-based launcher for Linux and macOS.

Raycast logo

Best Wox alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Raycast

More polished with a bigger extension store, on macOS and Windows.

Ulauncher logo

Best Wox alternative for open source

Ulauncher

Simple, themeable launcher focused on Linux desktops.

Alfred logo

Best Wox alternative for Mac

Alfred

Mature Mac launcher with clipboard history and Workflows, for Wox users who mostly work on macOS.

Microsoft PowerToys logo

Best Wox alternative for Windows

Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft's free toolkit includes a plugin-based Windows launcher plus many other utilities in one install.

Albert logo

Best Wox alternative for Linux

Albert

Fast plugin-based launcher for Linux and macOS.

Wox alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Wox?

Flow Launcher ranks first right now. A more established Windows launcher with a large plugin store. Raycast and Albert follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Wox?

Yes. Flow Launcher (open source), Raycast (free plan + paid), Albert (free) and Ulauncher (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Wox?

Yes: Flow Launcher, Ulauncher and Microsoft PowerToys.

Which Wox alternatives work on Linux?

Albert and Ulauncher run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Wox?

The complaints we hear most: v2 rewrite is young and still maturing; smaller plugin library than Raycast or Alfred; fewer ready-made integrations with popular work apps.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Wox, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.