A free Raycast alternative for Mac
On Hand vs Raycast: what each is good at, what they cost, and which one fits how you copy and paste.
The short version: If you already live in Raycast, its clipboard history is excellent, with OCR and type filters. If you don’t want a whole launcher to get clipboard history, or you’re on macOS 14 or 15, On Hand is a small standalone app.
On Hand vs Raycast at a glance
| On Hand | Raycast | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free. Pro $96/year for unlimited history and sync |
| Source code | Open source (MIT) | Closed source |
| Images | Yes | Yes |
| Search | Yes, by text or source app | Yes, with type filters |
| Pinned clips | Yes, with named boards | Yes |
| Search text in images | Yes, on your Mac | Yes |
| Sync | No. History stays on your Mac | Pro only |
| Skip password managers and apps | Yes. Password managers skipped; card numbers, SSNs, and 25+ kinds of keys never saved, concealed, and cleared after 90 seconds | Yes. Passwords and Keychain Access by default |
| Shortcuts | ⌘⇧Space to open (changeable), ⌘1–9 to copy | A hotkey you choose |
| Requires | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | Raycast 2: macOS 26 and Apple silicon |
Checked October 6, 2026 against Raycast’s own site, release notes, or App Store listing. Prices and features change, so check before you buy. Something out of date? Open an issue.
Choose Raycast if
- You already use Raycast as your launcher.
- You want clipboard history, snippets, and window management in one app.
- You want sync across devices and AI features with Raycast Pro.
Choose On Hand if
- You want clipboard history without adopting a launcher.
- You’re on macOS Sonoma or Sequoia, or an Intel Mac. Raycast 2 needs Tahoe and Apple silicon.
- You want an open-source app whose code you can read.
Is Raycast still maintained?
Actively maintained. Raycast 2 needs macOS Tahoe and Apple silicon.
Switching from Raycast
On Hand starts fresh. It doesn’t import history from Raycast, so pin anything you want to keep after you copy it again. Both apps can run at the same time while you try On Hand; give them different shortcuts. On Hand opens with ⌘ ⇧ Space, and you can change that in Settings.