Raycast Pro
Mac launcher with extensions, snippets, clipboard history, and AI
A personal launcher command or menubar utility is buildable, but Raycast's native polish, extension ecosystem, sync, AI, and Mac integration take serious product work.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- extension ecosystem
- store/discovery
- native speed
- cloud sync
- team/shared snippets
- polished AI commands
Why people still pay
They pay because the launcher is a daily OS layer; latency and polish matter a lot.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- macOS, Xcode and a selected deployment target. Ask for each OS permission only when its feature is enabled; code signing and distribution are separate release tasks.
- Implementation components: Swift, SwiftUI and focused AppKit integrations for a macOS utility. SQLite or Codable files for local settings and history; macOS Keychain for credentials.
- Scope boundary: extension ecosystem; store/discovery
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Optional external skill: swiftui-expert-skill — Build and review native SwiftUI views, state management, navigation, accessibility and rendering performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: swift-concurrency — Design Swift async tasks, actors, isolation, cancellation and safe data sharing, including Swift 6 migration. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: sharp-edges — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: allowlisted commands, command arguments, snippet templates, clipboard preferences and optional AI request receipts
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Commands require typed argument validation and a fixed executable policy; clipboard secrets and arbitrary downloaded extensions are excluded.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: A command with malicious shell characters is passed as data or rejected; cancelling the AI preview sends no request and leaves the clipboard intact.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Build a macOS command palette for the owner's chosen actions, with fuzzy search, safe snippets and opt-in local history. Add a model shortcut that previews the selected text before sending it remotely. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: extension ecosystem; store/discovery
Phase 2
Durable model. Model allowlisted commands, command arguments, snippet templates, clipboard preferences and optional AI request receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Commands require typed argument validation and a fixed executable policy; clipboard secrets and arbitrary downloaded extensions are excluded.
Phase 3
Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls.
Phase 4
Permissions and integration failure. Start capture or automation paused. Respect denied permissions, exclude secure fields and sensitive applications, and expose a visible pause/stop control. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
Phase 5
Portable handoff. Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
Phase 6
Acceptance scenarios. A command with malicious shell characters is passed as data or rejected; cancelling the AI preview sends no request and leaves the clipboard intact. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.
WORKING SLICE Build a macOS command palette for the owner's chosen actions, with fuzzy search, safe snippets and opt-in local history. Add a model shortcut that previews the selected text before sending it remotely. Build this scoped Raycast Pro-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states. Architecture - Swift, SwiftUI and focused AppKit integrations for a macOS utility. - SQLite or Codable files for local settings and history; macOS Keychain for credentials. Prerequisites and limits macOS, Xcode and a selected deployment target. Ask for each OS permission only when its feature is enabled; code signing and distribution are separate release tasks. Outside this release: extension ecosystem; store/discovery Data model and correctness allowlisted commands, command arguments, snippet templates, clipboard preferences and optional AI request receipts Invariant: Commands require typed argument validation and a fixed executable policy; clipboard secrets and arbitrary downloaded extensions are excluded. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls. Security and privacy Start capture or automation paused. Respect denied permissions, exclude secure fields and sensitive applications, and expose a visible pause/stop control. Recovery and export Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Implementation order 1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Build a macOS command palette for the owner's chosen actions, with fuzzy search, safe snippets and opt-in local history. Add a model shortcut that previews the selected text before sending it remotely. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: extension ecosystem; store/discovery 2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model allowlisted commands, command arguments, snippet templates, clipboard preferences and optional AI request receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Commands require typed argument validation and a fixed executable policy; clipboard secrets and arbitrary downloaded extensions are excluded. 3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls. 4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Start capture or automation paused. Respect denied permissions, exclude secure fields and sensitive applications, and expose a visible pause/stop control. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results. 5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README. 6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A command with malicious shell characters is passed as data or rejected; cancelling the AI preview sends no request and leaves the clipboard intact. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder. Acceptance A command with malicious shell characters is passed as data or rejected; cancelling the AI preview sends no request and leaves the clipboard intact. Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees. Optional agent guidance Optional external skill: [swiftui-expert-skill](https://github.com/AvdLee/SwiftUI-Agent-Skill/blob/main/skills/swiftui-expert-skill/SKILL.md) — Build and review native SwiftUI views, state management, navigation, accessibility and rendering performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [swift-concurrency](https://github.com/AvdLee/Swift-Concurrency-Agent-Skill/blob/main/skills/swift-concurrency/SKILL.md) — Design Swift async tasks, actors, isolation, cancellation and safe data sharing, including Swift 6 migration. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Project rule — data model: allowlisted commands, command arguments, snippet templates, clipboard preferences and optional AI request receipts Project rule — preserve this invariant: Commands require typed argument validation and a fixed executable policy; clipboard secrets and arbitrary downloaded extensions are excluded. Project rule — acceptance evidence: A command with malicious shell characters is passed as data or rejected; cancelling the AI preview sends no request and leaves the clipboard intact.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
prompt copied. want to know what dies next week?
new verdicts + top votes, weekly. free. one-click out.
Alternatives to building your own
no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Raycast Pro pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free (personal) | $0 | $0 | 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history; core launcher and extensions included. |
| pro | $10 | $8 | Unlimited notes and clipboard history; Raycast AI included. |
| teams free | $0/user | $0/user | Unlimited members; 5 shared commands, 30 quicklinks, 30 snippets, 5 notes and 3-month clipboard history per member. |
| teams pro | $15/user | $12/user | Unlimited shared commands, quicklinks and snippets; unlimited notes and clipboard history. |
| enterprise | — | — | Custom seats, security and support; numeric limits and price not public. |
free tierPersonal: 5 notes and 3-month clipboard history. Teams Free: unlimited members, 5 shared commands, 30 quicklinks and 30 snippets.
billingmonthly + annual; 14-day Pro trial; no seat minimum or maximum published
hidden costsAdvanced AI costs an additional $8/month for an individual or $8/user/month on Teams Pro and is unavailable during the 14-day trial.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-11 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Raycast Pro
Can you build your own Raycast Pro with AI?
Partly. A personal launcher command or menubar utility is buildable, but Raycast's native polish, extension ecosystem, sync, AI, and Mac integration take serious product work.
What does the Raycast Pro build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Build a macOS command palette for the owner's chosen actions, with fuzzy search, safe snippets and opt-in local history. Add a model shortcut that previews the selected text before sending it remotely. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: extension ecosystem; store/discovery; native speed. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Raycast Pro prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Raycast Pro project take?
The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Raycast Pro?
extension ecosystem; store/discovery; native speed; cloud sync; team/shared snippets; polished AI commands. They pay because the launcher is a daily OS layer; latency and polish matter a lot.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Pro plan is $10/mo (monthly), checked 2026-08-07. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Raycast Pro?
SuperCmd v1: The still-maintained open-source v1 runs Raycast-style extensions, clipboard, snippets, windows, and bring-your-own AI. Raycast Free: Raycast without Pro: the launcher survives, and AI works only if you bring the model or key. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.