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LaunchBar

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LaunchBar

LaunchBar Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether LaunchBar is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • LaunchBar Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-03

Features & Specs

  1. Efficiency

    LaunchBar allows fast access to applications, documents, bookmarks, and more, significantly increasing productivity and reducing the time you spend searching for files.

  2. Integration

    The tool integrates well with numerous macOS applications and services, providing a unified interface for various tasks.

  3. Customizability

    Users can customize keyboard shortcuts and create their own scripts and workflows, tailoring the tool to their specific needs.

  4. Feature-rich

    LaunchBar includes numerous features such as clipboard history, quick calculations, and contact search, offering comprehensive functionality beyond simple app launching.

  5. User-friendly Interface

    Provides a clean and intuitive interface that reduces the learning curve for new users while maintaining efficiency for experienced users.

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Videos

Launchbar - My #1 Time Saver

Mac Productivity: Launchbar 6 vs. Alfred 2

Be More Productive with LaunchBar, Part 1

Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about LaunchBar and what they use it for.
  • 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
  • What is the best clipboard archiving utility for macbook?
    Launchbar will persist up to 100 clipboard items, with full-text search and access. I use it constantly. The rest of Launchbar is horrendously useful - the best of the 'accessory' tools, IMO. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Arvis introduction
    It's interesting how many of these alternatives are popping up around now. We too have made a cross platform, open source variant named LaunchMenu alternative which we released into Beta. It looks like you've gone for a similar approach as Cerebro with a plugin system based on a getPluginItems listener. Cerebro's general design is much more akin to LaunchBar than Alfred however. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Command Palette Interfaces
    I love these interfaces and use them wherever I can. On MacOS I use Alfred for launching applications, killing processes, controlling music playback, searching the web and my filesystem, swapping file tabs, and tons more. Spotlight search, which is built in, is also very competent. For the command line I use fzf which can add fuzzy search for all sorts of things. Built in its ctrl+r functionality I find very... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
  • Setapp 1-Year Subscription 50% off
    I'm a LaunchBar guy but have been watching Raycast since LB seems to be on life support. Unfortunately, Raycast doesn't really work for file browsing (at least not yet). I've purchased every version of the Alfred Powerpack, but I just prefer the way LB deals with actions. Source: over 4 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of LaunchBar

LaunchBar, a macOS productivity tool developed by Objective Development, is well-regarded among users for its extensive feature set and reliable performance in comparison to its competitors in the app launcher domain. Despite the introduction of newer tools like Raycast and Alfred, LaunchBar continues to maintain a loyal user base due to its distinctive capabilities, especially its robust clipboard management and file handling features.

While LaunchBar may not be the fastest at returning search results, as noted in an article featuring it among the "4 Best Spotlight Alternatives," it compensates with its powerful metadata querying file manager, which simplifies file operations like copying, moving, and renaming. These functionalities, combined with its ability to effectively manage documents, apps, and bookmarks using short abbreviations, contribute significantly to streamlining productivity workflows on macOS.

The enduring appeal of LaunchBar can be attributed to user loyalty and its sophisticated clipboard manager. Users appreciate the unique push/pop stack feature, allowing for efficient handling of multiple copied itemsโ€”a capability that enhances the overall user experience and is unmatched by many clipboard managers, including its direct competitors such as Alfred. This feature, paired with the tool's seamless keyboard shortcut integration, allows users to maintain a smooth and uninterrupted workflow, which is often highlighted as a distinguishing factor in decisions to continue using LaunchBar over other alternatives.

A historical perspective reveals that despite the perception of LaunchBar being in maintenance mode rather than active development, it continues to receive enhancements and remains a viable choice for those who prioritize streamlined productivity tools. This ongoing support assures users of its reliability and utility, often tipped as a critical factor in its sustained usage over a decade by many enthusiasts.

The discourse among users often compares LaunchBar to Alfred, with opinions divided based on personal productivity needs. Some users consistently prefer LaunchBar due to its accompanying accessory tools that provide a comprehensive experience beyond mere application launching. Despite the rise of sophisticated competitors, LaunchBar's comprehensive clipboard tools and functionality seem to capture a niche yet fervent segment of the market who value its specific offerings more than blazing speed.

In conclusion, LaunchBar's continued relevance is a testament to its robust feature set that fulfills the nuanced demands of its user base. While it may linger in the shadow of faster or more aggressively developed tools, its dependable feature set, coupled with ongoing maintenance efforts, ensures that it remains a worthy contender in the competitive Mac productivity tool landscape. The user community's enduring appreciation speaks volumes about the value it adds to their everyday computing tasks.

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Is LaunchBar good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss LaunchBar here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.