Alternatives to Fluent Search
A Windows search launcher for files, apps, browser tabs, open windows and on-screen elements. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Fluent Search
A Windows search launcher for files, apps, browser tabs, open windows and on-screen elements.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Fluent Search.
Flow Launcher
Press a hotkey, type a few letters, and open an app, a file, a bookmark or a web search on Windows.
Flow Launcher is free and open source under MIT, uses the Everything index for file search, and has a large community plugin store, but its binaries are unsigned.
Listary
Instant file search and app launching on Windows, with a search box that appears inside file dialogs as well as on its own.
Listary is a freemium Windows file search and launcher that works inside Open and Save As dialogs, with some features held for the paid Pro version.
Keypirinha
A very fast keystroke launcher for Windows, entirely portable, with packages written in Python.
Keypirinha is a free portable Windows launcher extended with Python packages, fast on old hardware, but it has had no release since November 2020.
Executor
A keyword-based launcher for Windows that opens programs, files, websites and web searches.
Executor is a free Windows keyword launcher with multi-actions, clipboard history and skins, focused on custom keywords rather than whole-PC search.
Ueli
A keystroke launcher that works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux, which most launchers do not.
Ueli is a free MIT-licensed launcher on Windows, macOS and Linux, built on Electron with fewer plugins than platform-specific launchers.
Wox
A fully native keyboard launcher for Windows, macOS and Linux, with GPU rendering and a plugin system, as an open Raycast alternative.
Wox is a free GPL-3.0 native launcher for Windows, macOS and Linux with a plugin store, but it does not search on-screen elements.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Fluent Search as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Everything
A free Windows search tool from voidtools that finds files and folders by name instantly.
Fluent Search is a free closed-source Windows launcher that searches files alongside apps, browser tabs, open windows and on-screen elements.
EverythingToolbar
Puts Everything's instant file search directly on the Windows taskbar.
Fluent Search is a standalone closed-source launcher that needs no Everything install and also searches apps, tabs and open windows.
WinLaunch
An open-source Windows launcher that shows your apps in a full-screen grid like the macOS Launchpad.
Fluent Search is a keyboard search launcher for apps, files, tabs and windows on Windows, but its source code is not published.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Clavier+
A Windows keyboard shortcut manager that launches programs, types text and sends keystrokes.
Cerebro
Launch applications and run searches from a keyboard-driven panel.
Script Kit
A cross-platform desktop app for writing and launching JavaScript and TypeScript scripts from a prompt.
