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wtf is wox?

wox-launcher/wox — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-21

26,752GoAudience · generalComplexity · 1/5LicenseSetup · easy

TL;DR

Wox is a free, cross-platform keyboard-driven app launcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux, press Alt+Space, type a few characters, and instantly open anything on your computer.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Wox))
    What it does
      App launcher
      File search
      AI chat built in
    Features
      Plugin store
      Theme store
      Cross-platform
    Use Cases
      Launch apps fast
      Search bookmarks
      Run commands
    Setup
      Single file install
      Homebrew on Mac
      Winget on Windows

Code map

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Replace Spotlight or Alfred with a free cross-platform launcher that works identically on Windows, Mac, and Linux

REASON 2

Extend the launcher with plugins for browser bookmarks, clipboard history, calculator, or package lookups

REASON 3

Ask AI questions directly from your keyboard without opening a browser tab, using the built-in AI chat feature

What's in the stack?

Go

How it stacks up

wox-launcher/woxgitleaks/gitleaksxiu2/cloudflarespeedtest
Stars26,75226,60626,439
LanguageGoGoGo
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/52/51/5
Audiencegeneraldevelopergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Open source, free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose.

Wtf does this do

Wox is a free, open-source app launcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux, essentially a smarter, faster way to find and open anything on your computer without touching the mouse. Press Alt+Space (or Command+Space on Mac), type a few characters, and instantly launch apps, open files, run searches, or execute commands. If you've ever used Spotlight on Mac or Alfred or Raycast, Wox is the same category of tool: a keyboard-first search bar that pops up over everything and gets out of the way once you're done. The difference is that Wox is completely free, works across all major operating systems, and is extensible through plugins. The plugin store lets you extend what Wox can search and do, browser bookmarks, calculator, clipboard history, package lookups, dictionary, and much more. There's also a theme store for customizing the look. A notable recent addition is AI chat built right into the launcher, so you can ask questions and get answers without opening a separate browser tab. For vibe coders and productivity-focused users, Wox is particularly appealing as a free alternative to paid tools like Alfred or Raycast. It runs as a lightweight single file (no complex installer), starts instantly, and stays out of the way until you need it. Available for immediate download from the releases page or installable in seconds via Homebrew on Mac or Winget on Windows.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
How do I install a Wox plugin to search my Chrome bookmarks directly from the launcher?
Prompt 2
Show me how to create a simple Wox plugin in Python that searches a local folder of Markdown notes
Prompt 3
How do I configure Wox to launch specific apps with custom keyword shortcuts beyond the default Alt+Space trigger?
Prompt 4
How do I set up the AI chat feature in Wox to connect to OpenAI's API for answering questions from the launcher?

Frequently asked questions

wtf is wox?

Wox is a free, cross-platform keyboard-driven app launcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux, press Alt+Space, type a few characters, and instantly open anything on your computer.

What language is wox written in?

Mainly Go. The stack also includes Go.

What license does wox use?

Open source, free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose.

How hard is wox to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is wox for?

Mainly general.

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