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LaunchBar
LaunchBar
4.5
0.0
LaunchBar free download for Mac

LaunchBar

Version 6.18.5

Powerful file/URL/email launcher utility.

4.5
Based on 203 user ratesRead reviews & comments
$35.00
One-Time Purchase
Buy Now

LaunchBar overview

LaunchBar is an award-winning productivity utility that offers an amazingly intuitive and efficient way to search and access any kind of information stored on your computer or on the Web. It provides instant access to your applications, documents, contacts, and bookmarks, to your music library, to search engines and more, just by entering short abbreviations of the searched item's name.

You just hit Command-Space to bring LaunchBar's input window to front, enter an arbitrary abbreviation, and as soon as you start typing LaunchBar displays the best matching choices, ready to be opened immediately.

Start applications, open documents, invoke system services, compose emails, or navigate the Web-LaunchBar will be your essential servant.

What’s new in version 6.18.5

Updated on Dec 01 2023

  • We’ve identified and fixed an issue that caused occasional delays during input for some users running versions 6.18.3 and 6.18.4.

Information

License

Shareware

Size

17 MB

Downloads

189923

App requirements

  • Intel 64
  • Apple Silicon
  • macOS 10.14.4 or later
Try our new feature and write a detailed review about LaunchBar. All reviews will be posted soon.

