Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PortableApps.com VS LaunchBar

Compare PortableApps.com VS LaunchBar and see what are their differences

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PortableApps.com logo PortableApps.com

PortableApps.com is a website offering many free, commonly used Windows applications that have been...

LaunchBar logo LaunchBar

Start with a single keyboard shortcut to access and control every aspect of your digital life. Use LaunchBar and improve your workflow now.
  • PortableApps.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-02
  • LaunchBar Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-03

PortableApps.com features and specs

  • Portability
    PortableApps.com allows users to carry their software and settings on a USB drive, enabling them to work on different computers without needing to install software anew.
  • No Installation Required
    Applications from PortableApps.com do not require installation on the host machine, which simplifies software management and avoids modifying system files and settings.
  • Privacy and Security
    Since applications run from a portable drive, users can ensure their personal data and app settings are not left on public or shared computers.
  • Space Efficiency
    Many portable apps are designed to be lightweight, consuming less disk space compared to their installed counterparts.
  • Ease of Updates
    PortableApps.com offers a built-in updater that keeps all portable applications current, streamlining the maintenance process.

Possible disadvantages of PortableApps.com

  • Performance Issues
    Running applications from a USB drive can be slower compared to running them from a local hard drive, especially if the USB drive is of low quality or an older standard.
  • Compatibility Limitations
    Not all software can be made portable due to dependencies or performance requirements, limiting the selection of available portable apps.
  • Less Integration
    Portable applications may lack deep system integration, affecting some features and functionality that depend on tight coupling with the operating system.
  • Data Corruption Risk
    Using a USB drive intensively has a higher risk of data corruption or loss, especially if the drive is improperly ejected during read/write operations.
  • User Dependency
    If the portable drive is lost, damaged, or stolen, the user loses access to their applications and settings, creating a dependency on the portable medium.

LaunchBar features and specs

  • Efficiency
    LaunchBar allows fast access to applications, documents, bookmarks, and more, significantly increasing productivity and reducing the time you spend searching for files.
  • Integration
    The tool integrates well with numerous macOS applications and services, providing a unified interface for various tasks.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize keyboard shortcuts and create their own scripts and workflows, tailoring the tool to their specific needs.
  • Feature-rich
    LaunchBar includes numerous features such as clipboard history, quick calculations, and contact search, offering comprehensive functionality beyond simple app launching.
  • User-friendly Interface
    Provides a clean and intuitive interface that reduces the learning curve for new users while maintaining efficiency for experienced users.

Possible disadvantages of LaunchBar

  • Learning Curve
    While it offers many features, new users might find the initial setup and understanding of all its functionalities somewhat complex.
  • Cost
    LaunchBar is a paid application, which might be a deterrent for users seeking free alternatives for application launching and management.
  • Overwhelming for Basic Users
    Users looking for a simple application launcher might find its broad set of features excessive and overwhelming.
  • Resource Usage
    Running in the background, it might use more system resources compared to a standard application launcher, which could be a concern for those with older hardware.

Analysis of PortableApps.com

Overall verdict

  • Yes, PortableApps.com is generally considered a good platform for using and managing portable software applications.

Why this product is good

  • Wide range of applications: PortableApps.com offers a large selection of applications that can be run from a USB drive without installation, making it convenient for users who switch between multiple computers.
  • No installation required: Applications on PortableApps.com do not require installation on a computer, which helps keep your system clean and clutter-free.
  • Free and open-source: Most of the software available through PortableApps.com is free and open-source, making it accessible to a broad audience.
  • Ease of use: The platform is user-friendly, with a dedicated menu and easy update capabilities, allowing users to manage their portable apps efficiently.
  • Cross-platform support: PortableApps.com supports Windows primarily, but many of the portable apps also work on Linux through Wine or on a Mac via similar tools.

Recommended for

  • Users who frequently switch between different computers and need their software accessible on a USB drive.
  • IT professionals and technicians who require a suite of tools for troubleshooting and maintenance that can be carried easily.
  • Privacy-conscious users who prefer not to leave traces of their software usage on computers they work on.
  • Individuals who want to test software without altering their main operating systemโ€™s configuration.

