Flick and Raycast's Switch Windows, side by side

The short answer

Raycast is a launcher, and Switch Windows is one of its built-in commands. Open it from Raycast, or with an alias or hotkey you assign, and it lists every open window in one searchable view, with each window's title and app; type, press Return, and you're there. ⌘K shows actions such as minimize, close, full screen and hide (Raycast manual: Navigation).

Flick is a dedicated switcher that works like ⌘Tab: hold ⌥, tap Tab, and let go. A quick tap takes you back to your last window without showing anything, and typing while you hold ⌥ narrows the list. Raycast is free and does far more than switch windows, but as of October 2026 Raycast v2 needs macOS 26 Tahoe on an Apple silicon Mac. Flick needs macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel.

At a glance

When Raycast fits better

• Raycast is already your launcher. Switch Windows sits next to app launching, clipboard history, snippets and window management in a tool you open all day anyway, so there's nothing else to install or learn.
• You want it free. Raycast's free plan covers all of its built-in extensions, Switch Windows included (Raycast pricing). Flick's free version covers your 5 most recent windows.
• You want to arrange windows too. Switch Windows can put a window into full screen from ⌘K, and Raycast includes Window Management. Flick doesn't change full screen, move or resize windows.

When Flick fits better

• Your hands know ⌘Tab. Flick keeps the hold, tap, let go habit, and a quick tap flips back to your previous window. In Command mode it can take ⌘Tab itself, and macOS gets it back when Flick quits. Quick switch
• Your Mac runs macOS 14 or 15, or has an Intel chip. Raycast says v2 requires macOS Tahoe and Apple silicon (Raycast v2). Flick runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on both kinds of Mac.
• Tabs and windows in one list. With a license, Flick's search covers tab titles and addresses in Safari, Chrome, Chrome Beta, Brave and Edge, next to your windows. In Raycast, tabs come from Store extensions, each with its own command. Browser tabs in Flick
• Search tuned for windows. Flick ranks the best match first, understands initials such as “vsc” for Visual Studio Code, and also matches the file and folder names of the document a window shows. How window search works

Price and licensing

As of October 2026, Raycast's free plan covers all of its built-in extensions, Switch Windows among them, for personal and work use. Paid plans start with Pro, at $10 a month or $96 a year, and add features the free plan leaves out, such as Raycast AI (Raycast pricing).

Raycast's free plan includes Switch Windows; Flick's free version covers your 5 most recent windows, and a one-time license for each Mac unlocks every window and browser tabs, with no subscription. Pricing

Permissions and privacy

Raycast's manual says Switch Windows needs Accessibility, which you allow in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility (Raycast manual: Navigation). Flick needs the same permission, for the same job.

Beyond Accessibility, Flick asks for Automation only for each browser whose tabs you turn on, and never for Screen Recording. The permissions Flick uses

Using both

Raycast and Flick can run side by side as long as they don't share keys.

1. Keep Flick on ⌥Tab

   Flick's default, ⌥Tab, leaves ⌘Tab to macOS. If you give Switch Windows a hotkey, pick something else, or use an alias instead.

2. Pick one search shortcut

   Flick's search shortcut is ⇧⌘Space. If a Raycast hotkey uses the same keys, only one app can have them, and when Flick can't, it says “⇧⌘Space is in use by another app”. Change one of them, or turn off Enable search shortcut in Flick's Settings › Shortcuts if you'd rather search windows from Raycast. Change the search shortcut

3. Use each for what it does best

   Flick for the quick back-and-forth and for picking a recent window or tab; Raycast for launching, clipboard history and everything else it does.

Questions