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Anyrun vs Search Light: catalog facts
Anyrun	Search Light
Best for: Wayland users who want a KRunner-like prompt they can extend with plugins	Best for: GNOME users who want a Spotlight-style search box
Free Free to download and build from the public repository.	Free Free and open source.
Linux	Linux
Native Wayland support Plugin-based, so results can be extended All 3 strengths for Anyrun Native Wayland support Plugin-based, so results can be extended Nix flake included for NixOS users	Spotlight-style popup without leaving the current workspace Uses GNOME's built-in search All 3 strengths for Search Light Spotlight-style popup without leaving the current workspace Uses GNOME's built-in search Configurable through a preferences dialog
Linux and Wayland only Nvidia users may need a GSK_RENDERER workaround	Only works on GNOME Shell GNOME extensions can break with new GNOME releases
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Anyrun github.com/anyrun-org/anyrun Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Search Light github.com/icedman/search-light Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.