Raycast AI is a powerful keyboard-driven launcher. Cue is a voice-first assistant that sees your screen. They work great together, giving you the best of both worlds.
Raycast AI is the best keyboard launcher for Mac. Cue is a voice assistant that works on top of any app, on Mac and Windows. Many people use both. Raycast for text commands, Cue for voice tasks.
You already live in Raycast for Mac productivity. Your workflow is keyboard-first, and voice is not how you want to trigger AI. You prefer its deep extension library for all tasks.
You want to use your voice to dictate, translate, or run commands in any app. Cue's screen context turns your words into finished work, without typing.
Here is an honest, feature-by-feature look at Cue and Raycast AI.
| Feature | Cue | Raycast AI |
|---|---|---|
| Screen context awarenessSees selected text, app, and window | High (Vision + AX) | Low (Text prompt only) |
| Voice as primary inputHotkey triggers voice capture | ✓ Native | ✗ (Requires text input) |
| Real-time translationSpeak in one language, type in another | ✓ 20+ languages | ✗ (Requires command) |
| Works inside any appGlobal hotkey and context | ✓ Yes | Partial (Launcher-based) |
| Windows supportNative Windows client | ✓ Yes | Beta |
| Free tierFor basic usage | ✓ (Unlimited dictation) | ✓ (Raycast, not AI) |
| macOS supportNative macOS client | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Hotkey from any appGlobal system-wide trigger | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Multi-step agent executionPerform complex tasks | ✓ Yes | Partial (Simple commands) |
| Keyboard-driven commandsLauncher-style text input | ✗ (Voice-first) | ✓ Native |
| Extension storeThird-party integrations | ✗ No | ✓ Extensive |
Cue offers a generous free tier. Raycast AI is part of the paid Raycast Pro subscription.
Raycast AI is excellent for keyboard commands. Cue adds a new layer for voice and context.
Raycast AI gets text prompts. Cue gets your voice, plus the context from your screen: selected text, the active app, and visible content. This context is what allows Cue to take action directly. For example, select text in an email, press your hotkey, and say 'make this more professional'. Cue rewrites it in place.
With Raycast, AI is a command you type. With Cue, voice is the primary input. Just press a hotkey and speak. It's faster for dictation, translation, and quick thoughts, without breaking your flow to open a launcher.
Cue works the same on macOS and Windows. Your hotkeys, prompts, and workflows follow you. Raycast is primarily a Mac tool, with its Windows version still in beta.
They hear what you said.
Cue sees what you're doing.
And does the thing, in any app.
Our goal is to help you find the right tool, even if it's not us.
You are a power user on Mac who lives by the keyboard. You have a deeply customized Raycast setup with extensions and workflows, and you prefer triggering AI with text commands inside the launcher. Voice is not a priority for your workflow.
You want to use your voice as a primary input for AI on your computer. You need an assistant that understands the context of what you're working on, in any app. You work across both Mac and Windows and want a consistent experience.
Yes, for voice-driven tasks. Raycast is keyboard-first. Cue is voice-first. Many users run them side-by-side, using Raycast for launcher commands and Cue for dictation, translation, and contextual AI actions in any app.
Yes. Cue has full, native clients for both macOS and Windows. Raycast is a mature Mac app, but its Windows version is currently in beta and may have limited features.
Not for its core launcher features. Raycast is an exceptional app launcher with a huge extension library. Cue does not replace that. Cue replaces the need to type AI prompts by letting you use your voice and screen context instead.
Cue has a free tier with unlimited dictation and 20 daily agent credits. Cue Plus is $9.99/mo for unlimited use. Raycast AI is included in Raycast Pro, which costs $8/mo (billed annually) or $10/mo (billed monthly).
Cue uses a hybrid model. Voice capture and basic dictation are processed for speed. Complex tasks like agent execution use cloud models like Claude and Gemini for higher quality results. This gives you speed for simple tasks and power for complex ones.
Cue's main advantage is combining voice with screen context. It can see selected text or an entire window in any app and act on it. It also offers real-time voice translation and works identically on Mac and Windows.
Yes. Your voice and screen data are only used to process your request and are not stored long-term or used for training. We use industry-standard encryption. You can read our full privacy policy for details.
You don't have to switch. You can install Cue and run it alongside Raycast. Just download Cue, install it, and set a hotkey that doesn't conflict with your Raycast hotkey. Many users set Raycast to 'Option+Space' and Cue to 'Option+Shift+Space'.
Download for Mac or Windows. Your first day you'll use it for dictation. By day three, you'll be running multi-step agents without a thought.