Keypirinha vs Launchy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Launchy grades higher than Keypirinha: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Launchy grades higher on ease of use and platforms. 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 Keypirinha if
- Fits if you are on Windows and happy to edit config files
- Works for people who want to carry a launcher on a portable folder
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to click through a setup screen, because settings are in files and the vendor calls the curve steep
- Watch out: the latest release is 2.26 from November 2020, and the install page lists Windows only up to 10
- Not for you if you want open source, as the license permits redistributing unmodified binaries only
- Skip it if you use macOS or Linux
Pick Launchy if
- Fits if you want a small launcher that works the same on Windows, Mac and Linux
- Works for people who want to pay what they feel it is worth
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the site doesn't date the stable 2.5 or the 2.6 beta, so it is hard to tell if it is kept up
- Skip it if you want plugins off Windows, as the plugins page is Windows only
- Not for you if you worry about safety of add-ons, since plugins and skins are not vetted by the maker and are used at your own risk
- Pricey if you feel the ask, because the page keeps asking for at least $3
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAKeypirinhaFair | 3.0GPALaunchyVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFreeware with no nag screen, time limit or ads, per the vendor. | APay what you want: a free download, with $10 suggested and a request for at least $3. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, with no paid tier. | ADownloading is free with nothing locked, though the vendor asks you to consider paying at least $3. |
| Features | CLaunches apps, files, bookmarks and sessions, runs searches, translates, calculates and hashes strings. It is a launcher, and that is the job it does. | CStart menu indexing, plugins and skins. The plugins are Windows only and come from other developers, so the core job is covered but unevenly across systems. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating. Configuration lives in files, there is no installer, and the vendor says the learning curve is steep. | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and type; nothing needs setting up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, and the install page lists Windows 7 through 10. | CWindows, macOS and Linux builds, computers only, with no phone or web version. |
| Best for | a keyboard-only launcher on Windows | a small launcher on Windows, Mac and Linux |
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: Keypirinha and Launchy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Keypirinha has no paid plan and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Launchy has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Launchy scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other window managers and launchers on the chart, none scores higher than Keypirinha for less, and none scores higher than Launchy 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
- Launchy is open source, according to its own site.
In commonFree planWindowsKeyboard-firstLauncher
At a glance
| Keypirinha | Launchy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Freeware with no nag screen, no time limit and no ads, per the vendor. | Pay what you want: it can be downloaded for free, with a suggested payment of $10 and a request to consider at least $3. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Jean-Charles Lefebvre | Josh Karlin |
| Price read from | keypirinha.com | launchy.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Keypirinha
- Windows only; the install page lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.
- The latest release is 2.26 from November 2020.
- The vendor itself calls the learning curve steep, and there is no installer, only an archive.
- Its license allows redistribution of unmodified binaries only; the program is not described as open source.
Launchy
- The latest stable version is 2.5, and the newest beta listed is 2.6 Beta 2; the site does not date either.
- The plugins page is Windows only, and its author says third-party plugins are used at your own risk.
- Plugins and skins come from other developers, with no vetting by the maker.
- The Android app mentioned on the site is a separate product.
Key features
Keypirinha
- Item launcher
- Finds applications, files, bookmarks, URLs, sessions (PuTTY, WinSCP, FileZilla) and registry keys, and switches to a running application by name.
- Web and dictionary search
- Launches a search on any configured website or online dictionary and offers on-the-fly language translation.
- Calculation and conversion
- Evaluates math expressions and converts numbers between bases.
- Developer helpers
- Hashes strings, generates random UUIDs and passwords, and splits a URL's arguments into JSON.
- Packages
- A C++ core with Python 3 plugins, with shipped and third-party packages.
- File-driven configuration
- Settings live in files, with separate machine-specific and user-specific configuration, and the GUI's colors and fonts can be changed.
Launchy
- Start menu indexing
- Indexes the programs in the start menu and launches documents, project files, folders and bookmarks from a few keystrokes.
- Plugins
- Windows-only plugins from other developers cover tasks such as killing processes, a calculator and PuTTY sessions.
- Plugin development
- Plugins can be written in C++, or with add-ons in .NET or Python.
- Skins
- The look of the launcher can be changed with skins found in the Launchy forums.
- Several operating systems
- The download page lists builds for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, with a source tarball.
Plans
Keypirinha
Free$0
The whole program, in a portable archive with no installer.
Launchy
Pay what you want$0
Free download; the vendor suggests $10 and asks for at least $3, with options from $3 to $100.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Keypirinha or Launchy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Keypirinha and Launchy are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Keypirinha or Launchy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Keypirinha and Launchy have a free plan.
Which platforms do Keypirinha and Launchy run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Launchy lists macOS and Linux apps. Both list a Windows 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.