Keypirinha vs Wox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Wox: it is third in our ranking of window managers and launchers, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Wox 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 Wox if
- Fits if you use more than one desktop operating system and want the same launcher on each
- Works for people who want to write their own plugins in Node.js or Python
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: AI chat and AI commands need a model, and the pages don't say if one is included or needs your own key
- Skip it if you want paid support, because it is a community project with none stated
- Tight if you use Linux, as the install routes are mainly package managers
- Not for you if you remember the old wox.one site, which is no longer the project's home
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAKeypirinhaFair | 2.8GPAWoxGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFreeware with no nag screen, time limit or ads, per the vendor. | AThe whole program is free under the GPL-3.0 license, including the plugin and theme stores. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, with no paid tier. | ANo paid plan and no caps on the listing. |
| 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. | CApp and file launching, clipboard history, a converter, notes, window layouts, plugins and AI chat. The AI side is vague about what it needs to run. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating. Configuration lives in files, there is no installer, and the vendor says the learning curve is steep. | CNo store rating on record. Plugins and themes come from stores, and Linux installs are mainly through package managers such as AUR. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, and the install page lists Windows 7 through 10. | CWindows, macOS and Linux, but computers only, with no phone or web version. |
| Best for | a keyboard-only launcher on Windows | a free 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 Wox. 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. Wox has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Wox 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 Wox 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
- Wox is open source, according to its own site.
- Wox also covers clipboard manager and window management.
In commonFree planWindowsKeyboard-firstLauncher
At a glance
| Keypirinha | Wox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Freeware with no nag screen, no time limit and no ads, per the vendor. | The whole program is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Jean-Charles Lefebvre | Wox Launcher |
| Price read from | keypirinha.com | woxlauncher.com |
| 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.
Wox
- Linux support is listed, but the install options are mainly package managers such as AUR.
- AI chat and AI commands need access to a model; the pages read do not say whether that is included or needs your own key.
- The domain wox.one is no longer the project's site; the project now lives at woxlauncher.com.
- It is a community project with no paid support option stated.
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.
Wox
- App and file launching
- Opens applications, switches windows and searches local files and folders from the launcher.
- Built-in utilities
- Clipboard history, a calculator, a converter for units, currencies, dates and time zones, floating notes and screen-area capture.
- Window layouts
- Arranges windows and restores saved layouts.
- Plugins and themes
- Extends the launcher with Node.js, Python or script plugins from a plugin store, and offers community themes.
- AI chat and commands
- Includes AI chat, reusable AI commands, and AI-assisted plugin and theme creation.
- Cloud sync and backup
- Syncs settings across devices and backs them up and restores them.
Plans
Keypirinha
Free$0
The whole program, in a portable archive with no installer.
Wox
Free$0
All built-in features and the plugin and theme stores.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Keypirinha or Wox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Keypirinha and Wox are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Keypirinha or Wox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Keypirinha and Wox have a free plan.
Which platforms do Keypirinha and Wox run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Wox 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.