What customer like

User Experience
Performance
Customization

What needs improvements

Support

LaunchBar qualities

Value
5.0
Ease of use
5.0
Features
5.0
Reliability
5.0
Customer support
5.0

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0.0

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  • Comments

  • User Ratings

Derekcurrie
Derekcurrie
Aug 21 2023
6.16
4.0
Aug 21 2023
4.0
Version: 6.16
v6.18 is out. Release notes: "- Automatic Theme Switching: • Added automatic switching between a theme’s dark and light appearance based on the current system appearance. • The desired theme appearance can be chosen in LaunchBar Settings > Appearance. • In addition to automatic switching it’s still possible to choose a fixed dark or light appearance. • The desired appearance can also be chosen in the LaunchBar window. Select a theme (either by browsing the Themes indexing rule or by selecting it directly via abbreviation search), then press Right Arrow (or Space) and choose either Automatic, Light or Dark. • Added dark variants of built-in themes (except for the “Vintage” theme). - Improvements and Bug Fixes: • Improved appearance of sidebar in index window. • Improved caching of applications index for better startup performance. • Improved ranking of system applications when searching via abbreviation search. • Fixed: Sending files to a shortcut (those created in the macOS Shortcuts app) didn’t work on macOS Ventura. This was caused by a bug in the Shortcuts API on Ventura, which no longer accepts multiple files or folders to be sent to a shortcut. As a consequence it’s currently only possible to send a single file or folder to a shortcut via LaunchBar on Ventura. On macOS Monterey it’s still possible to send multiple files or folders. • Fixed a bug causing a file path copied from LaunchBar into a Terminal window to be pasted twice. • Fixed a crash when allowing Calendar/Reminders access after adding or enabling the corresponding indexing rule. • Fixed an issue causing the shadows in a few custom icons to be headed in the wrong direction."
Drtyrell969
Drtyrell969
Feb 20 2023
6.16
0.0
Feb 20 2023
0.0
Version: 6.16
Yeah, gonna need to update those screenshots there. Can't remotely figure out what this app does.
Derekcurrie
Derekcurrie
Feb 20 2023
6.15
4.0
Feb 20 2023
4.0
Version: 6.15
v6.16 is out (as of 2022-11). Release notes: • Compatibility with macOS Ventura. • New built-in “Dark Mode On/Off” action. • New built-in actions for converting images into PNG or HEIC format. • Improved Google Chrome Bookmarks and History indexing to support multiple profiles. • Improved application indexing to also include Xcode’s Simulator.app. • Renamed image conversion actions from “Recompress Image” to “Convert Image to JPG”. • Improved icons of built-in actions. • Improved appearance of drag & drop highlight while dragging items onto the LaunchBar window. • Improved browsing of an application’s recent documents to indicate if a document would by default open with a different app. • Fixed indexing of Firefox bookmarks and history. • Fixed built-in “Set Desktop Background” action. • Fixed incorrect display of icons with non-square aspect ratios. • Fixed a layout issue in the Options pane of the index window. • Changed keyboard shortcut of “Open in Action Editor” from Command-Return to Shift-Command-E. • Dropped support for Chromium and Opera web browsers. • Removed “Lock Screen” and Fast User Switching actions on macOS Big Sur and later, because macOS has removed the ability for third party apps to trigger these functions.
Derekcurrie
Derekcurrie
May 14 2021
6.13.1
4.0
May 14 2021
4.0
Version: 6.13.1
v6.14.1 is the current version as of March, 2021. The Release Notes can be found here: https://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/releasenotes.html
daveyarddave
daveyarddave
Feb 5 2021
6.13.1
5.0
Feb 5 2021
5.0
Version: 6.13.1
Lots of features that are too advanced for me, but the ability to move, copy, or make alias of files with just a few keystrokes is easy and useful on a daily basis. The Clipboard History and ClipMerge feature (copy multiple time to the same clip so you only have to paste once) is also great when needed. That's just a fraction of what this can do, but it's enough for me. It’s replaced CopyLess, DropZone and Spotlight for me - I love it.
Randommac
Randommac
Oct 8 2020
6.13.1
5.0
Oct 8 2020
5.0
Version: 6.13.1
It is so quick and agile and integrated into my workflow, I hardly realize I'm using until I try to work on a Mac that doesn't have it installed. I believe it is possible to get work done without it, but I'd rather not have to find out. It's one of 2 or 3 apps I have to have.
