Trace
Open-source spotlight alternative and shortcut toolkit.
Trace provides a native macOS launcher that replaces Spotlight with a faster, lightweight alternative focused on rapid search and window management. By pressing a customizable shortcut (default ⌥Space), users can launch applications, open files, folders, or websites, and perform calculations without leaving the interface. The launcher supports fuzzy search across all installed apps, ranking results intelligently, and includes an emoji picker that queries over 1,500 symbols.
In addition to launching, Trace offers window‑management tools that snap windows to halves, thirds, or user‑defined positions, as well as global hotkeys that can be assigned to any action. Calendar integration lets users glance at upcoming events directly from the launcher, streamlining daily workflow.
The project is open source, written in Swift, and runs on macOS 15.5 and later. It is distributed as a free‑tier, native application that can be installed via Homebrew or directly from its GitHub repository.
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