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The Alfred Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Alfred in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Alfred

The Insider’s Guide

Mac launcher with hotkeys, snippets and custom workflows

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from Alfred’s own pages.

Made by Running with Crayons Ltd · checked Oct 4, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02Insider tipsWhat most people miss: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches
  3. 03What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  4. 04What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  5. 05Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  6. 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  7. 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  8. 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Alfred’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Alfred’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 4, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.4

GPA, above 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade

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.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Alfred, taken from its own pages and our grades.

  1. 1

    Best for a Mac launcher you pay for once

    It's Mac only, priced in pounds wherever you live, and the iOS remote is a separate purchase.

  2. 2

    What it costs

    Paid plans start at £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License).

  3. 3

    There is a 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.

  4. 4

    It runs on macOS

    macOS.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    Workflows

    A Powerpack feature that connects triggers and actions like building blocks to automate tasks without code. Thousands of community workflows can be imported.

  7. 7

    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.

  8. 8

    A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 94

    That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace Alfred you would be making a launcher wired into the operating system. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Alfred at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License)
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
macOS
Made by
Running with Crayons Ltd, since 2010
Category
Desktop Utilities
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for a Mac launcher you pay for once

Alfred is a Mac launcher: type a few letters into its search bar and it opens the app, finds the file or searches the web, and that core is free. Clipboard history, snippets, file actions and workflows sit in the Powerpack at £34 once, which covers Alfred 5 only. It's Mac only, priced in pounds wherever you live, and the iOS remote is a separate purchase.

ToolGPA report cardAlfredGraded Oct 10, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyBThe Powerpack is £34 once, with no subscription, and Mega Supporter at £59 adds free lifetime upgrades. Pay-once utilities here sit nearer $15, so Alfred asks more than most of them, but a single payment still beats a couple of years of any subscription. Pounds only, so no dollar price to quote.
Free plan and trialBThe core is free forever, at home, at school or at work: launching apps, finding files and searching the web, with no usage cap. A lot of people could stop there. But clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all wait behind the Powerpack.
FeaturesBThis is the full launcher job, not a slice of it: app, file and web search, clipboard history kept up to 3 months, snippets that expand as you type, file actions, custom hotkeys, system commands and no-code workflows you can import by the thousand. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work.
Ease of useCNo rating is on record. Typing into the search bar is nothing to learn, but the half you pay for is the half you build: workflows are triggers wired to actions, and hotkeys, snippets and search keywords are all yours to set up.
Platforms and integrationsDMac only, on macOS 10.14 or later, so one operating system. Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store. It works with 1Password and Music.app, and the Powerpack runs Terminal commands and scripts.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Alfred is for

  • Fits if you want a keyboard launcher on your Mac with no subscription
  • Works for people who repeat the same multi-step task daily and will build a workflow for it

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only, on 10.14 or later
  • Tight if you're staying free and want clipboard history, snippets or workflows, because all of them need the £34 Powerpack
  • Not for you if you want a price in dollars, since the shop only shows pounds sterling
  • Watch out: the £34 license covers Alfred 5 only; the next major version is a paid upgrade unless you pay £59 up front
  • Watch out: Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate App Store purchase

Good to know

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.

Part 02 · Tips

Insider tips

What most people miss: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches

7

Things most people miss, each from its own help pages

The things about Alfred that are easy to miss until they cost you: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches at renewal or when you leave. Each one is from Alfred’s own pages, linked beside it.

Read on Oct 17, 2026. Read from Alfred's help pages (Powerpack licences, clipboard history, snippets, file search and syncing), its shop page and its terms on 17 October 2026. Not tried out: these tips are what its own pages say.

  1. 1

    Pay less

    A Single License bought now comes with the Alfred 6 upgrade

    Alfred's shop page says buying now gets you a free upgrade to Alfred 6. So the cheaper Single License isn't stuck on version 5 any more, and the dearer Mega Supporter only pays off if you also want the versions after 6.

    alfredapp.com
  2. 2

    Pay less

    One licence covers your home Mac and your work Mac

    Its licence page says a Single User License is valid for one user on two of your own Macs, at home and at work. So you don't need a second one for the office. What you can't do is share it with colleagues or use it on a shared machine.

    alfredapp.com
  3. 3

    Pay less

    Try the free version first: a wrong pick isn't refunded

    Alfred's terms say it can't refund the Powerpack because it doesn't suit your Mac or you, or because you chose the wrong licence type. The licence also has to be bought under the user's own email and can't be passed on, so buy a gift in their name.

    alfredapp.com
  4. 4

    Setting

    Clipboard history is off until you switch it on

    Alfred leaves it off for privacy. Turn it on in Features → Clipboard and give Alfred Accessibility access in macOS. Keychain Access and 1Password are ignored already; drag any other app you copy passwords from into Ignore Apps. Type clear in Alfred to wipe the last 5 or 15 minutes.

    alfredapp.com
  5. 5

    Setting

    Snippets won't expand as you type until you tick one box

    Auto-expansion is off by default. Tick "Automatically expand snippets by keyword" in Features → Snippets, then tick it on each snippet too. Alfred suggests starting every keyword in a collection with the same symbol so nothing fires by accident. {date}, {clipboard} and {cursor} work inside snippets.

