macOS Tahoe Spotlight vs. Raycast: A Full Comparison in 2025

To enhance your experience on macOS, you can use the built-in Spotlight search or a third-party tool like Raycast. Spotlight is integrated into macOS and focuses on instant searches and app launching, while Raycast offers more customization and is ideal for users who want greater flexibility on their Mac.

Keeping different needs in mind, we’ll compare these two search tools based on key features, pros, and pricing. This comparison will help you decide whether it’s worth replacing Spotlight with Raycast.

What Is macOS Tahoe Spotlight?

Apple has made a significant update to Spotlight in macOS Tahoe. Now, it can do much more than before, such as browsing apps and files, sending emails, creating notes, playing podcasts, setting reminders, searching clipboard histories, and more.

The interface has also been redesigned. With intelligent ranking, Spotlight groups all results by relevance. The new filtering options let you narrow searches to specific file types. Additionally, the new “Quick Keys” feature allows you to perform actions with just a few keystrokes. For example, you can type “SM” to send a message or “AR” to add a reminder. You can also create custom shortcuts for your workflows.

What Is Raycast?

Just like Spotlight, Raycast lets you quickly access and control various applications, system settings, and third-party services. Because it supports apps like Slack, GitHub, and Spotify, you can easily send messages or stream media directly from Raycast.

Due to its simple interface, Raycast attempts to reduce the time you spend browsing through applications and maximize the productivity of operating your Mac.

macOS Tahoe Spotlight vs. Raycast: A Complete Comparison

First of all, let’s take a quick overview of the comparison chart.

Next, we’ll take a closer look at each tool’s core features, search capabilities, customization, user experience, and price lists.

Core Features

macOS Tahoe’s Spotlight is not merely a search tool. It also allows you to perform various actions right from the search field, such as creating calendar events, sending SMS messages, and making FaceTime calls. Besides, it includes a clipboard history feature. Compared to Raycast’s powerful clipboard history, however, it only saves data for the past 8 hours.

Raycast allows you to launch apps and execute commands. It has window management, clipboard history with longer retention, and more features like unit conversion and custom scripting. Despite this, Raycast connects with numerous services and applications through its rich extension system.

Search Capabilities

Spotlight offers single search results, aggregating files, applications, messages, and events in one list, ranked by relevance. Spotlight also enables searching across cloud services such as Google Drive and Dropbox through the App Intents API.

However, Raycast excels in searching over a wider range of data and services. You’re able to search across web-only services such as Google Docs. Also, Raycast provides more controllable filtering options for the search results.

Customization and Extensibility

Now, Spotlight’s actions are limited by Apple’s software, though it’s expected to support third-party apps in the future.

However, Raycast includes an in-app store with hundreds of user-created extensions. These extensions are capable of interacting with other services and adding features like custom menu bar icons.

User Experience

Spotlight in macOS Tahoe is more integrated into the system and is more native. It also supports natural language input. Therefore, it’s more suitable for casual users.

Raycast has a modern, customizable UI. Its flexibility and extensive feature set make it more appealing to power users.

Pricing

macOS Tahoe Spotlight is free of charge, as this tool is built into macOS.

The basic version of Raycast is free. However, to access AI features and additional benefits available only in the Pro version, you will need to pay $8 per month.

Can Raycast Replace Spotlight?

Raycast can replace Spotlight for power users who need advanced customization, automation, and third-party integrations. With the Raycast Pro version, you get even more features than Spotlight offers, including AI workflows, deep app integrations (Slack, Notion, GitHub), and utilities like snippet control and window management.

However, Spotlight is still a better choice for casual users who need a plain and native tool for quick searches, sending messages, and creating reminders. Although Raycast is more powerful than Raycast, you need to subscribe to it in some cases.

If you are Apple ecosystem-dependent and don’t need advanced features, Spotlight is sufficient. Yet if you want an intensely extensible, keyboard-driven productivity software, you can give Raycast a try.

Bonus Tip: How to Enhance System Performance with a Menu Bar App?

Although you can use search tools like Spotlight and Raycast for a better user experience, you’re recommended to employ a menu bar app like BuhoCleaner Menu app for better system performance and productivity. BuhoCleaner Menu app is developed to clean your Mac, making it smoother and convenient.

It gives you several tools to keep your system organized. For example, you can remove unnecessary files, cache, and system logs that build up over time. The app also lets you see how your system is running in real time, showing details like CPU usage, memory use, and disk performance. You can monitor your system’s health right from the menu bar, quickly run scans whenever you want, and schedule cleanups as needed.

As a practical addition to your productivity set, BuhoCleaner Menu app complements the search and launch features of Spotlight and Raycast. By keeping your Mac clean, the BuhoCleaner Menu app allows your device to run smoothly and efficiently, boosting productivity and user satisfaction.

Conclusion

Overall, Raycast is more robust and more versatile for users who need professional capabilities and extensive customization. But the Spotlight in macOS Tahoe has improved a lot, and it might suffice for users who desire a clean and native environment. Despite using search tools to enhance the user experience, you can also use the BuhoCleaner Menu Bar app to monitor and enhance macOS performance. By using search tools and menu bar apps, you’ll enjoy a better user experience on your Mac.