Microsoft PowerToys vs Ueli
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft PowerToys
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11
Free
Where they differ
- Microsoft PowerToys is free. Ueli is free.
- Only Ueli lists macOS and Linux apps.
- Microsoft PowerToys also covers window management, file management and keyboard and mouse remapping.
- Ueli also covers calculator.
In commonFree planWindowsOpen sourceKeyboard-firstLauncher
At a glance
| Microsoft PowerToys | Ueli | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Every utility is free and open source; there is no paid edition. Optional AI pasting can incur usage charges from the model provider you connect. | The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, and its Microsoft Store listing is priced at 0. The website has a Sponsor link for supporting development. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Oliver Schwendener |
| Price read from | learn.microsoft.com | apps.microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Microsoft PowerToys
- Windows users who want window layouts, a launcher and key remapping from one free install
- Developers and power users who work mostly from the keyboard
- People who prefer open-source tools published by the maker of the operating system
Ueli
- People who want the same launcher on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Windows users who want a free keyboard launcher from the Microsoft Store
- Users who prefer open-source software with no paid tier
Worth knowing
Microsoft PowerToys
- Windows only: it needs Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer on a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 processor.
- Paste with AI is off by default and needs a model provider; online providers require your own API key and may charge for usage.
- Keyboard Manager remaps apply only while PowerToys is running, do not work on the log-in screen and cannot differ between keyboards.
- FancyZones cannot snap some listed apps, and apps running elevated need PowerToys to run as administrator.
Ueli
- The GitHub builds are unsigned, and not notarized on macOS, so Windows and macOS block them until the user allows the app manually.
- File search on Windows depends on Everything and its command-line interface being installed and running.
- Global hotkeys may not work under Wayland sessions on Linux; the README suggests binding a system shortcut to the ueli command.
- The DeepL Translator extension needs the user's own DeepL API key, which a free developer account provides.
Key features
Microsoft PowerToys
- FancyZones
- A window manager for custom zone layouts. Hold Shift while dragging a window to snap it into a zone, or let Win+arrow keys move windows between zones. Layouts are built in a grid or canvas editor.
- Command Palette
- A launcher opened with Win+Alt+Space that starts apps, runs commands, searches files and the web, calculates and switches windows. Community extensions install from a built-in Extension Gallery.
- Keyboard Manager
- Remaps single keys and shortcuts, globally or for one app, and can map a key or shortcut to a text sequence, an app launch or a URI.
- Advanced Paste
- Pastes clipboard content as plain text, Markdown, JSON or a file, extracts text from images with local OCR, and can transform text through an optional AI provider that you configure.
- File Explorer tools
- PowerRename renames files in bulk with search and replace or regular expressions, Image Resizer resizes images from the right-click menu, and File Locksmith shows which processes are using a file.
- Screen and text tools
- Color Picker samples colors anywhere on screen, Text Extractor copies on-screen text with OCR, Screen Ruler measures pixels, and ZoomIt zooms, annotates and records the screen for presentations.
Ueli
- Application search
- Alt+Space shows or hides the search window. Type to filter, move through results with the arrow keys and press Enter to launch the selected item.
- Built-in extensions
- Extensions are switched on or off in the settings and include Browser Bookmarks, Web Search, Custom Web Search, DeepL Translator, Visual Studio Code, JetBrains Toolbox and System Settings.
- File search
- Searches files and folders using mdfind on macOS and Everything on Windows, where Everything and its command-line interface must be installed and running.
- Calculator and conversions
- Calculations and unit conversions such as 2 inch to cm run in the search field, and a currency extension converts amounts at current exchange rates. Enter copies the result.
- Favorites and additional actions
- Cmd+K on macOS or Ctrl+K on Windows and Linux opens further actions for a result, including Add to Favorites, which keeps that item first in the results.
- System commands
- Operating system commands such as shutdown, restart, sign out, lock and sleep can be searched for and run with Enter on Windows and macOS.
Plans
Microsoft PowerToys
PowerToys$0
All utilities, installed from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Free and open source under the MIT license.
Ueli
Ueli$0
The complete launcher with all built-in extensions, from the Microsoft Store or winget on Windows and from the GitHub releases page for macOS and Linux.
