What is the best Spotlight alternative for Mac?
It depends on what you lose things in. Launchers like Raycast and Alfred are great for opening apps and running commands. If your problem is finding things you saw, saved, watched or copied, Trawl is built for that: meaning search across files, photos, recordings, browser history and clipboard, all on your Mac.
The built-in way (free)
- Spotlight: built in, good for apps and exact file names.
With Trawl
- Describe anything, or press ⌘ D to see your day hour by hour.
- Works offline. Your files are never uploaded.
Questions
Can I use Trawl and Raycast together?
Yes. Trawl uses ⌥ Space by default and does not replace your launcher.
Describe it. Trawl finds it.
Files, photos, recordings, every browser and your clipboard, searched by meaning on your Mac. Your day, hour by hour. Nothing uploaded.
Download for Mac2 days free · macOS 26+ · Apple siliconRelated
Updated 2026-10-11.