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SlickRun vs Flow Launcher: catalog facts
SlickRun	Flow Launcher
Best for: Windows users who prefer typed keywords over hotkeys to start programs	Best for: Never touching the Start menu again on Windows
Free Free to download and use.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows	Windows
Custom keyword aliases for programs, sites and files Auto-completion keeps typing short All 3 strengths for SlickRun Custom keyword aliases for programs, sites and files Auto-completion keeps typing short Small, signed installer	Uses the Everything index, so file search is instant on a big drive One box for apps, files, bookmarks, web searches and calculations All 4 strengths for Flow Launcher Uses the Everything index, so file search is instant on a big drive One box for apps, files, bookmarks, web searches and calculations Large community plugin library with an in-app plugin store Installer and portable build, plus winget, Scoop and Chocolatey
Windows only Closed source All 3 limitations for SlickRun Windows only Closed source Aliases have to be set up by hand	Windows only Binaries are unsigned, so Windows raises a security prompt on first run All 4 limitations for Flow Launcher Windows only Binaries are unsigned, so Windows raises a security prompt on first run Plugin quality varies and a bad one can slow the whole launcher The project warns about lookalike domains, so download from the official site
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for SlickRun bayden.com/slickrun Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Flow Launcher flowlauncher.com github.com/Flow-Launcher/Flow.Launcher Catalog checked September 21, 2026

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