I’ve tried many quick launchers that bring macOS’s Spotlight-like feature to Windows, which lets you quickly search for apps and files, do calculations, search the web, and a whole lot more. Currently, I am using Raycast as my primary launcher on Windows, but I’ve also used Flow Launcher, an open-source quick launcher, as well as Microsoft’s PowerToys Run in the past.

Wox is another quick launcher in the long list of launchers; however, it’s a little different. One, both Flow Launcher and PowerToys Run are heavily based on the Wox launcher. Second, the OG launcher is a little more efficient than these forks for day-to-day use, it’s cross-platform, and comes with built-in support for Everything search out of the box.

Wox is fast

As fast as they come

You can grab Wox from its GitHub releases page. The app went dormant for a couple of years, but it’s been revived with a better UI and newer features. I used the latest beta version (2.0.0-beta.7) available at the time of writing. Even in its beta stage, it’s a functional app that does the basics right.

Wox is fast. Faster than PowerToys Run, and as fast as Flow Launcher. By default, it uses Win + Space as the hotkey, which is what most launchers use. You can change this to your preferred hotkey in Settings if it conflicts with something else.

One thing I noticed is that the app takes a few minutes after the initial run to start working properly. I haven’t experienced this with other launchers, but it might be because Wox is a portable installer while the others were installed on my PC. I was ready to dismiss it as a poor app, but after a few minutes, it was finding apps lightning quick.

Wox does all the basic things you’d expect from a quick launcher. It can launch apps, do basic calculations, and you can use the S prefix to search the web using Google and your default browser. It also supports shell commands that you can access with the > prefix, which is useful for running quick PowerShell or CMD commands without opening a terminal window.

The clipboard history feature, accessible by typing cb, is handy for quickly pasting things you copied earlier without reaching for a dedicated clipboard manager like Ditto. For someone who copies and pastes text all day, this alone makes Wox worth keeping around.

The plugins

Extending functionality by adding plugins

The plugin catalog is small in the beta stage, but it has some useful options. The two plugins that I liked the most are for Spotify and Obsidian—two apps I use regularly. The Spotify plugin lets you control playback and search your library without switching windows. On the other hand, the Obsidian plugin helps manage notes and vaults directly from the launcher. If you rely on these apps as much as I do, having quick access to them from a keyboard shortcut is handy.

Wox comes with several pre-installed plugins, including Files, which lets you search for your files using Everything search. However, you need to activate these plugins once before you can use them. The Files plugin also requires Everything search running in the background to work properly, which is something Flow Launcher handles more seamlessly.

The Plugin Store offers additional options like DeepL Translator for quick translations, an RSS Reader for keeping up with feeds, a Color Picker for designers, and a UUID Generator for developers. There’s also a Custom Commands plugin that lets you create your own shortcuts for repetitive tasks. The selection isn’t as extensive as Flow Launcher’s library, but it covers the essentials.

Wox is customizable

Supports themes and custom actions

Wox offers decent customization options, too. You can install different themes from the store or pick from the presets to make it match your desktop. The interface looks clean regardless of which theme you choose, and you can adjust settings like autostart, launch mode, and even configure the app to continue your last query when you open it.

You can also customize plugins with trigger words or characters. Each plugin has tabs for Settings, Trigger Keywords, Commands, and Privacy. You can set custom prefixes for different actions and add commands based on the plugin’s use case. For example, you can change the trigger keyword for web search or set up AI agents if you configure an API key.

The Privacy tab is a nice touch, too, as it tells you whether the selected plugin needs any access to your data, so you know exactly what you’re giving permission to.

OS

Windows, macOS, Linux

Price model

Free

Wox Launcher is a fast, cross‑platform app launcher that lets you search and open programs, files, and web content instantly, with powerful plugin support and simple, minimal UI customization.​

Wox is a no-nonsense launcher, but it’s a work in progress!

Wox is not without faults. The system commands are a little hit or miss, the context menu is pretty basic, and plugin support is nowhere near Flow Launcher. These limitations become obvious pretty quickly if you’re used to more polished alternatives.

That said, it can still be a good option for anyone looking for an open-source, cross-platform launcher that can quickly launch apps, has decent clipboard management, and does the basics right. While I continue to use it occasionally, it’s not ready yet to replace my current favorites, Raycast or Flow Launcher. But for a beta app that inspired two of the most popular launchers on Windows, Wox is worth keeping an eye on as it tries to make a comeback.