Navigating through dozens of files and apps on your MacBook can slow you down, so application launchers are a must-have. These tools make it easy to quickly access applications and files as you perform various tasks with just a few keystrokes. They streamline your workflow, making you organized and efficient. While many of these app launchers offer advanced customization, integrations, and automation, we believe these six will speed up your productivity on Mac.

If you’re new to app launchers or looking for a simple solution, Spotlight is the app you need. This native macOS tool features basic app launching, file searching, word definitions, and even quick calculations. For example, you could type “1055+750” into the search bar and get an instant answer without using a calculator. In addition, Spotlight makes it easy to preview files, especially documents, by selecting them and pressing the spacebar.

While Spotlight’s biggest advantage is that it’s free and seamlessly integrated into macOS, it doesn’t feature workflow automation, so it may not be your best choice if you need something more advanced. Nevertheless, this app launcher continues to improve each time Apple updates its operating system.