Ueli is the keystroke launcher for Windows. This guide walks through what it does, how to install it, who it’s for, and where it fits relative to the alternatives. Everything below is based on the official project — pricing, install steps, and feature list all verified as of May 2026.
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What Ueli Is
Ueli is a free keystroke launcher for Windows — press a hotkey, start typing, and find files, launch apps, run web searches, do quick math, convert currencies, or trigger system actions. It’s the Windows counterpart to Mac’s Alfred or Raycast. Most of what you do on your computer is faster through Ueli than through Start menu hunting.
Key Features
- Application launcher. Type the first few letters of any installed app and hit Enter to launch.
- File search. Search the contents of indexed folders by name.
- Web shortcuts. Type ‘g
‘ to Google, ‘yt ‘ for YouTube, ‘wiki ‘ for Wikipedia, etc. Add your own. - Built-in calculator. Type ‘1234 * 56’ and the result appears instantly.
- System commands. Lock workstation, sleep, shutdown, restart, open settings — all without menus.
How to Install Ueli
- Visit ueli.app and download the latest installer.
- Run the installer.
- Launch Ueli and grant the requested permissions.
- Press Alt+Space (default hotkey) and start typing.
- Open Settings to customize the hotkey, add web shortcuts, or expand the indexed folders.
Pricing and Open-Source Status
Ueli is free and open source. There are no premium tiers, no in-app purchases, and no ads. The source code is publicly available so anyone can audit, fork, or contribute. If the project shuts down tomorrow, the code stays accessible and the community can fork it.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Massively speeds up keyboard-driven workflows
- Free and open source
- Lightweight (small RAM footprint)
- Active development
Cons:
- Windows only
- Less polished than Alfred (Mac) or Raycast (Mac)
- Plugin ecosystem smaller than the Mac equivalents
Who Should Use Ueli?
Ueli is for Windows users who prefer keyboard navigation. If you grew up on Spotlight or Alfred on Mac and feel slowed down on Windows, Ueli (or Flow Launcher or PowerToys Run) fills that gap.
Alternatives Worth Considering
Flow Launcher is another popular Windows launcher with a larger plugin library. PowerToys Run is Microsoft’s built-in option (free).
Where to Download Ueli
Head to the official site: https://ueli.app/. Always grab installers directly from the source — third-party download mirrors are a common malware vector for free software.
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