Raycast vs Velja

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Raycast

Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI

Free plan · from $96/yr

Velja

Mac browser picker that routes links to a browser, profile or app

Free trial · from $10 one-time

Where they differ

Raycast starts at $96 / year, billed annually. Velja starts at $10 one-time purchase.
Raycast has a free plan. Velja does not, though it has a free trial.
Only Raycast lists Windows and iOS apps.
Velja can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Raycast also covers launcher, clipboard manager, window management and text expansion.
Velja also covers menu bar app.

In commonmacOSBrowser extension

	Raycast	Velja
Pricing	Free plan	Free trial
Starts at	$96 / year, billed annually	$10 one-time purchase
Free plan	Core features such as clipboard history (kept 3 months), snippets, quicklinks, calculator and window management, the extension store, and up to 5 Raycast Notes. AI is not included.	None
Free trial	Free Pro trial for eligible new accounts; trial AI credits expire after 7 days	Fully functional trial with no stated end date; it reminds you to buy every 12 hours and has no automatic updates
macOS
Windows
iOS
Browser extension
Made by	Raycast Technologies Ltd.	Sindre Sorhus
Price read from	raycast.com	sindresorhus.com
Checked	Oct 4, 2026	Oct 9, 2026

Raycast

Velja

Raycast

AI is not part of the free plan; Raycast AI, cloud sync and unlimited notes need Pro.
The free plan keeps 3 months of clipboard history and allows 5 Raycast Notes.
Top-tier AI models need the Plus or Max tier, at $20 or $50 a month.
The Windows app does not yet have every macOS feature; Raycast says it is still bringing them across.

Velja

Mac only, and the current version requires macOS 26 or later. Older versions are free but stop at macOS 15.
It cannot handle links clicked inside a browser unless you add the Velja browser extension or use a workaround.
Safari profiles, Arc spaces and Firefox profiles created with about:profiles are not supported.
Rules do not sync through iCloud; they can only be exported and imported manually. The app is not localized.

Raycast

Launcher with hotkeys and aliases: Open apps, search files and run commands from one keyboard-driven window, and assign hotkeys or aliases to the commands and apps you use most.
Extension store: Thousands of extensions for tools such as Linear, Slack, Notion and Spotify. The extension API lets anyone with web development skills build their own.
Clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks: Built-in utilities included in the free plan. Free keeps clipboard history for 3 months.
Window management: Window management commands are part of the free core features; creating custom window management commands needs Pro.
Raycast AI: Pro adds Quick AI and AI Chat on a monthly credit allowance. A browser extension for Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Chromium browsers passes the active tab to the AI.
Notes and iOS companion app: Raycast Notes captures quick thoughts: 5 notes on Free and unlimited on Pro. The iOS app carries AI, notes, snippets and quicklinks; syncing them across devices needs Pro.

Velja

Browser prompt: A prompt lists your browsers when you click a link, and you pick one by mouse, number or an assigned letter key. It can be reserved for a modifier key or for links matched by a rule.
Custom link rules: Rules open links in a chosen browser by URL pattern, by the app the link was clicked in, or both: for example, every link clicked in Slack can open in a Chrome work profile.
Browser profiles and private windows: Opens links in a specific profile of Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi and other Chromium-based browsers, and of Firefox and Zen with new-style profiles, or in a private window.
Links to desktop apps: Links to services such as Zoom, Figma, Linear, Asana and Discord can open directly in the matching desktop app instead of a browser tab.
Tracking parameter removal: Strips more than 200 common tracking parameters from clicked and copied links, and can expand short URLs so that rules match the final destination.
Shortcuts and scripting: A Set Default Browser action for the Shortcuts app, a Focus Filter and a custom URL scheme automate browser switching, and JavaScript can rewrite URLs before or after rules match.

Raycast

Free$0
Core launcher features, thousands of extensions, custom extensions, 3 months of clipboard history and 5 Raycast Notes. No AI.
Pro$96
per year, or $10 / month billed monthly
Raycast AI with 500 credits a month, cloud sync, dictation, translator, custom themes, unlimited notes and custom window management commands.
Pro (Plus tier)$192
per year, or $20 / month billed monthly
Pro features with 3,000 AI credits a month and access to top-tier AI models.
Pro (Max tier)$480
per year, or $50 / month billed monthly
Pro features with 7,500 AI credits a month and access to top-tier AI models.
Teams Pro$144
per user / year, or $15 / user / month billed monthly
Pro for each member plus unlimited shared commands and a private store. Plus and Max tiers cost more; a free Teams plan caps sharing at 30 snippets and 30 quicklinks.
EnterpriseCustom
Teams Pro plus an AI Control Center and admin controls such as SAML/SCIM, domain capture, enforced 2FA and extension and IP allow-lists.

Velja

Velja$10
one-time purchase
The current version from the Mac App Store, for macOS 26 or later. Older versions for macOS 12 to 15 are free but will not run on newer systems.

Raycast

Annual discount
Annual billing saves 20%
Pro is $96 a year against $10 a month, which is $120 over twelve months. Teams Pro is $144 per user a year against $15 per user a month. Both work out 20% cheaper.
Education
50% off Pro for verified students
Raycast's pricing FAQ says verified students get a 50% discount on the Pro plan through an application form.

Velja

Education
50% off for schools buying 20 or more copies
The developer's discounts page says educational institutions get 50% off his App Store apps when they buy 20 or more copies of one app through Apple School Manager.