    alfredapp.com
  6. 6

    Shortcut

    Type a space before a file name to open it

    In Alfred's bar, a space then a name opens a file, find shows it in Finder, and in searches inside your files. Type / to browse from the top of your disk, or ~ to start in your home folder.

    alfredapp.com
  7. 7

    Easy to miss

    Keep two Macs in step through Dropbox or iCloud Drive

    At the bottom of the Advanced tab, Set preferences folder points Alfred at Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Google Drive or OneDrive. Set up the main Mac first, as its settings overwrite the second one's. Your hotkey, theme and clipboard history don't sync, and both Macs need the Powerpack.

    alfredapp.com

Part 03 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

£34 one-time

To start. There is a free plan too

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

Pounds only, so no dollar price to quote.
From our grade for value for money

  • 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.

The 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.

Read from alfredapp.com on Oct 4, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • Lifetime license

    Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades

    The £59 Mega Supporter license includes free upgrades to future versions of Alfred. The £34 Single License covers Alfred 5.

    Stated on alfredapp.com

  • Other savings

    Upgrade discount for older licenses

    Holders of a Single User or Family license for an earlier version of Alfred can upgrade to the current Powerpack at a discount.

    Stated on alfredapp.com

Part 04 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: macOS

Mac launcher with hotkeys, snippets and custom workflows. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, keyboard-first, workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager, text expansion.

Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work.
From our grade for 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.

Where it runs

  • macOS

What it works with

  • 1Password
  • Music.app

Who makes Alfred

Alfred is made by Running with Crayons Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales that Andrew and Vero Pepperrell founded in 2010. It earns money from one-time sales of Powerpack licences, which unlock the paid features of the free app.

Founded
2010alfredapp.com
Based
Registered in England and Wales, United Kingdomalfredapp.com
Ownership
Privately held. Privately held: its About page says its founders started the company in 2010, and its site describes Alfred as made by an independent team. Its pages name no parent company or investors.alfredapp.com
Founders and leaders
Lately
Follow

Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.

Part 05 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

18/94

Other desktop utilities it is graded above

Alfred's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.

It stands best on features (B, above 72 of 94) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Alfred’s own letter is outlined.

  • BValue for moneyAbove 12 of 94
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 37 of 94
  • BFeaturesAbove 72 of 94
  • CEase of useAbove 6 of 94
  • DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Alfred you would be making a launcher wired into the operating system. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 59 of the 94 other desktop utilities grade higher. It costs $44.95, paid once.

What you could not

  • A launcher wired into the operating system.
  • Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
  • A clipboard history running in the background of your computer.
  • Text expansion that works in every app.
  • A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Alfred’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 06 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Raycast, TextExpander and Paste

The 3 tools Alfred is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

  • 2.8GPA

    Raycast

    Free plan · from $96/yr

    Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI.

    • Only Raycast lists Windows and iOS apps.
    • Only Raycast lists a browser extension.
    • Alfred can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    Alfred and Raycast compared in full
  • 2.4GPA

    TextExpander

    Free plan · from $5/mo

    Text snippets that expand as you type, shared across a team.

    • Only TextExpander lists Windows and iOS apps.
    • Only TextExpander lists a browser extension.
    • Alfred can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    Alfred and TextExpander compared in full
  • 2.2GPA

    Paste

    Free trial · from $2.49/mo

    Clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad with pinboards.

    • Alfred has a free plan. Paste does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Paste lists an iOS app.
    • Alfred also covers workflow automation, launcher and text expansion.
    Alfred and Paste compared in full

Part 07 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Alfred free?

Alfred has a free plan. The core of Alfred is free to use forever, covering app, file and web search.

How much does Alfred cost?

Alfred lists 3 plans. Alfred (free): £0.

What platforms does Alfred work on?

Alfred is available on macOS.

Does Alfred offer any discounts?

Alfred publicly lists the following: Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades; Upgrade discount for older licenses.

Does Alfred have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Alfred is listed for macOS.

Does Alfred have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Alfred is listed for macOS.

Is Alfred open source?

Alfred is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.

What does Alfred integrate with?

Alfred's listing names 1Password and Music.app. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes Alfred?

Alfred is made by Running with Crayons Ltd. Privately held: its About page says its founders started the company in 2010, and its site describes Alfred as made by an independent team.

What are the alternatives to Alfred?

The closest alternatives to Alfred in our directory are Raycast, TextExpander and Paste.

How does Alfred compare with other desktop utilities?

Alfred's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.

Could I make my own version of Alfred?

To replace Alfred you would be making a launcher wired into the operating system.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Alfred’s own pages on Oct 4, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Alfred's own pages on 4 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-22.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Running with Crayons Ltd. Prices change, so check alfredapp.com before you buy.

Part 08 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Alfred: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 4, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/alfred

Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/alfred/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded desktop utilities after Alfred, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Alfred’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Alfred is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Running with Crayons Ltd. Prices and plans change: check alfredapp.com before you buy.