Albert vs Alfred (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Alfred: it is third in our ranking of window managers and launchers, though Albert grades higher (2.6 against 2.4) on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Alfred grades higher on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Alfred
Mac launcher with hotkeys, snippets and custom workflows
Which one is for you
Pick Albert if
- Fits if you live on the keyboard and run a Mac or Linux
- Works for people happy to install from a Homebrew tap
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need Windows, which is not supported yet
- Skip it if you want window snapping, as it doesn't resize or tile windows
- Watch out: the Mac app is unsigned and installing it disables Gatekeeper for it
- Watch out: its own license allows personal use and bars redistributing modified versions, so it's not open source
Pick Alfred if
- Fits if you want a keyboard launcher on your Mac with no subscription
- Works for people who repeat the same multi-step task daily and will build a workflow for it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only, on 10.14 or later
- Tight if you're staying free and want clipboard history, snippets or workflows, because all of them need the £34 Powerpack
- Not for you if you want a price in dollars, since the shop only shows pounds sterling
- Watch out: the £34 license covers Alfred 5 only; the next major version is a paid upgrade unless you pay £59 up front
- Watch out: Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate App Store purchase
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAlbertGood | 2.4GPAAlfredFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with optional donations. Nothing in the listing costs money. | BThe Powerpack is £34 once, with no subscription, and Mega Supporter at £59 adds free lifetime upgrades. Pay-once utilities here sit nearer $15, so Alfred asks more than most of them, but a single payment still beats a couple of years of any subscription. Pounds only, so no dollar price to quote. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free to use, with no tiers. | BThe core is free forever, at home, at school or at work: launching apps, finding files and searching the web, with no usage cap. A lot of people could stop there. But clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all wait behind the Powerpack. |
| Features | CA plugin system with bundled plugins and extension APIs. It launches and searches, and doesn't arrange windows, which is what this category is for. | BThis is the full launcher job, not a slice of it: app, file and web search, clipboard history kept up to 3 months, snippets that expand as you type, file actions, custom hotkeys, system commands and no-code workflows you can import by the thousand. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | DOn a Mac you install it through a Homebrew tap, and the cask turns off Gatekeeper for the unsigned app. That's a command line job. | CNo rating is on record. Typing into the search bar is nothing to learn, but the half you pay for is the half you build: workflows are triggers wired to actions, and hotkeys, snippets and search keywords are all yours to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and Linux only. No Windows version, as the install page says. | DMac only, on macOS 10.14 or later, so one operating system. Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store. It works with 1Password and Music.app, and the Powerpack runs Terminal commands and scripts. |
| Best for | a keyboard launcher for Mac and Linux | a Mac launcher you pay for once |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Albert and Alfred. How we grade
Where they differ
- Alfred can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Alfred also covers workflow automation, clipboard manager and text expansion.
At a glance
| Albert | Alfred | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License) |
| Free plan | Free; the site accepts optional donations. | The core of Alfred is free to use forever, covering app, file and web search. Powerpack features such as workflows, clipboard history and snippets are not included. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Manuel Schneider | Running with Crayons Ltd |
| Price read from | albertlauncher.github.io | alfredapp.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Albert
- No Windows version; the install page says Windows is not supported yet.
- The macOS app is unsigned, installed through a Homebrew tap, and the cask disables Gatekeeper for it.
- Under Albert's own license, not an open-source one: it permits personal use and bars redistributing modified versions, and forbids binaries targeting Microsoft or Apple platforms.
Alfred
- macOS only (10.14 or later). Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store.
- Clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all require the paid Powerpack.
- Prices are shown in pounds sterling only; the vendor's site gives no US dollar price.
- The Single License is tied to Alfred 5; moving to a later major version is a discounted paid upgrade unless you hold Mega Supporter.
Key features
Albert
- Plugin system
- Functionality comes from plugins, so it can act as an app launcher or a system command palette.
- Bundled plugins
- Ships with a set of maintained plugins out of the box.
- Extension APIs
- Write extensions in C++ or Python.
- Fast keyboard use
- Speed is a stated design goal.
Alfred
- App, file and web search
- Launch apps, find files on your Mac and search websites with default or custom search keywords, all from one search bar.
- Workflows
- A Powerpack feature that connects triggers and actions like building blocks to automate tasks without code. Thousands of community workflows can be imported.
- Clipboard History
- With the Powerpack, Alfred keeps the text, images and file links you copy for 24 hours, 7 days, 1 month or 3 months, so an earlier item can be found and pasted again.
- Snippets and text expansion
- With the Powerpack, saved snippets expand automatically when you type a short keyword.
- File actions and Terminal commands
- The Powerpack adds actions on files, such as emailing, moving, copying and revealing in Finder, and runs Terminal commands and scripts from Alfred.
- System commands and hotkeys
- Sleep the Mac, empty the Trash or start the screensaver with a keyword. The Powerpack adds custom hotkeys and keywords for apps and sites.
Plans
Albert
Free$0
Free to use; donations are optional.
Alfred
Alfred (free)£0
The core launcher for searching your Mac and the web. Free to use in a personal, educational or business setting.
Powerpack Single License£34
one-time purchase, license for Alfred 5
Unlocks the Powerpack for one user on Alfred 5: workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file actions, themes and settings sync.
Powerpack Mega Supporter£59
one-time purchase, free lifetime upgrades
The same Powerpack features for one user, with free upgrades to future versions of Alfred.
Ways to pay less
Albert
No public discounts listed.
Alfred
- Lifetime license
Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades
The £59 Mega Supporter license includes free upgrades to future versions of Alfred. The £34 Single License covers Alfred 5.
- Other savings
Upgrade discount for older licenses
Holders of a Single User or Family license for an earlier version of Alfred can upgrade to the current Powerpack at a discount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Albert or Alfred?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Albert is free, and Alfred starts at £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License).
Which has a free plan, Albert or Alfred?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Albert and Alfred have a free plan.
Which platforms do Albert and Alfred run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Albert lists a Linux app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.