Ueli

A productivity tool, honestly reviewed. No marketing fluff, just what you get when you download it.

TL;DR

• What it is: Free, open-source (MIT) keystroke launcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux — type a hotkey, start typing, launch anything [1].
• Who it’s for: Power users and founders who live at the keyboard and want to stop mousing around through menus, or Windows/Linux users who’ve watched Mac colleagues use Alfred and wanted the same thing [1][2].
• Cost savings: Alfred Powerpack costs $34 one-time and is Mac-only. Raycast Pro runs $8–12/month and is also Mac-only. Ueli is $0, MIT-licensed, and runs on all three platforms [1].
• Key strength: True cross-platform coverage with a rich extension library — calculators, currency conversion, DeepL translation, file search, VS Code integration, and 20+ more out of the box [1].
• Key weakness: Not signed or notarized on macOS (and unsigned on Windows for manual installs), which means you’ll fight your operating system to get it running. The README documents this explicitly and the workaround isn’t one click [1].

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What is Ueli

Ueli is a keystroke launcher — the kind of tool where you press Alt+Space, type “calc 15% of 340”, and get the answer without opening a browser or calculator app. You type what you want, Ueli finds it, you press Enter.

The elevator pitch: “Cross-Platform Keystroke Launcher.” That’s the entire GitHub description and the entire website meta tag [1][2]. There’s no VC-speak about AI-first workflows or team collaboration. It’s a local productivity utility that stays out of the way.

What makes it notable in a crowded field is two things. First, it actually runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux — not as an afterthought, but as the core design constraint [1]. Most of the well-known tools in this category are Mac-exclusive. Alfred hasn’t shipped for Windows in 15 years. Raycast is macOS-only. Spotlight is built into macOS only. Ueli fills the gap for anyone not on a Mac. Second, it’s MIT-licensed — meaning you can inspect the source, modify it, and redistribute it without asking anyone’s permission [1].

The project is maintained by Oliver Schwendener and sits at 4,478 GitHub stars. It’s not a backed startup — it’s a single-maintainer open source project, which matters when you’re assessing longevity.

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Why people choose it

The most common scenario is someone on Windows or Linux who has watched a colleague on macOS use Alfred or Raycast and wants the same workflow. The cross-platform promise is the primary driver.

Versus Alfred. Alfred is the benchmark in this category — fast, polished, deeply integrated with macOS. The Powerpack (which unlocks workflows, clipboard history, and custom file actions) costs around $34 as a one-time purchase. The problem is it doesn’t exist on Windows or Linux. If you work across machines, Alfred ends your options at the macOS boundary [1].

Versus Raycast. Raycast has emerged as the flashier Mac-only competitor to Alfred, with a free tier and a Pro plan (roughly $8–12/month) that gates AI commands, cloud sync, and team features. Like Alfred, it’s macOS-exclusive. If you’re a founder who doesn’t exclusively use a Mac — or who needs a consistent tool for team members on different OSes — Raycast doesn’t solve the problem [1].

Versus PowerToys Run. Microsoft ships PowerToys Run as part of the PowerToys suite, which includes a keystroke launcher. It’s free, Windows-only, and integrated with Windows search. It’s fine for app launching and basic file search but lacks the extension depth Ueli provides — there’s no DeepL translator, no currency converter, no JetBrains Toolbox integration [1].

On the cost angle. This category isn’t about escaping monthly SaaS bills the way Zapier or HubSpot are. The choice here is between free (Ueli, PowerToys Run) and affordable one-time or low-subscription tools (Alfred, Raycast Pro). The compelling case for Ueli isn’t primarily financial — it’s that free + cross-platform + MIT beats $34/one-time + Mac-only for anyone not locked into Apple hardware.

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Features

Based on the README and extension documentation [1]:

Core launcher behavior:

• Alt+Space hotkey to show/hide (configurable)
• Arrow key navigation through results
• Favorites system — pin frequently used items to always appear first
• Cmd+K / Ctrl+K opens additional actions for any result item
• Settings panel via Cmd+, / Ctrl+,
• Per-extension enable/disable toggles
• Debug log panel for troubleshooting

Extensions (all built-in, toggleable):

