Launcher
SnipVault vs Raycast for Mac
Weighing up the Raycast app for Mac? Here is how it compares with SnipVault, feature by feature. Raycast is a launcher with a large extension store. Its free tier includes snippets and three months of clipboard history; unlimited history and cloud sync need Pro at $8 a month, and clipboard history never syncs even on Pro.
Prices and features verified 2026-09-04. Corrections: diljit@dprsoftwarelabs.com.
Raycast pricing
Free · Pro $8/mo
Pro $10/month or $8/month billed annually ($96/yr). Teams Pro $12–15/user/month. Free tier keeps 3 months of clipboard history; unlimited history requires Pro.
sourceSnipVault pricing
$29.99/yr or $79 once
Also $2.49/month. 7-day free trial, no card.
Platforms
Raycast: Mac, Windows, iOS (no clipboard history)
SnipVault: macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel
Feature by feature
What you get with each
| Feature | SnipVault | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
Clipboard history | ✓ | ✓ |
Unlimited history Raycast Free keeps 3 months; unlimited needs Pro. | ✓ | Partial |
Full-text search | ✓ | ✓ |
Snippets with :keyword expansion Raycast snippets are plain text only. | ✓ | ✓ |
Placeholders ({date}, {clipboard}, {cursor}) | ✓ | ✓ |
Import snippets from other apps SnipVault imports Raycast snippet JSON directly. | ✓ | ✓ |
Screenshot OCR (region → text) Raycast has a Text Recognition command; results go to the clipboard only. | ✓ | ✓ |
OCR captures kept searchable (text + image) | ✓ | — |
Pinboards / collections + tags | ✓ | — |
Paste stack (sequential paste) | ✓ | — |
OTP / card-number auto-expiry | ✓ | — |
Ignores password managers | ✓ | ✓ |
Built-in emoji library | ✓ | ✓ |
Sync between Macs Raycast never syncs clipboard history, even on Pro. SnipVault: iCloud between Macs. | Partial | — |
One-time purchase available | ✓ | — |
Free tier / open source Raycast's launcher, snippets, and 3-month clipboard are free. | — | ✓ |
| Price | $29.99/yr or $79 once | Free · Pro $8/mo |
Strengths
Where Raycast is strong, and where SnipVault is
Raycast does well
- •Excellent launcher with thousands of community extensions
- •Snippets and basic clipboard history are free
- •Built-in OCR text recognition command
- •AI chat, window management, and calendar built in
SnipVault does well
- •Unlimited clipboard history without a $96/yr Pro subscription
- •OCR captures and copied images are kept and full-text searchable
- •Pinboards, tags, paste stack, and secret auto-expiry
- •A capture counter so you can see it is not silently dropping copies
What users say
Common complaints about Raycast
Quoted from public reviews and forums. Follow the links for full context.
“Clipboard history has been unreliable and only saves a very small fraction of copied items.”
“Took VC money and pushes for subscription… consumes a lot of resources and has a clumsy UX.”
“What monthly resources does running a 'window command' use… that justifies locking it behind a monthly subscription?”
“No fill-in fields is the most significant functional gap.”
Verdict
Which one should you pick?
Pick Raycast if…
- •You want a launcher, window manager, and extension store, not just a clipboard
- •Three months of clipboard history is enough and you will never pay
- •You already pay for Raycast Pro for AI
Pick SnipVault if…
- •You want the whole clipboard history kept and searchable without a subscription
- •You snip text off the screen often and want those captures saved
- •You want pinboards, tags, and a paste stack for form filling
- •You want copied OTP codes and card numbers to vanish automatically
FAQ
SnipVault vs Raycast: questions
Can I use SnipVault alongside Raycast?+
Yes. Many users keep Raycast as a launcher and use SnipVault for the clipboard, OCR, and snippets. Turn off Raycast's clipboard history to avoid double capture, and import your Raycast snippets into SnipVault.
Does Raycast do screenshot OCR?+
Yes, Raycast has a Text Recognition command, but the result only goes to the clipboard. SnipVault's ⇧⌘2 saves the text and the image in a searchable vault.
Is Raycast's clipboard history free?+
Yes for the last three months. Unlimited history requires Raycast Pro at $8 per month billed annually, and history never syncs between Macs.
How much does Raycast cost?+
Raycast is Free · Pro $8/mo. Pro $10/month or $8/month billed annually ($96/yr). Teams Pro $12–15/user/month. Free tier keeps 3 months of clipboard history; unlimited history requires Pro. SnipVault is $2.49 a month, $29.99 a year, or $79 once, and every plan has every feature.
What platforms does Raycast run on?+
Raycast: Mac, Windows, iOS (no clipboard history). SnipVault runs on macOS 13 or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, and one licence covers up to three Macs.
Can I try SnipVault before switching?+
Yes. SnipVault has a 7-day trial of the complete app with no card, and you can keep Raycast running alongside it until you are sure.
Try SnipVault next to Raycast
Keep both installed for a week. If SnipVault does not replace it, nothing was charged.