Raycast vs Dato

Raycast8.7Visit Dato8.2Visit

Higher score Raycast #3 in Menu Bar Apps 8.7/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Raycast

vs

Dato #5 in Menu Bar Apps 8.2/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Dato

• Raycast fits best

  Cross-platform launcher and menu-bar productivity users

• Dato fits best

  Mac users who want calendar and meeting tools at a glance

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Side by side

Feature	Raycast 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Dato 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.2
Ranking	#3 in Menu Bar Apps	#5 in Menu Bar Apps
Best for	Cross-platform launcher and menu-bar productivity users	Mac users who want calendar and meeting tools at a glance
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$10/mo	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	macOS, Windows, iOS	macOS
Integrations	10 integrations	50+ integrations
Features Raycast 0/3 · Dato 2/3
Keyboard shortcuts	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Automation support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Intel Mac support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
macOS versions	Not checked yet	macOS 26 and later
Primary function	Not checked yet	Other
Menu bar items	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Searches applications and files, and launches URLs and tools with Quicklinks. Combines clipboard history, snippets, hotkeys, scripts, and window management. Runs on macOS, Windows, and iOS, with thousands of extensions.	Shows upcoming events, week numbers and calendar indicators in the menu bar Combines multiple named world clocks with time-zone search Fullscreen meeting alerts can open or join supported video calls
Cons	Free has no AI features and limits Notes to five. Cloud Sync is available only on paid plans. Its broad launcher toolkit is less specialized as a menu-bar app.	Requires a paid purchase; there is no free plan Calendar access depends on services configured through macOS Calendar Available for macOS only
Our verdict	Raycast is a keyboard-first productivity launcher for people who want to reach apps, files, commands, and tools from one place. It combines search and Quicklinks with snippets, clipboard history, window management, notes, hotkeys, command… Read the review →	Dato is a macOS menu bar utility for people who want their calendar, upcoming events and local time close at hand. Alongside calendar views and event indicators, it can show multiple world clocks, create reminders and display meeting… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Raycast — where it wins

  • Searches applications and files, and launches URLs and tools with Quicklinks.
  • Combines clipboard history, snippets, hotkeys, scripts, and window management.
  • Runs on macOS, Windows, and iOS, with thousands of extensions.

  Where it doesn't

  • Free has no AI features and limits Notes to five.
  • Cloud Sync is available only on paid plans.
  • Its broad launcher toolkit is less specialized as a menu-bar app.

• Dato — where it wins

  • Shows upcoming events, week numbers and calendar indicators in the menu bar
  • Combines multiple named world clocks with time-zone search
  • Fullscreen meeting alerts can open or join supported video calls

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a paid purchase; there is no free plan
  • Calendar access depends on services configured through macOS Calendar
  • Available for macOS only

• Raycast8.7/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A broad launcher with search, commands, extensions, and optional AI and cloud sync.

  Visit RaycastFull verdict →
• Dato8.2/10 · Paid

  Dato brings calendar events, time zones, reminders and meeting controls to the macOS menu bar.

  Visit DatoFull verdict →