Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft's free, open-source set of Windows utilities, including a command launcher, window zones and key remapping.

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Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
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About Microsoft PowerToys

PowerToys is a bundle of power-user utilities for Windows made by Microsoft and developed in the open on GitHub. For launcher users the key piece is Command Palette (the successor to PowerToys Run), a hotkey search box for apps, files, commands and extensions. It also includes FancyZones, a window manager for custom snap layouts; Keyboard Manager for remapping keys and shortcuts; Always On Top; Advanced Paste for converting clipboard content; a colour picker; text extraction from the screen; a hosts file editor; Mouse Without Borders for sharing one keyboard and mouse across PCs; and many smaller tools. Each utility can be switched on or off individually. It is completely free with no paid tier or account, installs from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet, and updates frequently. It only runs on Windows. Because it covers so much, some modules are less polished than dedicated apps, and settings are spread across many pages.

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

What works

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

Why people leave

Windows only
Some modules are less capable than dedicated apps
Many settings pages to wade through

Top Microsoft PowerToys alternatives

See all 5

1
Flow Launcher
A dedicated Windows launcher with a bigger plugin store and Everything file search.
66.5
2
Raycast
Now on Windows too, with clipboard history, snippets and a polished extension store.
62.6
3
Listary
Focused on very fast file search and quick switching in open and save dialogs.
59.6
4
Wox
Cross-platform launcher if you also want the same tool on macOS or Linux.
55.3
5
Ditto
A dedicated clipboard history manager for Windows, which PowerToys lacks.
48.9

Why people left Microsoft PowerToys

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Microsoft PowerToys: common questions

Is Microsoft PowerToys free?

Yes. Microsoft PowerToys is free, open-source software.

Is Microsoft PowerToys open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at microsoft/PowerToys.

What platforms does Microsoft PowerToys run on?

Microsoft PowerToys is available for Windows.

What are the best alternatives to Microsoft PowerToys?

The highest-ranked Microsoft PowerToys alternatives right now are Flow Launcher, Raycast and Listary. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Microsoft PowerToys alternatives

Microsoft PowerToys facts

4 of 4 verified

License: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Open source: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab); “set of free, open-source utilities designed to help power users and developers get more out of Windows.”
Launcher: Command Palette; Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab); “Command Palette Access frequently used commands, apps, and tools from a single, fast, customizable interface.”
Window manager: FancyZones; Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab); “FancyZones A window manager for creating complex window layouts and positioning windows quickly.”