bobembry
bobembry
Sep 1 2020
6.13
5.0
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Version: 6.13
Makes life easier. I use it about 50 times a day.
JamesHarrisPhoto
JamesHarrisPhoto
Sep 1 2020
6.13
5.0
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Version: 6.13
I have used Alfred, Quicksilver, Butler, and a host of other application launchers over the years, and LaunchBar is still the best. And it's the only one I've used where you can assign your own custom letters to type when launching an app.
Macbookpro
Macbookpro
Sep 1 2020
6.13
5.0
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Version: 6.13
Great...Glad they updated it to be compatible with Big Sur!
Penguirl
Penguirl
Jan 28 2020
6.12
5.0
Jan 28 2020
5.0
Version: 6.12
My most important utility, it saves me time and my sanity. Without LaunchBar I might as well be using a hammer and chisel. TBH, it does more than I know how but I'm okay with that.
Scott-C-H-
Scott-C-H-
Dec 16 2019
6.12
5.0
Dec 16 2019
5.0
Version: 6.12
I've been using it for many years now, and it has not let me down. Extremely useful and versatile. I will buy another licence, no questions asked, even if it cost twice as much as the current price. It's a bargain at $31.60 as far as I'm concerned.
OJB
OJB
Dec 12 2019
6.12
5.0
Dec 12 2019
5.0
Version: 6.12
Essential program for me. I use it for most searches because I usually want to search on filenames, not contents. I find it more predictable and useful than Spotlight. Also, the clipboard history features is fantastic. I find going back to computers without this feature quite frustrating! Two very minor problems: sometimes it hangs up briefly (just a few seconds) when searching, and I can't search while it's reindexing.
tinani
tinani
Jun 20 2019
6.11.1
2.5
Jun 20 2019
2.5
Version: 6.11.1
Good software but sometimes difficult to understand. Documentation is not good. KB only exists for Launchbar 5, most of it is valid, but there is no search functionality. Forum no longer usable for new questions since the forum is now read-only due to spam issues: https://forums.obdev.at/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11970 So it's quite complicate to learn more about this software. That's not good.
droscar
droscar
Apr 26 2019
6.11
5.0
Apr 26 2019
5.0
Version: 6.11
The latest version is 6.11.1. You can modify the download link for version 6.11.
xikc
xikc
Apr 12 2019
6.10
3.5
Apr 12 2019
3.5
Version: 6.10
Really like the software. But customer support is close to non-existant. Wrote in about an issue I was seeing with files on a NAS not being automatically found by LB. No response for a while. Then info supports wants to check with development and then never heard back. Unclear if there is now an open feature request or not. Will the problem be solved? Is it even solvable on the side of LB? I don't know. Will I ever know? I am not sure.
Moogan
Moogan
Dec 24 2018
6.9.5
0.0
Dec 24 2018
0.0
Version: 6.9.5
6.10 has been released, 24 Dec 2018
DragonMaster
DragonMaster
Aug 23 2018
6.9.5
3.5
Aug 23 2018
3.5
Version: 6.9.5
Many people will find LaunchBar to be complicated to activate and fully access. There is a very inexpensive alternative (99 cents on the App Store) called Launch Bar. It is extremely easy to use and highly functional. You can create an unbelievable array of ways to access folders, launch apps etc through menus or launchers on the Menu bar on your monitor. It is so simple that you can tell it to copy everything from the Dock and those apps and folders are instantly installed in the menu bar. You can arrange the order you want them in by holding the Command Key and Dragging the apps icon to wherever you want it. The same can be done for any folder. Icons can be changed to whatever you want to use. Not bad for a 99 cent alternative to LaunchBar which by the way is fine but too expensive tool
soniccat
soniccat
Aug 19 2018
6.9.5
5.0
Aug 19 2018
5.0
Version: 6.9.5
Great app. I've using it everyday for about 5 years.
LeroyMorrison
LeroyMorrison
Jun 9 2018
6.9.5
0.0
Jun 9 2018
0.0
Version: 6.9.5
Why would I want to use this over Alfred? Alfred is free and doesn’t cost money.
Scott-C-H-
Scott-C-H-
Mar 16 2018
6.9.4
5.0
Mar 16 2018
5.0
Version: 6.9.4
Running High Sierra (10.13.3), LaunchBar 6.9.4 here. I've been using LaunchBar since around 2002, way before Apple came up with Spotlight search. It is one of the most essential third-party utilities on my Mac. I tend to steer clear of "system enhancement" utilities for many reasons, but I consider this one an excellent exception to the rule.

