Orbwing vs Raycast
Orbwing vs Raycast
Raycast is a command bar: press a hotkey, a window opens, you type a query and pick from a list. Orbwing is a radial menu: press a hotkey or hold right-click, and a ring of actions blooms right at your cursor. You sweep to one and let go. Same job, launching things fast, done two different ways. Here is how they actually compare, priced and scored honestly.
First month free · no card to start · then $2.99/month or $19.99/year
Feature by feature
Orbwing vs Raycast, side by side.
Pricing below is current as of August 2026, cited from Raycast's own pricing page.
| Orbwing | Raycast | |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction model | Radial menu you point at and sweep to a slice | Command bar: type a query, pick from a results list |
| Trigger | Hotkey or long right-click | Global hotkey only |
| Opens at cursor | Yes, wherever your pointer already is | No, opens in a fixed window, usually screen center |
| Per-app context rings | Yes, each app can have its own ring of actions | No dedicated per-app ring; app-specific commands live in the same shared list |
| AI pricing model | Your own API key, or free on-device AI on macOS 26+; no AI subscription | Advanced AI is a paid add-on, about $8/month, on top of Pro |
| Scripting / AppleScript | Shell scripts and AppleScript run directly as ring actions | A large extension API (TypeScript/React), plus Quicklinks and scripts |
| Cross-platform | macOS only | macOS and Windows today |
| Price | $2.99/month or $19.99/year, first month free | Free tier; Pro is $8/month billed annually ($10 month-to-month), plus about $8/month for the AI add-on |
Scroll the table sideways on narrow screens.
Honest scorecard
Where each one actually wins.
Nobody wins everything. Raycast has years of head start on ecosystem and funding; Orbwing has a different interaction model built around the cursor. Here is the split, without spin.
Where Orbwing wins
- A gesture at your cursor instead of a text field you have to look at and type into
- Per-app rings: each app can get its own set of actions, not just its own commands in one shared list
- AI pricing: bring your own key, or use Apple's free on-device model, with no separate AI subscription
- Your hand stays on the mouse or trackpad; nothing forces you back to the keyboard mid-task
Where Raycast wins
- Ecosystem: thousands of community extensions built up over years
- Brand and funding: a well-funded, widely reviewed tool with a real team behind it
- Team features: shared commands and collaboration tools Orbwing does not have
- Raycast runs on macOS and Windows; Orbwing is Mac-native and macOS only
Where the gesture actually helps
Two moments a command bar handles worse.
- Mid-edit, hand on the mouseSelect a paragraph in any app, hold right-click, sweep to "Summarize" or "Rewrite," and the result replaces the selection. No window to bring into focus, no query to type.
- Different apps, different actionsIn Xcode, the ring can hold build and simulator actions. In a terminal, a different set. One gesture, and the ring changes based on where you are.
Questions
Orbwing vs Raycast, answered.
Is Orbwing a Raycast alternative?
Yes, though the comparison undersells it a little. Orbwing is not a command bar with fewer extensions than Raycast; it is a different way to trigger actions, a ring at your cursor instead of a text field you type into.
Can I use Orbwing and Raycast together?
Yes. Many people do. Keep Raycast for typed search and its extensions, and use Orbwing for the handful of actions your hand should already know by feel.
Does Orbwing have as many integrations as Raycast?
No. Raycast's extension store is large and mature. Orbwing is a solo-developer app with shell scripts, AppleScript and a growing set of built-in actions. If you need a specific third-party integration today, check Raycast's store first.
Is Orbwing's AI actually free?
The app itself is not free after the first month, but the AI has no separate subscription. On macOS 26 and later, actions run on Apple's on-device model at no cost. On earlier macOS versions, you supply your own API key and pay that provider directly, only for what you use.
Which is cheaper, Orbwing or Raycast?
Orbwing is $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year. Raycast's Pro plan is about $8 a month billed annually, and its Advanced AI add-on is roughly another $8 a month. If you want AI features, Orbwing is meaningfully cheaper because it does not charge extra for AI.
Keep comparing
More ways to look at it.
Try the gesture for a month, free.
No card, no account. Keep Raycast running alongside it if you want.
macOS 14 or later · then $2.99/month or $19.99/year · cancel anytime