What is RustCast?
RustCast is a keyboard launcher written in Rust: hit a hotkey, type, and open an app, find a file, do a calculation, convert a unit, look up an emoji or pull something out of clipboard history. It is free and MIT licensed, has no subscription and sends no telemetry, and it is configured from a TOML file at ~/.config/rustcast/config.toml rather than a settings window. The developer's motivation was straightforward — not wanting to pay for Raycast. The project is no longer maintained: the README now says so plainly, the last release was 0.8.5 on 31 July 2026, and the author has moved on to contribute to Floe. It still works and is still downloadable, but it will not keep pace with macOS.
Verified product facts
- Type
- application launcherEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- Yes
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- MystikoLabDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- MIT
- Current version
- 0.8.5Developer-stated
- Official website
- rustcast.app
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What RustCast does at a glance.
Searches and launches installed apps
From a single hotkey
Inline calculator
Evaluates an expression as you type
Clipboard history reachable
From the keyboard
File search
Contributors changed to use macOS's mdfind index
Quick web search
Append a question mark to a query to search the web
Unit conversions and emoji search
From the same input field
Custom shell scripts and aliases defined
In the config file
Themable
With fonts and colours set in ~/.config/rustcast/config.toml
A plugin system, listed as partially implemented
What you can use RustCast for
- Launching an app or opening a file without leaving the keyboard
- Doing a quick calculation or unit conversion mid-task
- Recovering something from clipboard history
- Running a shell command you have defined as an alias in the launcher
- Replacing a subscription launcher with a free, local one
Who is RustCast for?
- People who want a free, open-source launcher and are comfortable editing a config file
- Users who prefer a small Rust binary over an Electron app
- Anyone who wants a launcher that sends no telemetry
Who is RustCast not for?
- Anyone who needs a maintained tool — the developer has stated the project is no longer being maintained
- Users who want a graphical settings window or a workflow editor, which RustCast does not have
- People on macOS 12 or earlier, since the developer's Homebrew cask requires macOS 13 Ventura
Limitations
- The project is no longer maintained. The README states this in an important notice, and version 0.8.5 on 31 July 2026 is the last release
- The product website still presents RustCast as an active product and does not mention that maintenance has stopped, so the site and the repository disagree
- Configuration is a TOML file rather than a settings UI, which is a barrier if you would rather not edit text to change a preference
- The plugin system is listed as only partially implemented
- Cross-platform support is listed as not planned
- The repository moved twice: the entry's original `unsecretised/rustcast` and `RustCastLabs/rustcast` both redirect to `MystikoLab/rustcast`
Strengths and trade-offs
What RustCast does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no subscription, account or telemetry.
- Written in Rust and shipped as a universal build, so it runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
- Installs with one Homebrew command from the developer's own tap.
- Covers app launching, file search, calculator, unit conversion, emoji search and clipboard history in one hotkey.Developer-stated
- Everything is local: the config file and the launcher index live on the Mac.Editorially reviewed
Trade-offs
- No longer maintained. The README says so directly and the last release was 0.8.5 in July 2026.Developer-stated
- The product website does not mention that maintenance has stopped, so it still reads as an active project.
- No graphical settings window: configuration means editing a TOML file.Developer-stated
- The plugin system is only partially implemented, and the developer lists several planned features as unfinished.Developer-stated
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Install with `brew install --cask unsecretised/tap/rustcast`, or download the universal zip from the GitHub releases page and move the app into Applications.
- First launch Developer-stated
- RustCast creates a default configuration at ~/.config/rustcast/config.toml on first run and then waits behind a global hotkey.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Registers a global hotkey to show and hide the launcher, and can run shell aliases defined in the config file. File search uses the system's own mdfind index rather than building a separate one.
- Apple Silicon
- Supported
What it does
RustCast is a popup launcher: press a hotkey, type, and it opens an app, finds a file, evaluates an expression, converts a unit, finds an emoji or shows something you copied earlier. The website’s framing is speed and keyboard-first workflow, and the feature list is deliberately broad but shallow — a set of small utilities sharing one input field.
The developer’s stated motivation is worth quoting because it explains the
design: not wanting to pay for Raycast, and wanting to get better at Rust. The
result is a native binary rather than an Electron app, configured entirely from
a TOML file at ~/.config/rustcast/config.toml. There is no settings window,
and that is the trade-off for the size and speed.
Maintenance status
RustCast is no longer maintained. The README carries an important notice saying so directly, and it also records where the author went: they now contribute to Floe, mention Tuna as another option, and note that Tinycast’s maintainer takes bug reports badly. Version 0.8.5, published on 31 July 2026, is the last release.
The product website does not say any of this. It still describes RustCast as “the fastest launcher you’ll ever use”, advertises free-forever pricing and lists 104,000 downloads. Anyone arriving from the site would have no way to know that development has stopped — which is a good reason to read the repository before adopting it.
Two more things are listed as unfinished rather than abandoned: the plugin system is described as partially implemented, and cross-platform support is marked as not planned.
Installing it
The Homebrew route is brew install --cask unsecretised/tap/rustcast. The
manual route is the universal zip on the GitHub releases page. The cask requires
macOS 13 Ventura, which is the only first-party statement of a system
requirement — neither the website nor the README publishes one.
One housekeeping note: the repository has moved twice. Both
unsecretised/rustcast and RustCastLabs/rustcast now redirect to
MystikoLab/rustcast, and the Homebrew tap still lives under the older
unsecretised name. Old release asset URLs keep working, which is why the move
is easy to miss.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for RustCast, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
0.8.5
Final release. The project was marked as no longer maintained after this version.
Source: Source repository
0.8.4
Point release on the 0.8 line, published three weeks before the project stopped being maintained.
Source: Source repository
0.8.3
Published in a burst of releases during July 2026, alongside 0.8.1 and 0.8.2 earlier in the month.
Source: Source repository
Questions about RustCast
Is RustCast free?
Yes. It is free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier, subscription or telemetry.
Is RustCast still maintained?
No. The README carries an important notice stating that RustCast is no longer being maintained, and version 0.8.5 from 31 July 2026 is the last release. The author now contributes to Floe and also mentions Tuna and Tinycast as alternatives.Developer-stated
How do I configure RustCast?
By editing ~/.config/rustcast/config.toml. RustCast writes a default file for you on first run, and the full option list is documented in the repository and its wiki.Developer-stated
Which macOS version does RustCast need?
The developer's Homebrew cask requires macOS 13 Ventura. Neither the product site nor the README states a floor.
Does RustCast run natively on Apple Silicon?
Yes. The release asset is a universal macOS build, covering Apple Silicon and Intel in one download.
Where did the RustCast repository go?
It is now at github.com/MystikoLab/rustcast. Both the older unsecretised/rustcast and RustCastLabs/rustcast paths redirect there.
Alternatives to RustCast
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
Raycast
Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI.
Both are keyboard launchers with file search and clipboard history; RustCast is free and open source with no subscription, and is no longer maintained.
Alfred
Launcher and automation tool with workflows and snippets.
Both launch apps and search files from a hotkey; RustCast is a lighter tool with a TOML config and no workflow editor, and it is no longer maintained.
Cerebro
Open-source productivity booster with a brain.
Both are free, open-source launchers with plugin systems, but Cerebro is built on Electron while RustCast is a native Rust binary.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
- RustCast — official websiteGrade B
- MystikoLab — developer websiteGrade B
- RustCast — documentationGrade C
- RustCast — source repositoryGrade D
