Side by side

Appetizer vs Launchy

Both stand on app launcher software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Appetizer

Free plan APISelf-hostedWindows

Appetizer combines shortcut organization, launch controls, and dock customization in a free Windows application. Check the listed Windows versions and plugin restart requirement before choosing it.

Visit Appetizer

Launchy brings program and file launching into a keyboard-driven search, with skins, plugins, and a portable mode. Its calculator is limited to basic operations, and third-party plugins come without a functionality guarantee.

Visit Launchy

The facts

	Appetizer	Launchy
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Yes
Runs on	API, Self-hosted, Windows	Android, API, Linux, Mac, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	appetizer.cozic.net	launchy.net
On app launcher software	#6 of 40	#2 of 40

Appetizer: what it does well

Imports shortcuts with a wizard and supports drag-and-drop organization.
Dock supports horizontal or vertical layouts and several icon sizes.
Can launch multiple items and hide or show with a hotkey.
Portable ZIP package can run from a hard drive or USB stick.
Supports the standard PortableApps.com folder structure.

What to know first

Download page lists Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.
Plugins require a restart to enable.
Forum registration is closed.

Launchy: what it does well

Indexes start-menu programs and user-selected directories.
Opens files, folders, websites, and programs by search.
Supports customizable skins and a plugin architecture.
Portable mode stores configuration alongside the application.

What to know first

Calcy handles only basic arithmetic and parentheses.
Plugin developers are third parties; functionality is not guaranteed.
Binary-compatible plugin development requires Visual Studio 2005.

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