# Alfred

> Mac launcher with hotkeys, snippets and custom workflows

Alfred is a launcher for macOS that opens apps, finds files and searches the web from a keyboard-driven search bar. The core app is free. A paid add-on, the Powerpack, unlocks clipboard history, snippet expansion, file actions and workflows that chain steps together without code. The Powerpack is a one-time purchase and is priced in pounds sterling.

- **Category:** Desktop Utilities
- **Made by:** Running with Crayons Ltd (since 2010)
- **Website:** https://www.alfredapp.com
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 4, 2026

## Pricing

Alfred has a free plan. Paid plans start at £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License).

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** The core of Alfred is free to use forever, covering app, file and web search. Powerpack features such as workflows, clipboard history and snippets are not included.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alfred (free) | £0 | The core launcher for searching your Mac and the web. Free to use in a personal, educational or business setting. |
| Powerpack Single License | £34 one-time purchase, license for Alfred 5 | Unlocks the Powerpack for one user on Alfred 5: workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file actions, themes and settings sync. |
| Powerpack Mega Supporter | £59 one-time purchase, free lifetime upgrades | The same Powerpack features for one user, with free upgrades to future versions of Alfred. |

Read from https://www.alfredapp.com/shop/ on Oct 4, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Alfred before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades** (Lifetime license): The £59 Mega Supporter license includes free upgrades to future versions of Alfred. The £34 Single License covers Alfred 5. Source: https://www.alfredapp.com/shop/
- **Upgrade discount for older licenses** (Other savings): Holders of a Single User or Family license for an earlier version of Alfred can upgrade to the current Powerpack at a discount. Source: https://www.alfredapp.com/help/powerpack/

## Key features

- **App, file and web search:** Launch apps, find files on your Mac and search websites with default or custom search keywords, all from one search bar.
- **Workflows:** A Powerpack feature that connects triggers and actions like building blocks to automate tasks without code. Thousands of community workflows can be imported.
- **Clipboard History:** With the Powerpack, Alfred keeps the text, images and file links you copy for 24 hours, 7 days, 1 month or 3 months, so an earlier item can be found and pasted again.
- **Snippets and text expansion:** With the Powerpack, saved snippets expand automatically when you type a short keyword.
- **File actions and Terminal commands:** The Powerpack adds actions on files, such as emailing, moving, copying and revealing in Finder, and runs Terminal commands and scripts from Alfred.
- **System commands and hotkeys:** Sleep the Mac, empty the Trash or start the screensaver with a keyword. The Powerpack adds custom hotkeys and keywords for apps and sites.

## Good for

- Mac users who want a keyboard launcher without a subscription
- People who automate repetitive tasks with their own workflows
- Buyers who want to pay once, with optional lifetime upgrades

## Worth knowing

- macOS only (10.14 or later). Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store.
- Clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all require the paid Powerpack.
- Prices are shown in pounds sterling only; the vendor's site gives no US dollar price.
- The Single License is tied to Alfred 5; moving to a later major version is a discounted paid upgrade unless you hold Mega Supporter.

## Works with

1Password, Music.app

**Tags:** Launcher, Clipboard manager, Text expansion, Workflow automation, Keyboard-first, One-time purchase

## Alternatives

- [Raycast](https://toolgpa.com/tools/raycast): Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/alfred-vs-raycast)
- [TextExpander](https://toolgpa.com/tools/textexpander): Text snippets that expand as you type, shared across a team. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/alfred-vs-textexpander)
- [Paste](https://toolgpa.com/tools/paste): Clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad with pinboards. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/alfred-vs-paste)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 4, 2026:

- https://www.alfredapp.com
- https://www.alfredapp.com/shop/
- https://www.alfredapp.com/powerpack/
- https://www.alfredapp.com/help/powerpack/
- https://www.alfredapp.com/help/features/clipboard/
- https://www.alfredapp.com/help/features/system/
- https://www.alfredapp.com/terms/
- https://www.alfredapp.com/about/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/alfred
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).