Cerebro vs Sol (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cerebro and Sol share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where Cerebro grades higher, or ease of use, where Sol does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Cerebro if
- Fits if you want one free launcher across Windows, Mac and Linux
- Works for developers who want to write JavaScript plugins
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: every download is 0.11.0 and the footer reads 2023, so updates may be slow
- Skip it if you want features out of the box, because most extras are community plugins
- Tight if your machine is short on memory, as it is built on Electron
- Not for you if you want paid support, since it is run by a small team of volunteers
Pick Sol if
- Fits if you want one free keyboard window for launching apps on a Mac
- Works for developers who like open source and extra commands
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as the site lists neither
- Too light for tiling and window snapping, where a dedicated manager does more
- Skip it if you want support, since the listing names no company behind it
- Watch out: the site gives few details on what each built-in tool does
How we grade them
| 2.8GPACerebroGood | 2.8GPASolGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with the plugin manager included. | AThe whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free, with no paid plan. | AFree outright, with no plan to buy and no cap. |
| Features | CSearches files, apps and the web and shows maps and translations in place. Beyond basic search it relies on community plugins, and the site lists more than 10 official ones. | CApp and file search, window resizing, clipboard, calculator, emoji, calendar and notes. It is a launcher first, so its window management is a smaller part than in a dedicated manager. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It installs like any app, but plugins are where the extra features live. | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it and press a shortcut to start. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux downloads, computers only, with no phone or web version. | DmacOS only. The site lists no Windows or Linux version. |
| Best for | a free launcher with plugins on Windows, Mac and Linux | a free keyboard launcher for Mac |
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: Cerebro and Sol. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cerebro has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sol has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other window managers and launchers on the chart, none scores higher than Cerebro for less, and none scores higher than Sol for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Sol also covers clipboard manager, window management and calculator.
At a glance
| Cerebro | Sol | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source, per the vendor. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | CerebroApp | ospfranco |
| Price read from | cerebroapp.com | sol.ospfranco.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cerebro
- It is built on Electron, which the vendor describes as its main cross-platform route.
- The site lists version 0.11.0 for all systems and its footer reads 2023, so it may be updated slowly.
- Functionality beyond basic search depends on community plugins.
- It is run by a small team of volunteers; no paid support is offered.
Sol
- Runs on macOS only; the site lists no Windows or Linux version.
- Window management is one feature of a launcher, not a dedicated tiling tool.
Key features
Cerebro
- Unified search
- Searches files and applications on the machine and the internet from a single box.
- Results in place
- Shows maps, translations and search suggestions without opening another app, and can reveal a file or copy contact details.
- Plugin manager
- Installs plugins from inside the app, with more than 10 official plugins listed.
- Plugin API
- A documented API lets developers build and share their own plugins.
- Cross-platform
- Downloads are offered for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Sol
- App and file search
- Finds apps, files and folders from a single launcher window opened with a keyboard shortcut.
- Window manager
- Resizes and moves windows with keyboard shortcuts, such as the Control-Option-Return example shown on the site.
- Clipboard manager
- Keeps a history of copied items that can be searched and pasted back through a shortcut.
- Calculator and emoji picker
- Does quick math in the launcher and offers an emoji picker the site presents as an alternative to the system one.
- Calendar, bookmarks and notes
- Shows calendar events, searches browser bookmarks and takes quick notes from the same window.
- Developer commands
- Includes commands such as cleaning Xcode derived data and launching scripts.
Plans
Cerebro
Free$0
The whole application, including the plugin manager.
Sol
Free$0
The whole app is free; the site calls it free and open source.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cerebro or Sol?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cerebro and Sol are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Cerebro or Sol?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cerebro and Sol have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cerebro and Sol run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Cerebro lists Windows and Linux apps. 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.