• Application Search — launches installed apps [1]
• File Search and Simple File Search — find files on disk [1]
• Calculator — evaluate math expressions inline [1]
• Currency Conversion — live rates, no separate app needed [1]
• Color Converter — convert between hex, RGB, HSL [1]
• Base64 Conversion — encode/decode without a web tool [1]
• UUID / GUID Generator — generate identifiers on demand [1]
• Password Generator — configurable length and character sets [1]
• DeepL Translator — translate text via DeepL API without opening the browser [1]
• Web Search and Custom Web Search — search any site from the launcher [1]
• Browser Bookmarks — search and open bookmarks across browsers [1]
• Terminal Launcher — open terminal windows or run commands [1]
• System Commands — shutdown, restart, sleep, lock [1]
• System Settings — jump to specific settings panels [1]
• Windows Control Panel — direct access to Control Panel items (Windows) [1]
• Visual Studio Code — open recent VS Code workspaces and files [1]
• JetBrains Toolbox — open JetBrains IDE projects [1]
• Appearance Switcher — toggle dark/light mode [1]
• Rowland Text Editor — lightweight inline text scratch pad [1]
• Ueli Commands — meta-commands for the launcher itself [1]

That’s 22 built-in extensions. The README links to a wiki for each — documentation exists, though it’s not uniformly deep [1].

Notable by absence: no clipboard history manager (Alfred and Raycast both have this), no snippet expansion, no workflow automation between extensions, and no AI query integration as of the current README [1].

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Pricing: The Honest Math

Ueli costs nothing. The software is MIT-licensed and distributed for free [1][2].

On Windows: Available through the Microsoft Store (signed, recommended) or as a GitHub release binary (unsigned — Windows Defender will complain) [1].

On macOS: Available only as an unsigned GitHub release binary. macOS will actively block it. The workaround is documented: System Settings → Privacy & Security → “Open anyway” [1]. There is no Mac App Store version.

On Linux: GitHub release binary. Global hotkeys may not work under Wayland — the workaround is binding a custom keyboard shortcut in your DE’s settings [1].

Comparison with paid alternatives:

Tool	Price	Platforms	Notes
Ueli	Free (MIT)	Win / macOS / Linux	Unsigned binaries on macOS/Windows
Alfred	$0 basic / $34 Powerpack one-time	macOS only	Powerpack unlocks workflows, clipboard
Raycast	$0 basic / ~$8–12/mo Pro	macOS only	AI features, team sharing in Pro
PowerToys Run	Free	Windows only	Fewer extensions, Microsoft-backed
Cerebro	Free (MIT)	Win / macOS / Linux	Less active development

For a founder or small team working across Mac and Windows, the math is that Ueli costs $0 versus paying $34/person for Alfred licenses that only cover the Mac half of the team.

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Deployment Reality Check

Ueli is a desktop app, not a server. “Deployment” means downloading the installer and running it on each machine. There’s no VPS, no Docker, no database, no reverse proxy.

Windows install path: Microsoft Store is the recommended route — signed, auto-updates, no security warnings [1]. The winget command (winget install Ueli -s msstore) also works for anyone comfortable with the terminal [1].

macOS install path: Download the .dmg from GitHub releases, mount it, drag to Applications, then open System Settings → Privacy & Security → “Open anyway” when macOS blocks the first launch [1]. This is a two-minute process but it will confuse non-technical users who haven’t seen Gatekeeper warnings before.

Linux install path: Download the AppImage or package from GitHub releases, make it executable, run it. Wayland users need to configure a custom keyboard shortcut as a fallback for the global hotkey [1].

What can go sideways:

• macOS unsigned binary is the most friction-heavy path in this category. The README calls it out directly [1], which is honest, but first-time users unfamiliar with Gatekeeper may not make it through.
• No auto-update mechanism on macOS or Linux (unlike the Microsoft Store version on Windows). You check GitHub releases manually or set a reminder.
• The DeepL Translator extension requires a DeepL API key — it’s a free tier on DeepL’s end (up to 500,000 characters/month), but there’s configuration involved [1].
• Settings documentation is explicitly marked “Under construction” in the README [1]. If you hit a configuration question not covered by the extension wikis, you’re in the GitHub issues.

Realistic time to a working install: 5–10 minutes on Windows via Microsoft Store. 15–20 minutes on macOS including the Gatekeeper override. Linux varies by distribution and whether you hit the Wayland hotkey issue.

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Pros and Cons

Pros

• Actually free, actually MIT. No freemium, no “free tier with limits,” no commercial license required. Download it, use it, modify it, redistribute it [1].
• Genuine cross-platform. Windows, macOS, and Linux in one project — not as an afterthought [1]. This is the most differentiating fact about Ueli.
• 22 built-in extensions. Currency conversion, DeepL translation, UUID generation, JetBrains Toolbox, VS Code workspaces — more out-of-the-box utility than PowerToys Run and comparable to Alfred’s free tier [1].
• Microsoft Store distribution on Windows. Signed binary, auto-updates, no Defender friction for the primary Windows user base [1].
• Developer-friendly extensions. The extension system is documented, and the JetBrains + VS Code integrations in particular are useful for engineering teams [1].
• No account, no telemetry, no cloud dependency. Everything runs locally.