I like that it is just a stand-alone, standard Mac app that doesn't tweak the system unnecessarily. I love how it requires almost no maintenance hassle. I like how it is not fiddly. I love that it adjusts to my habit, not the other way around like most other apps. And I love how it's minimalist on the surface but provides an infinite number of functionalities that genuinely save time and remove workflow friction.

I use it for launching apps, maintaining a large number of snippets for coding, run word, and character count instantly, access all my contact instantly, move things around, find folders, and so on. Snippets are simply a bunch of text files in a folder, so there is no vendor lock-in, and editing and updating my snippets are very straight-forward because of that. The whole thing flows so naturally for me that I often forget that it's there.

Oh, and the funny thing about it is that I don't feel crippled when I have to work on a Mac without LaunchBar. I simply resort to using OS X Spotlight with the same keyboard shortcut. I notice it's not LaunchBar, but it's SO MUCH better than learning to use the Mac in a novel, unusual fashion and then feel utterly crippled on someone else's Mac. To me, that level of unobtrusiveness is one of the "features" I love about LaunchBar.

Strongly recommended. 100 stars if I could give them. :)
mugsuk
mugsuk
Nov 5 2023
6.18
5.0
Nov 5 2023
5.0
Version: 6.18
Derekcurrie
Derekcurrie
Feb 20 2023
6.15
4.0
Feb 20 2023
4.0
Version: 6.15
Randommac
Randommac
Aug 22 2021
6.14.1
5.0
Aug 22 2021
5.0
Version: 6.14.1
daveyarddave
daveyarddave
Feb 5 2021
5.0
Feb 5 2021
5.0
Version: null
bobembry
bobembry
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Version: null
JamesHarrisPhoto
JamesHarrisPhoto
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Version: null
Macbookpro
Macbookpro
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Sep 1 2020
5.0
Version: null
Penguirl
Penguirl
Jan 28 2020
5.0
Jan 28 2020
5.0
Version: null
Scott-C-H-
Scott-C-H-
Dec 16 2019
5.0
Dec 16 2019
5.0
Version: null
OJB
OJB
Dec 12 2019
5.0
Dec 12 2019
5.0
Version: null
Edelheid
Edelheid
Jul 4 2019
4.0
Jul 4 2019
4.0
Version: null
tinani
tinani
Jun 20 2019
2.5
Jun 20 2019
2.5
Version: null
Bleech-Jef
Bleech-Jef
Apr 28 2019
5.0
Apr 28 2019
5.0
Version: null
macuserbob
macuserbob
Apr 25 2019
2.5
Apr 25 2019
2.5
Version: null
xikc
xikc
Apr 12 2019
3.5
Apr 12 2019
3.5
Version: null
Ervins Strauhmanis
Ervins Strauhmanis
Feb 5 2019
5.0
Feb 5 2019
5.0
Version: null
ygfz
ygfz
Jan 31 2019
5.0
Jan 31 2019
5.0
Version: null
DragonMaster
DragonMaster
Aug 23 2018
3.5
Aug 23 2018
3.5
Version: null
soniccat
soniccat
Aug 19 2018
5.0
Aug 19 2018
5.0
Version: null
ray-brooks
ray-brooks
Jun 10 2018
4.5
Jun 10 2018
4.5
Version: null
Mikmaksen
Mikmaksen
Nov 10 2017
3.0
Nov 10 2017
3.0
Version: null
giovanni.tuzzato
giovanni.tuzzato
Mar 23 2017
3.5
Mar 23 2017
3.5
Version: null
Josh Helfferich
Josh Helfferich
Jul 7 2016
5.0
Jul 7 2016
5.0
Version: null
Zar
Zar
Apr 19 2016
5.0
Apr 19 2016
5.0
Version: null
Jab415
Jab415
Oct 28 2015
5.0
Oct 28 2015
5.0
Version: null
Stormchild
Stormchild
Oct 12 2015
5.0
Oct 12 2015
5.0
Version: null
phoibos
phoibos
Oct 11 2015
4.5
Oct 11 2015
4.5
Version: null
garagethrash
garagethrash
Sep 2 2015
4.5
Sep 2 2015
4.5
Version: null
Big Johnson
Big Johnson
Jun 28 2015
1.5
Jun 28 2015
1.5
Version: null
ottffssentz
ottffssentz
May 3 2015
5.0
May 3 2015
5.0
Version: null
TCalhau
TCalhau
Mar 6 2015
4.5
Mar 6 2015
4.5
Version: null
Wts
Wts
Jan 14 2015
5.0
Jan 14 2015
5.0
Version: null
Bogumił
Bogumił
Dec 16 2014
5.0
Dec 16 2014
5.0
Version: null
Jazzyguy
Jazzyguy
Dec 16 2014
0.5
Dec 16 2014
0.5
Version: null
Stewartroger
Stewartroger
Dec 16 2014
5.0
Dec 16 2014
5.0
Version: null
Buegelfrei
Buegelfrei
Nov 24 2014
5.0
Nov 24 2014
5.0
Version: null
Kgx
Kgx
Oct 17 2014
5.0
Oct 17 2014
5.0
Version: null
Bloomsday
Bloomsday
Oct 6 2014
3.0
Oct 6 2014
3.0
Version: null
Kastorff
Kastorff
Oct 1 2014
5.0
Oct 1 2014
5.0
Version: null
Donmontalvo
Donmontalvo
Sep 25 2014
5.0
Sep 25 2014
5.0
Version: null
$35.00
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