Pivit vs Raycast
Raycast spent years as the launcher Windows users were jealous of. That changed when Raycast opened a public beta for Windows, so the two products now compete directly rather than by proxy.
Both give you a keyboard-driven command bar with AI attached. The difference is what each was built for. Raycast is a mature macOS product being brought across to Windows, and by its own account hundreds of its thousands of extensions run on Windows so far. Pivit was written for Windows from the first commit, so the things it reaches for — your current app, your screen, your windows, your system settings — are the things Windows actually exposes.
At a glance
| Feature | Pivit | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Built for Windows 10 and 11 | macOS first; Windows still in public beta |
| Pricing | Free forever, Pro £8/month with AI included | Free tier; Pro $8/month annual or $10 monthly |
| AI | Included on Pro — 70+ models, no API key, no add-on | Pro only, 50 free trial messages; +$8/month for the advanced AI add-on |
| Extensions | Plugin SDK, every command works on Windows | Thousands in the ecosystem; hundreds working on Windows so far |
| Gesture launcher | Pivit Wheel — hold, flick, release | Not offered |
| App and screen context | Reads your current app, screen, clipboard and media | Not a headline feature on Windows |
| Window management | Free on every plan | Free; custom commands are Pro |
| Cloud sync | On Pro | Pro only; reached Windows in beta in July 2026 |
| Source | Closed source | Closed source, with open-source extensions |
Comparison last checked 21 July 2026. Raycast is a product of its respective owner and its features change often — check their site for the current state.
Where Pivit is stronger
- Windows-native rather than a port, so nothing is waiting on platform parity
- AI is included in Pro rather than sitting behind a plan tier and a paid add-on
- AI that reads the app in front of you — your screen, clipboard, files and even the video you are watching — instead of starting from an empty prompt
- The Pivit Wheel puts your most-used commands under the cursor, which no other launcher here offers
- Every Pivit command runs on Windows, because Windows is the only platform it targets
- Window management, calculator, search, system controls and all eight themes cost nothing
Where Raycast is stronger
- A much larger extension catalogue overall, open source, and a community that has been building for it since 2020
- The obvious choice if you move between a Mac, a PC and iOS and want one tool across all of them
- More third-party guides, tutorials and shared workflows
Which should you pick?
Choose Pivit if: Windows is your machine. You want a launcher that was designed for it, whose AI can see what you are working on and act on it, and you would rather not pay a subscription plus an add-on to get that.
Choose Raycast if: You already live in Raycast on a Mac and want the same muscle memory on your PC, or you depend on specific extensions from its catalogue.
Common questions
Yes, as a public beta that opened on 20 November 2025, covering Windows 10 21H2 and later and Windows 11. It is still labelled beta. Raycast says most extensions work on both platforms out of the box, and that hundreds of its thousands of extensions run on Windows so far, so the Windows catalogue is still catching up with the macOS one.
The headline prices are close — Pivit Pro is £8 a month, Raycast Pro is $8 a month billed annually or $10 monthly. The difference is AI. Pivit Pro includes 70+ models. Raycast's Pro plan includes AI too, but sells a further advanced AI add-on at $8 a month on top, so heavier AI use costs more there. Raycast's free plan includes 50 trial AI messages; Pivit's free plan has no AI.
No. Both are keyboard-driven launchers with AI, which is where the similarity ends. Pivit adds the Pivit Wheel gesture launcher, targets Windows exclusively, and points its AI at the app and screen you are currently working in rather than at a blank prompt.
You can, as long as you give them different hotkeys. Most people settle on one, because a launcher earns its keep through muscle memory.
Not today. Pivit is a Windows 10 and 11 application. If you need macOS, Raycast or Alfred are the established options.
Try Pivit on Windows
Free on Windows 10 and 11. The launcher, calculator, window management and themes cost nothing.