Cons

• Unsigned on macOS. This is the biggest friction point. You are fighting macOS’s security model every time you install or update on a Mac [1]. For non-technical users, this is a real barrier.
• No clipboard history. Alfred and Raycast both have this as a core feature. Ueli doesn’t, which means you need a separate tool for clipboard management.
• No workflow automation between extensions. You can’t chain actions — “translate this, then copy to clipboard, then open in Notion.” Each extension is standalone [1].
• No AI integration in the current README. Raycast Pro and Alfred both have AI query features. Ueli’s README doesn’t mention any [1].
• Settings documentation is unfinished. The README says “Under construction” for the settings section [1]. If something doesn’t work, your first stop is GitHub issues, not docs.
• Single maintainer. The project is maintained by one person [1]. Not a company, not a foundation. If Oliver Schwendener stops maintaining it, the project stops moving. The MIT license means forks are possible, but community forks don’t always materialize.
• No macOS App Store version. The friction of the unsigned binary isn’t going away unless the maintainer pays Apple’s developer program fees, which the README suggests is a cost constraint [1].

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Who Should Use This / Who Shouldn’t

Use Ueli if:

• You’re on Windows and want a feature-rich keystroke launcher beyond PowerToys Run — especially if you use VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, or need DeepL translation from the keyboard.
• Your team works across Windows and Mac and you want everyone on the same tool.
• You’re on Linux and want anything more capable than a basic app launcher.
• You won’t pay a recurring subscription for productivity tooling and don’t want vendor lock-in.
• You’re comfortable with a 5-minute macOS security override or prefer Windows anyway.

Skip it (use Raycast on macOS) if:

• You’re exclusively on a Mac and want the most polished, actively maintained launcher in the category with AI integration and optional Pro features.
• Clipboard history is non-negotiable — Raycast has it built-in.

Skip it (use Alfred on macOS) if:

• You want workflow automation between actions, a mature plugin ecosystem, and you’re comfortable paying $34 once for the Powerpack.

Skip it (use PowerToys Run on Windows) if:

• You want a Microsoft-backed tool that’s tightly integrated with Windows search and you don’t need extensions like currency conversion or DeepL.

Skip it entirely if:

• You don’t use keyboard-centric workflows and are happy clicking through Start menus and Spotlight.

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Alternatives Worth Considering

• Raycast — the current best-in-class for Mac. Free tier is solid, Pro adds AI and team features. Mac-only.
• Alfred — the established Mac launcher with Workflows. One-time Powerpack fee. Mac-only.
• PowerToys Run — Microsoft’s built-in option for Windows. Free, well-maintained, narrower extension set. Windows-only.
• Flow Launcher — open source Windows launcher, similar concept to Ueli but Windows-specific. More active plugin community on Windows.
• Cerebro — another MIT-licensed cross-platform launcher. Less actively maintained than Ueli based on commit history.
• Albert — Linux-native launcher, well-regarded in the Linux community but doesn’t cover Windows or macOS.
• Wox — Windows-only open source launcher, older project, less actively maintained.

For the specific case of “cross-platform team, no budget for per-seat tools” the realistic shortlist is Ueli vs Flow Launcher (Windows) + something else for Mac. Ueli is the only option that runs the same software on all three platforms.

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Bottom Line

Ueli does exactly one thing: lets you launch apps, run calculations, convert currencies, search files, and open IDE projects from a hotkey without touching the mouse. It does this for free, under MIT license, on Windows, macOS, and Linux simultaneously — which is a shorter list than it sounds, because almost every well-known competitor in this category is Mac-only.

The trade-offs are real: no clipboard history, no workflow automation, no AI integration, settings docs that are still incomplete, and a macOS install experience that requires a Gatekeeper override. The single-maintainer risk is also worth naming honestly — this project’s future depends on one person’s continued interest.

But if you’re on Windows or Linux and watching Mac users navigate their machines faster than you because they have Alfred, Ueli is the direct answer. Download it from the Microsoft Store, spend five minutes configuring your preferred extensions, and the gap closes. For a $0 MIT tool, the baseline is genuinely good.

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Sources

1. GitHub Repository — oliverschwendener/ueli (4,478 stars, MIT license). README, extension documentation, installation instructions, and known issues. https://github.com/oliverschwendener/ueli
2. Official Website — ueli.app (Cross-Platform Keystroke Launcher). https://ueli.app
3. Microsoft Store — Ueli listing (signed Windows binary, winget install). https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9PK44N42B2G7

Note: Third-party review data for Ueli was not available at time of writing. This review is based on primary sources: the official GitHub repository, README documentation, and extension wikis.