LaunchBar vs Numi
We give LaunchBar a 3.0 GPA and Numi a 3.4, out of 4.0. Numi grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LaunchBar
Keyboard launcher for Mac with clipboard history and actions
Free plan · from €35 one-time
Numi
Text-based calculator for Mac with unit and currency conversion
Free plan · from $29.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.0GPALaunchBarVery good | 3.4GPANumiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A35 € once for a Single licence, or 59 € for up to 5 computers in one household. That's about a year of a typical paid utility here, and you keep it. Prices are in euros, and the shop gave no US dollar price when the listing was read. | A$29.99 once at the Paddle checkout, with no subscription. That's less than a year of a typical paid utility here, and you keep it. It's also in Setapp, if you already pay the $14.99 a month for that. |
| Free plan and trial | BAfter the 30-day trial you can carry on free for as long and as often as you like. The catch is that it occasionally invites you to take a short break, and the listing can't say how often. | BIt's a free download, and the license adds unlimited notes and iCloud sync. But the changelog says creating a new note requires activation, and Numi doesn't state the free note limit. So we can't tell you how far free goes. |
| Features | AType an abbreviation like SP for System Preferences and it finds the thing. Add clipboard history with ClipMerge, file moves and renames from the keyboard, calendar events, reminders and web searches. You can write your own actions in JavaScript, AppleScript, Ruby or Python. | ASums in words or symbols, currencies with rates updated several times a day, units from length to CSS, time zones and date maths. Variables, running totals and averages carry across lines. JavaScript plugins add your own units, though only a limited part of the API is exposed so far. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Open it, type a few letters, hit Return. The ranking adapts to how you use it, so the things you open most come up first. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You write "plus" or "divide by" like you'd say it and the result shows up, so there's little to learn. One odd bit: the buy page shows no price before checkout. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. Version 6.24 runs on macOS Tahoe and is compatible back to Monterey. It works with Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Apple Shortcuts, Calendar, Reminders, Keyboard Maestro and Spotify. One operating system, though. | BMac, a Windows build and a terminal version for macOS and Linux, plus an Alfred workflow and iCloud sync. Three systems on paper. But Windows is labelled a preview and the Linux desktop app is still listed as coming soon. |
| Best for | a keyboard launcher on the Mac, bought once | sums you type out in plain words on a 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: LaunchBar and Numi. How we grade
Where they differ
- LaunchBar starts at 35 € one-time purchase (Single License). Numi starts at $29.99 one-time purchase (Numi License).
- Only Numi lists Windows and Linux apps.
- LaunchBar also covers launcher, clipboard manager and file management.
- Numi also covers natural-language input.
In commonFree planmacOSOne-time purchaseCalculator
At a glance
| LaunchBar | Numi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | 35 € one-time purchase (Single License) | $29.99 one-time purchase (Numi License) |
| Free plan | Beyond the 30-day trial, LaunchBar 6 can be used for free as long and as often as you like. Without registration it occasionally invites you to take a short break. | Free download. A license activates unlimited notes and iCloud sync, and the changelog says creating a new note requires activation; the vendor does not state the free note limit. |
| Free trial | 30-day trial period, after which free use continues without a license | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Objective Development Software GmbH | Dzmitry Nikalayeu |
| Price read from | obdev.at | checkout.paddle.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
LaunchBar
- Mac users who want to keep their hands on the keyboard
- People who prefer a launcher license bought once over a subscription
- Scripters who extend their launcher with AppleScript or JavaScript actions
Numi
- Mac users doing quick sums with currencies, units or percentages
- Keeping a running calculation with labels and comments beside the numbers
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
Worth knowing
LaunchBar
- macOS only. Version 6.24 runs on macOS Tahoe and is also compatible with Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura and Monterey.
- Without a license, LaunchBar occasionally interrupts with an invitation to take a short break.
- Prices are shown in euros; the vendor's shop gave no US dollar price when it was read.
- The Family License is limited to one household and non-commercial use, and a Single License does not cover several users on several computers.
Numi
- The Windows build is labelled a preview and the Linux desktop app is listed as coming soon; on Linux only the terminal version is available.
- The terminal version does not yet support dates, time zone conversion, variables, plugins or the sum, prev and avg tokens.
- Unlimited notes and iCloud sync need the paid license, and the changelog says creating a new note requires activation.
- The buy page shows no price before checkout; $29.99 is the US price from the Paddle checkout that the Buy button opens.
Key features
LaunchBar
- Adaptive abbreviation search
- Finds apps, documents and other items from short acronyms of their names, such as SP for System Preferences. The ranking of results adapts to your usage.
- Clipboard History and ClipMerge
- Recently copied items stay available, with a paste-as-plain-text option and an ignore list for sensitive data. Pressing Command-C twice merges successive copies into one clip.
- Send To and Instant Send
- Tab sends the selected item to an app, a folder, an email contact or a search template. Holding Command-Space sends a file or text selection from another app to LaunchBar.
- File browsing and operations
- Navigate the file system with the arrow keys, including inside packages, and move, rename, compress or tag files and create folders from the keyboard.
- Calendar, Reminders and Contacts
- Create calendar events and reminders with live feedback on what will be created, and reach contacts to start an email or look up a phone number or address.
- Scriptable actions
- Custom actions can be written in JavaScript, AppleScript, Ruby, Python, PHP and other languages with the built-in Action Editor, or installed from other users.
Numi
- Calculations written as text
- Type an expression in words or symbols, such as a dollar amount in euros minus a percentage discount, and Numi answers it. Word operators such as plus, times and divide by work alongside signs.
- Currency and unit conversion
- Converts currencies by ISO code, name or sign, with rates updated several times a day, plus cryptocurrencies and units of length, area, volume, weight, temperature, data and CSS.
- Time zones and dates
- Shows the current time for a city or time zone, converts a given time from one zone to another, and handles date arithmetic such as today plus two weeks.
- Variables, sums and averages
- Values can be assigned to variables and reused on later lines. The prev token refers to the previous line's result, and sum and average work on the lines above.
- JavaScript plugins
- Extensions written in JavaScript add global variables, custom units and custom functions. The documentation says only a limited part of the API is exposed so far.
- Terminal version and Alfred workflow
- A command-line version, numi-cli, installs on macOS and Linux, and an Alfred workflow built on it answers expressions typed into the launcher.
Plans
LaunchBar
Free use0 €
LaunchBar 6 without a license. It keeps working after the 30-day trial but occasionally asks you to take a short break.
Single License35 €
one-time purchase, license for LaunchBar 6
Either one user on multiple computers or multiple users on one computer, but not multiple users on multiple computers.
Family License59 €
one-time purchase, license for LaunchBar 6
Up to 5 computers at a time that belong to one household. Non-commercial use only.
Numi
Free download$0
Numi without activation. The changelog says creating a new note requires a license.
Numi License$29.99
one-time purchase (US price at the Paddle checkout)
Activates unlimited notes and iCloud sync. Sold through Paddle, which the buy page names as reseller and merchant of record.
Setapp$14.99
per month, through a Setapp membership
The Mac app as part of the Setapp catalog. Setapp's Numi listing prices membership from $14.99 a month, free for 7 days.
Ways to pay less
LaunchBar
- Other savings
Reduced-price upgrades for existing licenses
The order page offers upgrades at a reduced price: owners enter their license key to check which upgrade options are available.
Numi
No public discounts listed.
