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Add to SafariWhen comparing WinLaunch vs Launchy, the Slant community recommends WinLaunch for most people. In the question“What are the best app launchers for Windows?” WinLaunch is ranked 1st while Launchy is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose WinLaunch is:
You can do anything, from launching applications, to adding, grouping and removing them without using the keyboard. There are also keyboard shortcuts available for those that do not like using the mouse, either way the app will work with whatever workflow works best for the user.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Works with anyone's workflow
You can do anything, from launching applications, to adding, grouping and removing them without using the keyboard. There are also keyboard shortcuts available for those that do not like using the mouse, either way the app will work with whatever workflow works best for the user.
Pro Anyone can use it
It is free to use as it is donation-funded.
Pro Fast access and setup
It enables you to launch any application with very few clicks. If you organize your apps well, you get them in one single click. You may need two or three at most if you need to open a folder or move to another page. HotCorners is a great idea, allowing you to view WinLaunch without even clicking.
Even setting up your apps in it is fast and intuitive, with simple clicks and drag-n-drops.
Pro .deb files available for Debian based distros
For those using Debian based distros Launchy is very easy to install as their website has 32 and 64bit .deb files available. For all other diistros Launchy will have to be compiled from source.
Pro Easily themed with many available on the web
Launchy can be easily themedby placing themes into the Launchy theme folder and then selecting that theme from within the apps settings. There are also many user created themes available which is great for those that want their launcher to match the rest of their OS's theme.
Cons
Con Sometimes buggy
Con Inconvenient manual setup
After installed the first time you pull the launcher up there will be no apps contained within, this means every user will have to manually add the apps they would like in the launcher, which is time consuming. An auto population feature would be more convenient, sadly there is none.
Con No customizable icons or folders, no option to add single drives, no tool to make themes
Con Small selection of plugins
The official plugin page on Launchy's homepage hosts just 11 plugins.
Con Abandoned
Launchy was last updated in 2010.
