# Sol review (2026): is it any good?

> Open-source macOS launcher and command palette

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA.

Sol is a launcher for macOS that opens apps, searches files, and runs small utilities from one keyboard-driven window. Its source is published on GitHub under the MIT license. The project site lists window resizing, a clipboard history and a calculator among its built-in tools.

- **Category:** Window Managers & Launchers
- **Made by:** ospfranco
- **Website:** https://sol.ospfranco.com/
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as the site lists neither.
- **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026

## Pricing

As of Nov 13, 2026, Sol is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** None.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | The whole app is free; the site calls it free and open source. |

Read from https://sol.ospfranco.com/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Sol before buying.

## Key features

- **App and file search:** Finds apps, files and folders from a single launcher window opened with a keyboard shortcut.
- **Window manager:** Resizes and moves windows with keyboard shortcuts, such as the Control-Option-Return example shown on the site.
- **Clipboard manager:** Keeps a history of copied items that can be searched and pasted back through a shortcut.
- **Calculator and emoji picker:** Does quick math in the launcher and offers an emoji picker the site presents as an alternative to the system one.
- **Calendar, bookmarks and notes:** Shows calendar events, searches browser bookmarks and takes quick notes from the same window.
- **Developer commands:** Includes commands such as cleaning Xcode derived data and launching scripts.

## Good for

- Mac users who want a free launcher with window snapping built in
- People who prefer software whose source they can read

## Worth knowing

- Runs on macOS only; the site lists no Windows or Linux version.
- Window management is one feature of a launcher, not a dedicated tiling tool.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Sol is a free, open-source Mac launcher that opens apps, searches files and bundles a clipboard history, a calculator and window resizing. Window management is one feature of a launcher, not a dedicated tiling tool, and it runs on Mac only.

- **Value for money: A.** The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license.
- **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no plan to buy and no cap.
- **Features: C.** App and file search, window resizing, clipboard, calculator, emoji, calendar and notes. It is a launcher first, so its window management is a smaller part than in a dedicated manager.
- **Ease of use: B.** No store rating is on record, but you install it and press a shortcut to start.
- **Platforms and integrations: D.** macOS only. The site lists no Windows or Linux version.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ospfranco's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

## Where it stands among window managers and launchers

- Sol's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 48 other window managers and launchers we grade, and level with 11.
- It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 23 of 48) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
- Sol has no paid plan.
- On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/window-managers

## Keep it, or make your own?

**Keep it.** Sol is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 48 other window managers and launchers we grade.

- You could make: Calculator: an app builder makes this well.
- You could not: A launcher wired into the operating system.
- You could not: Control over other apps' windows.
- You could not: A clipboard history running in the background of your computer.
- You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

## Works with

Spotify, Xcode

**Tags:** Launcher, Window management, Clipboard manager, Open source, Keyboard-first, Calculator

## Alternatives

- [Hyperkey](https://toolgpa.com/tools/hyperkey): Free Mac utility that turns a key into the Hyper modifier. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hyperkey-vs-sol)
- [Divvy](https://toolgpa.com/tools/divvy): Window resizing by dragging across a grid, for Mac and Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/divvy-vs-sol)
- [SizeUp](https://toolgpa.com/tools/sizeup): Keyboard-driven window resizing for the Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/sizeup-vs-sol)
- [Contexts](https://toolgpa.com/tools/contexts): Mac window switcher with search, a sidebar and a better Command-Tab. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/contexts-vs-sol)
- [Mosaic](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mosaic): Drag-and-drop window layouts for the Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mosaic-vs-sol)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026:

- https://sol.ospfranco.com/
- https://github.com/ospfranco/sol

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