PortableApps.com videos

PortableApps.com Review

LaunchBar videos

Launchbar - My #1 Time Saver

More videos:

  • Review - Mac Productivity: Launchbar 6 vs. Alfred 2
  • Review - Be More Productive with LaunchBar, Part 1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PortableApps.com and LaunchBar)
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100
LMS
100 100%
0% 0
App Launcher
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PortableApps.com and LaunchBar

PortableApps.com Reviews

We have no reviews of PortableApps.com yet.
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LaunchBar Reviews

4 Best Spotlight Alternatives to Increase Your Macโ€™s Functionality
LaunchBar lets you look up documents, apps, and bookmarks using short abbreviations, albeit it isnโ€™t as fast at returning results as the other two app launchers. In addition, it has a powerful file manager, which lets you query file metadata and perform operations like copying, moving, and renaming files and folders easily.
Source: techpp.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PortableApps.com seems to be a lot more popular than LaunchBar. While we know about 150 links to PortableApps.com, we've tracked only 9 mentions of LaunchBar. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PortableApps.com mentions (150)

  • Ask HN: What tools do you recommend for working on Windows?
    Always put all your portable programs in the "A:\MyPC\Programs\" folder. Always put all your documents in the "A:\MyPC\Documents\" folder. Put driver files and runtime libraries in the "A:\MyPC\Install\" folder. For all three, feel free to create subfolders as needed, either per topic, per group, or however your brain envisions data trees. You can find plenty of portable windows software in the links provided... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Recommended lightweight apps like Paint.NET, Notepad++, SumatraPDF etc.
    If I'm on windows I like portable applications. I always have: https://portableapps.com/ "Installed" and if I'm looking for a program I tend to go here: https://www.portablefreeware.com/ first. There's also sysmenu: https://www.ugmfree.it/ Which has way more programs, and let's not forget nirsoft: https://www.nirsoft.net/ Someone's already mention sysinternals. Much as I like Linux over windows, portable app have... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • I wanna switch browsers, any recommendations
    Until you can makeup your mind about a different browser, do what I normally do & check out this site: https://portableapps.com/ by utilizing this platform the ONLY software that actually gets installed to a users computer is the portableapps setup file so you can utilize the application itself. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Is there a way to package a desktop app so that it can run in "any" environment?
    I would ask over at portableapps.com. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Why do people still use VBA?
    >no software install... https://portableapps.com I think there's even a Lazarus IDE available for every company user who. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
View more

LaunchBar mentions (9)

  • macOS Tips and Tricks
    Launchbar[0] is also still around - not actively developed, but actively maintained. Happy user since 10 years already, even though I own a lifetime Alfred license. [0]: https://obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • You're using function keys wrong
    I've been doing this for >10 years with https://manytricks.com/butler/. Works great! You can also bind snippets of text, scripts, etc. I can't overstate how important it is to have a keyboard that groups function keys into "islands" of (generally) 4 so you can touch-type them. An ergonomics consultant once observed that the source of my neck pain was that I looked at the keyboard while typing. As a touch-typist, I... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Maccy is an open source lightweight and searchable clipboard manager for macOS
    LaunchBar[0], which predates Alfred but is similar in function, also has a fantastic searchable clipboard manager. LaunchBar's manager includes a feature that I've not been able to find in any other clipboard manager: a push/pop stack. With this feature you can, for example, copy a bunch of different items from a web page on to the stack, then paste them sequentially in a web form and pop them from the stack so... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • What apps do you install on your MacBook Pro to improve performance and usability?
    LaunchBar is something I personally find a more useful and better considered tool than Alfred, though they're aimed at doing the same thing. It also comes with a great clipboard persister and manager. Every time you start doing things in LaunchBar, you can type a couple of letters to filter the list of candidates down, which means juggling a 100 item clipboard history becomes very easy to manage. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Clipboard app for regularly used text
    I use the one integrated into Launchbar. Source: about 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PortableApps.com and LaunchBar, you can also consider the following products

SyMenu - SyMenu is a portable menu launcher and Start Menu replacement to organize your applications quickly...

150 ChatGPT 4.0 prompts for SEO - Unlock the power of AI to boost your website's visibility.

The Portable Freeware Collection - One of the largest collections of free, portable software on the web.

Alfred - Alfred is an award-winning app for macOS which boosts your efficiency with hotkeys, keywords, text expansion and more. Search your Mac and the web, and be more productive with custom actions to control your Mac.

PStart - PStart is a simple tray tool to start user defined applications.

Raycast - Fastest way to control Jira, GitHub and other web apps