Why Raycast Became My Most-Used App in 2025

I've tried dozens of productivity apps. Most get deleted within a week.

Raycast has been my daily driver for two years. It replaced six tools in my workflow.

Here's how it happened.

The Discovery (and the Abandonment)

Found Raycast on Product Hunt about two years ago. Installed it immediately smooth onboarding, liked the launcher concept.

Then I hit a wall: couldn't change the hotkeys for Launcher.

So it just sat there. Installed but ignored. I kept using Spotlight out of habit.

Then I saw a YouTube video on Twitter showing how designers were using Raycast in their actual process. That's when I decided to give it a real shot.

The Feature That Made Me Stay: Figma File Search

My first use case was basic. Just opening apps. Nothing special.

Then I found the Figma file search extension.

Here's the thing about Figma nowadays: it takes forever to open. Especially when you're managing dozens of files across multiple projects.

With this extension? I search for any Figma file without launching Figma at all. I can even create quick links for specific files no searching, just hit a shortcut and the file opens.

That's when Raycast became serious for me.

The Hyper Key: The Real Game Changer

Before Raycast, I used AltTab (open-source window switcher, basically Windows' Alt+Tab for Mac).

The problem? You always have to watch the screen. You're cycling through windows, checking what you're focusing on.

The Hyper Key [✦] solved this completely.

I mapped my daily tools to single keystrokes:

• ✦ + S → Slack

• ✦ + A → Arc browser

• ✦ + F → Figma

• ✦ + D → Discord

Now I don't need to look at my screen. I hit ✦ + F, Figma launches. Hit it again? Figma hides.

Some people say this isn't "real" productivity. I disagree.

As a designer who struggles with attention span, knowing exactly what happens when I press a key without visual confirmation is huge. It keeps me in flow.

Quick Links: The Tool Within the Tool

After exploring the extension store (thousands of extensions, basically an App Store for productivity), I discovered quick links.

This feature alone justifies Raycast.

Search shortcuts: I don't open Pinterest, click search, then type. I type my query directly in Raycast, hit enter, boom Pinterest opens with my results. Same for Dribbble, GitHub, Figma.

Text expansion: I type "my home" and Raycast replaces it with my complete address. Bank details, email templates, code snippets all automated.

File navigation: Every project folder in Finder has a quick link. Two letters, I'm there.

Everything I visit daily is now a quick link. Websites, iMessage, folders, tools everything.

The Extensions I Actually Use

The extension ecosystem is what makes Raycast feel limitless.

Brew extension - Install and upgrade Homebrew packages without opening Terminal. Just search, click, done.

WebP converter - Quick image format conversion without leaving my workflow.

Color picker - Always available, no separate app needed.

Quick notes - Every meeting, every thought I want to capture just create a note in Raycast. No app switching.

These extensions mean I don't context-switch for small tasks. I stay in Raycast, get it done.

Raycast AI and MCPs

Upgraded to Pro after a couple months. Unlocked AI features.

I'm not using the AI chat heavily I prefer Claude and ChatGPT for longer conversations. But Raycast AI is perfect for quick questions.

Recently they added MCP support. I connected my memory MCP to Raycast AI. Now when I ask questions, the AI already knows context about me.

Subtle, but useful.

Building My Own Extension

After months of daily use, I started building my own extension.

I have a very specific Obsidian setup my "second brain" for note-taking. None of the existing extensions worked exactly how I needed.

So I built one.

Now I search my Obsidian vault, create notes, and link information without leaving Raycast. Tailored to my exact workflow.

This is what great tools do: give you a foundation, then get out of your way when you want to customize.

What I Haven't Explored Yet

Raycast has an organization plan for teams. Haven't used it, can't speak to it.

The window manager exists but I haven't fully explored it.

There's still depth here I haven't touched.

Why This Is My Favorite Productivity App

Two years ago, I installed Raycast and abandoned it because I couldn't change one setting.

Now I've built custom extensions for it.

That evolution tells you something about the tool. It doesn't force you into one workflow. It meets you where you are whether that's just opening apps faster, or building your entire system around it.

I've tried dozens of productivity apps. Most solve problems I don't have.

Raycast solved problems I didn't even know I had.

Start simple: Try quick links and the ✦ key. You don't need to go all-in immediately.

But once you feel that reduction in friction that moment when you're not thinking about how to access something, you're just accessing it you'll get why this became my most-used app.