LaunchUS vs AppGrid
Both bring Launchpad back on macOS 26+. They differ in price, ways to open and a few details.
Pick LaunchUS if you
- want F4, trackpad pinch and hot corners for free
- search in Pinyin or by initials
- care about open source (MIT), no accounts and no ads
- want to ask AI right from the launcher
- want widgets, a ring layout and live backgrounds with real weather
Pick AppGrid if you
- are on macOS 14.6 or 15
- want to install from the Mac App Store
Feature by feature
| Feature | LaunchUS | AppGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no Pro tier | Free core; Pro $25 once (5 Macs) or App Store subscription |
| Source code | Open source (MIT) | Closed source |
| Global shortcut | ✓ ⌥Space | — |
| F4 key | ✓ | — |
| Trackpad pinch | ✓ 3, 4 or 5 fingers | Pro |
| Hot corner | ✓ | Pro |
| Imports your Launchpad layout | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pinyin search | ✓ | — |
| Widgets | ✓ 17 kinds, or write your own | — |
| Ring layout | ✓ | — |
| Live backgrounds (sky, weather, video) | ✓ | — |
| Open with mouse-button clicks | ✓ | — |
| AI | ✓ Your own key | Pro: AI rearranging |
| MCP (let Claude and other AI use it) | ✓ | — |
| Get it from | Website, GitHub | Mac App Store, website |
| Requires | macOS 26+, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 14.6+ |
Facts come from each vendor’s own site, checked on 2026-11-08; prices and features may have changed since. “—” means the site doesn’t say. Sources：AppGrid
LaunchUS also has
- Clean uninstall, leftovers in ~/Library included
- Hide apps behind Touch ID
- Multiple layouts with iCloud sync
- Drop files on icons to open them
- App group widget opens a whole set of apps at once
- Custom icons, background and grid size
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Try LaunchUS for free
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